editorials - School District of the Chathams

Transcription

Chatham Middle School
CMS-7 PRESS
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
2007-2008
Inside this issue:
Web site: CMS Home Page
www.chatham-nj.org/coin/cms/title.htm
Faculty: D. Kesselbrenner
Teachers in the Spotlight
Global Warming
The Best Ways...
2
2
2008 Hottest Celebs
Tom Brady
3
3
Bad Choices
Best New Movies
4
4
Sports and College
5
Editorials
828
Maze
29
Editorial Staff
36
By Emily, Alex, Sophie, Jillian, Olivia
Many of our teachers
have lives out of school
that are different than
what we would expect.
Inspiration is what drives
people to do great things.
Mr. Wyatt, Ms. Saridaki,
and Mr. Kravitz have
agreed to share some
personal information with
us. The teachers were
each inspired to become
what they are today,
whether it is to be a
Performances
February
7,8,9
(Snow Date
February 10)
guidance counselor, a social studies teacher, or a
chorus teacher. Curiously, all three of them
have musical and sports
related hobbies and each
individual has had many
achievements throughout
their life time. These
teachers lead very interesting lives.
Inspiration is the first
step to starting a new
job. Mr. Wyatt was
coaching kids before he
became a guidance counselor. When he was
younger, he wanted to be
a Physical Education
teacher. He even studied
for two years in college
to prepare for the job!
Then as a coach, he realized how much he enjoyed
helping kids. He changed
his major and worked to
become a guidance counselor. Along with Mr.
(Continued on page 30)
American Idol
By Lizzy, Tess, Meghan,
Hannah ,Charlotte
For Tickets
Call CMS
Main Office
973.635.7200
American Idol is a reality TV show where millions of hopeful contestants audition for the
chance of a lifetime to be
a singing sensation. The
show tours the country
criticizing and critiquing
many wannabe and soonto-be singers. The search
is all about looking for
the next best thing.
Viewers at home choose
Page 2
SEE PAGE 14
FOR A
1 ON 1 ON 1
Global Warming: Fact or Fiction?
CMS-7 PRESS
By Sean, Kevin, Jake, Matt, Eric, Alec
Everyone knows about global warming, but what is the true cause? Some think it is a natural cycle that will
repeat, while others think it is the fault of people. There are many ways of looking at it, but either way we’re in
trouble. We still need to stop pollution because it’s killing the environment. If it keeps up there might not be an
environment left to protect.
Just how long has global warming been happening? Scientists have tracked climate increases in the past few
decades and found the increases unparalleled compared with the slow climate increase in the past thousand years.
In addition, over the past 50 years, over 13,000 square km (5,019.3 miles) of sea ice has melted in the Antarctic
area. Many scientists believe that global warming is a cycle. While they are right, so are the people who believe
that global warming is being caused by us. Scientists have observed that every 100,000 years, there have been
dramatic climate peaks. While that day was supposed to be in the 1930’s or the 1940’s and the climate was supposed to decrease from there, it has only decreased very little: less than it was supposed to. Since the 1900’s,
the temperature of and the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere of earth has increased.
Global warming also has many effects on our everyday lives. Water levels are rising; therefore costal cities
could flood in the future. Many diseases grow in the warmth, so mosquitoes and tropical diseases will be a major
problem. Temperatures also rise a few degrees every year. Sure you may say it’s not that big, but trips to the
emergency room due to overheating and dehydration have risen dramatically.
One cause of global warming is humans, particularly Americans, are polluting the atmosphere. Scientists also
debate that global warming is just a cycle in which the earth naturally warms after a period of cooling. One gas
that pollutes the atmosphere is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a poisonous gas that is released into the atmos(Continued on page 30)
ThE BESt Wa s to Ann y Y ur Teacher
Y
O
O
By Connor, Conor, Matthew, Matt
After extensive research, we know the top six ways to perfectly annoy your teachers. We are passing this
information on to you and it is top secret! Do not let your teachers see this. Here’s how.
One great way to annoy your teacher but by no means the best, coming in at #6, is to be absent and never
come in for makeup work. This may not seem annoying but think about when the teacher has to track you down and
get the grade in before the semester ends.
To be a little more annoying, coming in at #5 is to never raise your hand to answer a question. Teachers want
you to participate in class and not sit back, relax, kick up your legs and blank out the rest of the class. By the way,
if you do this you might get a big fat C in that class, a word to the wise.
The fourth most annoying thing to do, according to our teachers is to use the excuse that would never happen.
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 3
2008’s Hottest Up and Coming Celebrities
By Jenni, Emily, Kate,
Sarah, Meggie
Who is your favorite celebrity? Mrs. Kesselbrenner’s eighth period 7th grade class has made some predictions
as to who 2008’s hottest celebrities will be. Our top five male celebrities are David Beckham, Penn Badgely, Chace
Crawford, Ryan Sheckler, and Nick Jonas. Our top five female celebrities are Selena Gomez, Blake Lively, Miley
Cyrus, Hayden Panettiere, and Emily Osment.
First on our list of male celebrities is David Beckham. This international LA Galaxy soccer star is married to
former Spice Girl, Posh Spice. (Victoria Beckham) He inspires young athletes through his soccer training academy.
Next on the list are the Gossip Girl phenomenon, Chace Crawford and Penn Badgely. These two had recently had
their debut on the CW’s hottest new show, Gossip Girl. Chase plays Nate Archibald, and Penn plays Dan Humphrey.
Next on our list is the pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. At the young age of seventeen, this star is likely to smash
the records of past professional skaters. Last for the male upcoming stars, Nick Jonas, singing heartthrob Jonas
Brothers member, will top music charts with his trio’s stunning songs, Year 3000, SOS, and Hold On. This 15 year
old superstar in training has already toured in ‘07/’08’s hottest tour, Hannah Montana and The Jonas Brothers’
Best of Both Worlds tour with Miley Cyrus, and band members Nick and Joe Jonas.
And now, for the top female upcoming stars. To start off, Selena Gomez will clearly make a stand on the new
show, Wizards of Waverly Place as Alex. This star has also made multiple appearances as Michaela, Hannah Mon(Continued on page 5)
Tom Brady, MVP
By Kate, Katherine, Meghan, McCall, Kate
There have been many records set this past regular football season. The New England Patriots are the
leading record setter by having a 16-0 season which hasn’t happened since the Miami Dolphins 1972 season. Quarterback Tom Brady has played a very big part in the Patriots setting this record. He works with his teammates so
they can improve and be the best team they can be.
Tom Brady has led the New England Patriots to an undefeated 16-0 regular season. He is an excellent
sportsman who supports his teammates. For instance, Tom Brady talks positively about his teammate Randy Moss.
“…there is nothing there about Randy’s game that I’m not 100 percent positive on.”
Tom Brady is a great athlete both on and off the field. The coaches, the team and Tom Brady come together and work with each other to be the best team they can be. After the Patriots won Super Bowls 2001,
2004, and 2005 the Patriots are ready for another Super Bowl 2007 Championship.
Page 4
CMS-7 PRESS
Bad Choices
By David, John, Ryan, Scott, Patrick
Michael Vick and Pacman Jones are bad influences on young people. Michael Vick
abused and tortured dogs to make them fight each other in order to make money off of them. Pacman Jones got
arrested many times for bringing guns to night clubs. These two NFL players are being fined a lot of money, have
been arrested and gone to jail. Vick and Pacman are two of the worst role models for young athletes.
Michael Vick, a football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, was caught and accused of brutally
beating dogs and making them viciously rip each other apart. This set a very bad example for his fans especially
the younger ones. He will be charged $350,000 in fines and could receive additional disciplinary action from the
NFL. Suspicions were raised in late April 2001, when Michael Vick bought and bred dogs. In 2007 he was arrested
and charged for hosting dog fights. In his warehouse in Smithfield, Virginia he was holding dogs to breed and
train them to become vicious and brutal fighters. Michael Vick did this to make a profit and to watch the dogs
fight. He trained and tortured them to make them fight each other. As one can see, Vick is a barbaric person to
Best New Movie Releases
By Peter, Joey, Alexei, Milo
In the past week and a half we have been researching the new movie releases. We researched Cloverfield,
Juno, Charlie Wilson’s War, There Will Be Blood, Atonement, Teeth, Cassandra’s Dream, 27 Dresses, Sweeney
Todd, The Orphanage, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Bucket List. It took a lot of effort and time to do all of this re-
search, but we stuck together and now we can announce the most popular movie of the new year.
We made a list of the top twelve movies. Then we took the movies that people voted for and discarded the
others. Once we did that, we came up with a list of the top four popular movies.
We went to www.imdb.com and looked at our final four movies. Cloverfield had a rating of 8.3/10. Juno had
a rating of 8.4/10, Atonement and Sweeney Todd both had a rating of 8.1/10. The best movie is Juno!
Juno is about a teenage girl who becomes pregnant. She and her best friend try to find the unborn child a
home, since Juno decides to have the baby but knows she cannot raise the child. Thankfully, Juno has parents
who trust their daughter's decision and has her best friend, Leah, who's always willing to assist, anytime and anywhere. With assistance from Leah, Juno soon meets Mark and Vanessa, a couple who have been unable to have
their own child. Mark and Vanessa seem like they would make awesome parents, and are willing to adopt Juno's
unborn baby. Now, teenage Juno is faced with a series of very adult decisions.
We reviewed many popular movies. It took days to get the final results, but we pulled through. That is
how we discovered that Juno is the most popular movie because it is a great comedy film and it is hilarious. We
hope that you agree with us that Juno is the most popular movie and you will see it soon!
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 5
Your Sport Gets You Into A Better School
Pat, Tate, Austin, Michael
You can do it! You can take that sport you love and have played forever and play it at one of the best colleges
in the country! A college with a great education and your sport, too, it seems too good to be true! Looking at
NCAA Division 1 for lacrosse, soccer,
hockey, baseball and basketball here’s
what you should know.
In lacrosse, the top five teams are:
University of Virginia #3, George#5. Academically these schools in orDuke #8, University of Virginia and
of Maryland #54 out of 140 colleges in
Johns Hopkins University #1, Duke #2,
town# 4, and the University of Maryland
der are ranked: Johns Hopkins #14,
Georgetown tied at #23, and University
the United States.
In Division 1 soccer the top five
#2, Virginia Tech #3, Uconn #4 and
ranked: Wake Forest # 30, Ohio
#64, Umass # 96.
teams are: Wake Forest #1, Ohio State
Umass at #5. Academically they are
State #57, Virginia Tech #71, Uconn
The top five Division 1 teams in Hockey: #1 Michigan, #2Miami, #3 Colorado, #4 North Dakota, #5 Denver.
They are ranked academically: Michigan #25, Miami #52, Colorado #79, North Dakota #140, and Denver #85.
Not as well known, but still a Division 1 sport is baseball. The top five baseball schools are: # 1 is UCLA, #2 is
Hottest
(Continued from page 3)
tana’s arch rival on the Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana along with Osment and Cyrus. Another upcoming
celebrity, Blake Lively, stars along with Badgely and Crawford on the new show, Gossip Girl as Serena VanDerWoodsen. Blake has been previously seen on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in ‘05 as soccer star, Bridget
Vreeland. Miley Cyrus is making millions with her new albums, Best of Both Worlds, and Hannah Montana 2: Meet
Miley Cyrus.
Her new movie, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers Best of Both Worlds Tour, soon to hit the big screen
should also be a big hit. Cyrus also has her hit show Hannah Montana. Surely, you will hear about this star in the
near future. Hayden Panettiere, AKA Claire from Heroes, or Brittany from Bring it On: All or Nothing is more
than likely to succeed in the new year. Last, but certainly not least, Emily Osment should be a big hit in ’08 costarring with Miley Cyrus on her hit show, Hannah Montana. However, this star is not new to the acting business,
she also starred in the Spy kids trilogy when she was 8 or 9 as Girdie Giggles .
All of these chart-topping celebrities will definitely hit the jackpot in 2008. Keep your eyes out for these
hot celebrities this year and their contributions to the entertainment business.
Page 6
CMS-7 PRESS
Teachers
Teachers hate bogus excuses some examples are: the classic my dog ate my homework, or say my house burned
down.
At #3 there is the notoriously annoying ploy of getting everyone to switch seats during class. Teachers can get
very angry when you do that, but not angry enough for it to be number one. They hate it even more when they get
the report from a sub that you switched seats on them, then your definitely got a score!
Finally, the first and second choices for the top ways to annoy your teachers! In the number two spot, say “no”
to everything. For example, if a teacher asks you to move, say “no” and when she tells you again, say “no” again. If
you get sent to the principal’s office and then sent to detention, say you’re not going to show up. This is a perfect
way to annoy your teachers. For the moment of truth, the number one way to annoy your teachers is by talking
too much. For instance, when a teacher asks you to stop talking, just continue like nothing happened. Hope you
have learned a lot about annoying your teachers.
Oh, yeah, one more thing…following these suggestions at your own risk…we cannot be responsible for the
results of any of these actions!
Idol
the winner by calling or texting for their favorite contestants. It’s all about who you choose to be the winner.
The show is in its seventh season and still attracts many viewers. Once there are 12 contestants left, the show
goes on the air two nights a week Tuesdays and Wednesdays. When there are only 6 contestants it airs only on
Tuesdays. Idol is on channel 5, FOX.
The judges travel to many towns across the country to hold auditions including San Diego, Dallas, and Philadelphia. After the auditions, contestants that have made it past the judges go to Hollywood for an elimination round.
To get on the show you must go and try out one of the auditions and, hope you make it to the next round. Paula
Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowelll are the three judges who decide exactly who goes on. Paula is known as
the nice, easy judge who used to be a choreographer. Randy is the easy going judge that will tell you exactly how
your audition went. The final judge is the mean old Simon. Cowell won’t mind telling the contests just how bad they
are. To get past any of these judges is a true accomplishment and any contestants who get by them should be
proud.
American Idol should be watched because it is entertaining and funny. To see all the auditions is great because
most of the contestants think they are fantastic, when they really they have no talent. It is interesting to see
the contestants with amazing voices. Many people want to go so they can get the chance of a lifetime.
To conclude, American Idol is entertaining and a good, all around show. With the help of the three judges,
Paula, Randy, and Simon, the competition stays enjoyable. Finally, you should check out this show and find out who
will be the next American Idol
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Sport
Page 7
Arizona, #3 Vanderbilt, #4 Mississippi, and #5 North Carolina. These wonderful colleges are listed academically:
UCLA #25, Arizona #96, Vanderbilt #19, Mississippi #137, and North Carolina # 28.
Next on our list is Division 1 men’s basketball and the top ranked schools are: #1 Memphis, #2 Kansas, #3
Tennessee, #4 Duke, and #5 is North Carolina. These schools are listed academically as: Memphis #85, Kansas #
134, Tennessee #96 Duke #8, and North Carolina #28.
To conclude, football is a great sport and everyone knows about it. Our top five schools for football are: #1
LSU, #2 Georgia, #3 USC, #4 Missouri, and #5 Ohio State. These schools are listed academically as, LSU # 130,
Georgia #
59, USC #27, Missouri #91, and Ohio State #57. That wraps up our football portion.
All in all, this proves that sports can help you get an education and the best school for sports and education is
Duke University. It is ranked in the top five for lacrosse and basketball. In addition to that, it is rated #8 academically in the nation.
Sledding
dog houses. Next, everyone walks back to the lodge to have breakfast that is prepared by the guides. After
breakfast you get all of your gear on and harness the dogs. You attach them to the sled with the lead dogs in
front and the wheel dogs in back. Jump on and off you go! The setting is beautiful as you run over frozen lakes
and through twisty trails. After about two hours you go back to the lodge and have a lunch prepared by Bernard.
Soon after lunch you head out again for another two hours. You and your team go trudging up hills and racing
down them. Next, you go back to the lodge and feed the dogs. At day’s end you play games, tell stories, eat dinner and go to bed.
On day four you do all the same activities as days two and three, but there is one thing that is extra special.
Instead of going out sledding two times that day, you go once for six hours! During these exciting six hours you
camp out for lunch! At lunch you make pizza, soup, hot chocolate and cinnamon sugar bagels. Everything tastes
really good!
Along with an amazing day of camping out, Wintergreen offers various other activities. Depending on the
weather and your schedules, you get to go skiing, snowshoeing, enjoy the sauna and to the famous Wolf Center.
When you pay for your Wintergreen Parent-Daughter trip, you are guaranteed to meet an editor from New Moon
magazine. She does writing exercises with the girls and gives them each their own magazine. In summary, Wintergreen has many fun activities for everyone to take part in.
As you can see, Wintergreen dog sledding vacations are life changing experiences for people of any age. While
dog sledding you meet new friends with interesting backgrounds. You have the chance to interact with the sled
dogs as much as you would like. Wintergreen is for people who love adventures and dogs. In conclusion, this extraordinary vacation is filled with action, love, fun and friends!
Page 8
EDITORIALS
Texting Troubles
Rising Oil Prices
By Meghan
By Connor
Many of us in seventh grade have
cell phones and love to use them to text and play games.
Does the fact that we love them mean that having them
in school is a bad thing? I don’t think so, and all those
with cell phones don’t think so either Cell phones can be
very useful in many ways and are a good tool for students to be able to use in school.
Middle school students are not invincible. They get
sick and sometimes have to miss school. Missing schoolwork in seventh grade is something you will spend hours
making up. That’s why students should be allowed to
text the lessons and homework, in real time, to the students who are absent. This way the absent student is
able to stay caught up on missing work and also be at
the same level as other students no matter what lesson
they are learning. Students can stay caught up and avoid
the extra effort of make-up work by simply having it
texted to them.
If a student needs to get in contact with his/her
parents, texting them can be one of the most useful
things to do because it’s quick, it’s easy and it can help
contact a parent instantly. Whether someone needs to
contact their home because they have forgotten something, there is an emergency, they need permission to go
to a friend’s, contacting a parent through a cell phone is
one of the most important things you can do. Parents
are able to feel comfortable away from their kids knowing they can get in touch if they need to. If a real emergency happens at school the parents will need to know.
The school will do its best to contact everyone but having a cell phone and reaching a parent in an emergency
can make you feel more comforted.
To conclude, cell phones have many uses. They could
be an extremely useful school tool or a plain old phone
that can inform a parent instantly. They are great in
emergencies and are also great for school-time communication. Having them banned in school is unfair to students and parents alike. Whether it’s strictly academic
or just an after school reminder, cell phones and texting
are here to help and should be here to stay.
CMS-7 PRESS
Just recently, the price per
barrel of oil hit 100$, which blew previous prices
out of the sky. In previous years the price has
been as low as 74$. This rise in price has caused
people to take money out from other savings accounts that may pay for food, rent, or insurance.
This crisis has led to loss of money and bankruptcy in poorer families. In some homes they do
not even have enough money to pay for heat over
the winter. In the extremes, some families choose
to walk to the nearest gas station and fill smaller
canisters with recently purchased fuel and carry
it home. They do this to save money on gas that
they would have used driving their car to the gas
station.
One major consumer of oil includes the army.
It is estimated that the military uses 340,000
barrels of oil daily. In 2003 the military used 142
million barrels of oil which cost $5.4 billion. In
2005 the military used 128 million barrels of oil
but it cost $8.6 billion because of the sudden
raise in price per barrel. For every $10 raise in
price per barrel it costs taxpayers an additional
$1.3 billion. The amount of oil used in the military
is not the only problem but the extra cost because
of the raise is hurting tax payers.
Petroleum is used in many products including
plastic bottles, not just for heat and energy. If
we can cut the number of plastic bottles being
produced we can open up more reserves of oil for
energy that would have been used for the production of plastic bottles. In my opinion, it is a bit
more important to have oil for fuel than bottled
water which we can just get from the tap or filtered water from the refrigerator. Another way
to save gas, and money, is to buy a hybrid car. A
hybrid car is powered by electricity and gas but
changes to electrical power when at a stop. This
not only saves much needed oil, but it also saves
your pocketbook from the present price of oil.
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 9
EDITORIALS
Music, What’s With The
Words?
The Peace Corps
By Sophie
By Jenni
Everyone loves a good tune or
beat, but the lyrics in today’s
songs are rude and disgusting.
Some song lyrics promote violence, use rude language, and degrade women.
Studies show that some teen violence can be
linked back to music. Some teen murders were tied-in
with music the artist, Marlin Mansion. A rise in the
incidence of teen pregnancy, crime, drug use, and suicide have all been studied and found to link back to
music.
Today’s music is chocked full of language that isn’t
appropriate. Censorship is a good thing because otherwise younger kids could be cursing and whatnot because they like to mimic the artists who curse. If
artists want to make a different version of a song
for the radio and iTunes, that’s all right, just leave
the curses and rude language off the radio where
kids can hear it.
Lastly, the music circulating around today is degrading to women. It’s rude and disrespectful.
Women are being called names such as whore, and a
certain 5 letter word starting with a B. Women and
men are equal. It’s not right to treat women like dirt
with disrespectful names.
I personally have nothing against music, but the
words around now are seriously whacked, maybe the
artists could tone it down. People who enjoy this music might say (if it’s a rap song) the song does not
flow without the words. I find it hard to believe that
artists can’t get out a thesaurus to look up more appropriate words than the ones they are using. I can’t
make up their minds for them, but I would like it if
they were to limit their word choices to more appropriate ones.
Have you ever wanted to
go to help people in another
country who are less fortunate than you? That is exactly what the Peace Corps
does. The Peace Corps offers a unique experience to
adventurous individuals. The
Peace Corps is a volunteer organization that sends
their volunteers to developing countries. The volunteers help out in a local village for 27 months and are
exposed to a different culture and new experiences.
Peace Corps helpers work with children, teenagers,
and adults. They also get many benefits and do many
different things. They often return from their stay
realizing that they got much more out of it than they
gave.
To be in the Peace Corps, you have to be at least
18 years of age and a US citizen. You have to be accepted to get in. Volunteers are very diverse. They
range from college graduates to retired couples. The
average age of a volunteer is 27 years old. Volunteers
are usually placed where their skills and talents are
most needed. Volunteers also receive many benefits.
They get 48 days of vacation over the two years.
When volunteers leave the Peace Corps the organization will give them $6,000 to restart their life back
home. Volunteers also receive one year of job eligibility with the federal government. There are 30 participating US schools that offer scholarships and reduced tuition to returning volunteers.
Next, Peace Corps volunteers also do many different things. These things include: teaching HIV
awareness, business development, health, and agricultural techniques, instructing in a local school, and
much more. They teach residents about disease prevention and hygiene. They may help a town build a well
Page 10
EDITORIALS
CMS-7 PRESS
Be Against Censorship!
By Alexei
In many places around the world, censorship exists to block things from being watched or seen. Many
people don’t like censorship while some approve of its
use. Censorship is often used to
block types of movies, videos,
pictures, and websites. Here’s
why I think we should be against
censorship.
First, censorship blocks
some movies and videos. Sometimes people want to
watch a movie but they can’t because it is rated PG-13,
R, or NC-17. If censorship didn’t exist, anyone could
watch these movies. People who support censorship say
the ratings are there to protect young people from inappropriate content. If censorship didn’t exist, people
could go watch those types of movies as long as they
knew what they were in for. It’s as simple as that. If
there was no censorship, people who look at a movie and
know it is not right for them wouldn’t watch it. If people feel it is okay for them though, then they will
watch it. Because of censorship, people can’t freely go
to a movie theater and watch any movie they want.
Not only does censorship block movies and videos, censorship also blocks some pictures on the internet. Sometimes, you are looking for a picture and when
you find one and click on it, it says it is blocked or
won’t let you look at it. That’s because of censorship.
People for censorship say that censorship on pictures is
good so you can’t look at inappropriate things. Censorship on pictures also blocks some things that are not
even close to being inappropriate. If there was no censorship, then people could look at any picture they want
and if it looks or seems inappropriate, then just don’t
look at it.
In addition to blocking movies, videos, and pictures, censorship even blocks websites. A lot of times,
people go on to the computer and type in a website, but
it ends up being blocked. That’s because of censorship.
Fanorexia By Tess
Quoting Anna Patterson’s autobiography, “We
are not born with anorexia.” Then what’s anorexia’s
real cause? The answer is simple, the media. The media has created an image all girls long to follow, thin,
beautiful, and classically perfect. Girls strive for this
image at any price, and the price is high. Anorexia
not only affects women, but men suffer from it as
well. However, the ratio of women vs. men who have
anorexia is 10 to 1. This brings us back to the media.
The look men strive for is not thin, very few male
stars are. Rather, they’re muscular, handsome, and
definitely not fat.
Interestingly enough, in the 1800’s, being chunky
was considered a sign of beauty and wealth. During
the early 1900s, America left behind the image of
the slightly chubby woman and moved on to a thinner,
less curvy girl. Instead of roundness, thinness was
the new sign of wealth. Dieting and exercise increased immensely. (Quick fact: In the 1950’s,
Marilyn Monroe was considered the perfect figure
for women. She was a size 14. Today that would be
considered overweight and a “plus size”.) Throughout
time, the “perfect size” has been getting thinner and
thinner. And the world responded. Designer clothes
were put into smaller sizes. Models went on extreme
diets to keep the image the media wanted. Beauty
took on a new form, and anorexia increased.
America truly paid attention to the disease when
Karen Carpenter died from anorexia. A star from the
media had to die in order for attention to be drawn
to a disease caused by the media. We now live in
2008. One source has said that 80% of women are
unsatisfied with their body image. The U.S. spends
about 40 billion dollars in the diet industry every
year. When flipping through a women’s magazine,
there are entire sections devoted to dieting and exercise. Turn on the TV, thousands of weight pro(Continued on page 33)
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 11
EDITORIALS
Is Bio-fuel a Good
Idea or Not?
By Alec
The reality of climate change
has started a rush to find a substitute for gas-emitting fossil
fuels. Bio-fuels, or fuels processed from plants may
be the answer. Unfortunately, this “good” idea may
not be practical to implement.
There are two kinds of bio-fuel. There is ethanol
processed from sugarcane or corn, and bio-diesel,
which is made from biomass (living and recently dead
biological material). European countries have already
started to push for the use of bio-fuel to prevent
further devastation of the environment. President
Bush would like the US to produce its own bio-fuel to
cut the dependence on foreign fuel. Bio-diesel comes
from rapeseed grown in the USA. But the vast quantities needed, would mean that the US would have to
import Soya bean based fuel from Brazil and Argentina, and palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia.
The favorite bio-fuel in the US is ethanol, which
is produced from corn. To meet the demand needed
for ethanol, it is estimated that the ethanol plants
will burn up half of the US’s domestic corn supplies.
The US would then have to import ethanol from Brazil, where the ethanol is produced from sugarcane.
The bio-fuel industry is also looking to make fuel out
of Soya beans and other crops. So what might you
say is the downside to bio-fuels? Well, the problems
associated with bio-fuels are numerous. The prices of
foods containing wheat, Soya, and palm oil would increase. This would have an impact on the poorest
consumers in the world. Projections indicate that
food prices would increase between 20-40 percent in
the next 10 years. The amount of corn needed to fuel
one car, would be the same amount needed to feed a
person for a year. This means that we would have to
grow vast quantities of corn, use more water to grow
the corn, and maybe even cut down more of the rainforests to expand the cultivation of sugarcane and
O vs. P
By Tate
If you are feeling pain or did
something remarkable in your
life, and if you had to share it
with the world, would it be on
Dr. Phil’s Show or the Oprah
Winfrey Show? Voters were asked this question and
the results tallied on Google were 22,800,000 for
Oprah and 6,570,000 for Dr. Phil. In room 204, the
kids voted and their tally came to 12 for Oprah and 3
for Dr. Phil. In my opinion, I would have to go with
Oprah because she has more experience since she
started in 1993, eleven years before Dr. Phil. Oprah
has been on for 12 consecutive seasons and has received 32 Emmy’s, the most prestigious award in broadcasting.
Time magazine voted her one of “America’s two
most influential people in 1996”, an individual achievement award, IRTS Gold Medal Award, the highest
rated talk show in television history and she had 15-20
million viewers a day in the United States. In addition
to that, the show is aired in 132 countries. The Oprah
Winfrey Show has 3.2 stars and a 556 Nielsen rating.
Oprah makes 260 million dollars a year. Even though
Oprah is a millionaire, she’s also an actress, producer,
philanthropist and businesswoman. She is down to
earth and knows how an average person feels, which
makes her a better talk show host.
Even though I favor Oprah, it does not mean Dr.
Phil does not do incredible things. Dr. Phil got a PhD in
psychology at the University of Tulsa. He got his Master’s degree at the University of North Texas in experimental psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology in 1979. After that he attracted millions of
people to get real about their lives. Dr. Phil is the second most popular talk show host in the
nation.
Making headlines and breaking records since his show was launched in
Page 12
EDITORIALS
Is Thin In?
By Kate
Many people are now saying that the
fashion industry is pushing a too thin image
for models. This too thin image is becoming
dangerous to the health of women and
young girls who want to be like the models
they see on TV and in magazines. The British Medical
Association says that because of the media and the obsession over weight, there has been a rapid growth of
eating disorders among young women.
In Britain, mainly women suffer from eating disorders
and right now there are an estimated 60,000 women with
an eating disorder. When someone obsesses over weight
it seems to become a domino effect. Many researchers
are suggesting that the media might be impacting
women’s unhealthy eating habits and obsession over
weight. When young women look through magazines or
watch TV they might be influenced to think that they
need to be like them as well. They think that their bodies need to be exactly like these girls and super thin super models they see in the magazines and TV. Some of
these girls become obsessed with their body image and it
may, if serious enough, become a dangerous eating disorder.
When girls become obsessive about their weight, it
can be awful and form into an eating disorder. If this
happens to young girls it can ruin their life. If someone
struggles with an eating disorder it can affect their relationships with family and friends. If someone is friends
with someone with an eating disorder they might see
that their friends are unhealthy and won’t want to be
friends with them anymore. Someone’s family will see
their son or daughter and see that they have a problem
and will want to help but, many people who struggle with
a disorder won’t want to get help or will deny that they
have any problem at all. This can be a big problem so
people need to watch out about whether they are obsessing over their weight and if they are, get help!
My opinion on this problem is that it is a big problem
CMS-7 PRESS
Whose Your Favorite
Teacher
By Hannah, Charlotte
We choose Ms. Spriggs (Mrs. Maz)
for the January Teacher of the
Month. Ms. Spriggs is our choice
because the school benefits every
day through the many different
extra curricular activities she is involved in.
For instance, Ms. Spriggs helps out in the Middle School musical productions. This year, the musical is “Fiddler on the Roof.” Ms. Spriggs helps advertise for “Fiddler on the Roof” by creating posters and other sources of advertisement such as Tshirts. Ms. Spriggs and Mrs. DeBiasse frequently
give up their band room for the “Fiddler on the
Roof” after school practices.
Besides the musical, Ms. Spriggs is the conductor of the CMS Jazz Band Too. Ms. Spriggs does a
lot for Jazz Band Too; Thursdays she teaches Jazz
Band Too and sometimes she takes out a trumpet
during practices and demonstrates a band piece.
Clearly Ms. Spriggs gives a lot of time to CMS.
Everyday Ms. Spriggs wakes up at exactly 5:17
in order to get to the school by seven o’clock to
help the 6th grade students who have just switched
to odd instruments such as the baritone and tuba.
For the sixth grade band, Ms. Spriggs gives lessons
and/or band practices almost everyday of the
week. Ms. Spriggs does a lot for the sixth graders
and the whole school.
As you can see, Ms. Spriggs does a lot for CMS
and the school’s instrumental music programs.
Without Ms. Spriggs, the Chatham Middle School’s
musical activities might not be as
successful.
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 13
EDITORIALS
A Fruit, A House, Or A Really
Good Burglar Alarm?
Dangerous Autos
By Joey
You’ve seen it before, jaywalking, talking on the
phone while driving, cops not enforcing the laws, even
breaking them. You and I might know what could happen, but do they? Nowadays, the streets are dangerous
even in the crosswalk. Why? Because the laws aren’t
being enforced.
If you want excellent 3D
gaming then you want a Mac
computer. If you are sensitive
about security then you want a
Linux computer. If you want
good speaker quality and good
graphics then you want a computer with a Windows
operating system. The big question is however, how
do you know which computer is right for you?
Macintosh computers have excellent graphics, exceptional speaker quality, and are safe against viruses without an extra protection program. Macs are
easier to use for those who don’t know much about
computers, and they are very fast and colorful. In
addition, Mac OS Leopard has a program called Boot
Camp which allows you to switch to Windows, with
Mac speed. This is valuable because some programs
are not compatible with Mac, so you can install them
on the Windows part. These computers are reasonably priced as well. This operating system is highly
recommended for its excellent ease of use.
Linux is a computer for people who are into technology and security. Its most popular edition is Ubuntu. What is very convenient about Ubuntu is that
you can download the software for free! Be aware
though, the graphics of this software aren’t great
and it isn’t compatible with most Windows or Mac
programs. This operating system is also not the best
for home or school use because it is not fully capable
of running Windows or Mac. Linux is mostly a business computer, which means that programs are available only on the internet. However, this system includes a free virus protection program and is a lot
safer against viruses, unlike Windows. This system is
recommended for businesses and people who want
technology and security.
Windows computers have great speaker and
By Sean
Studies show that driving while talking on ANY cell
phone is as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. People think that the hands-free cell phones are the answer to this problem. Those people are wrong. Drivers
often get distracted by the conversation alone, therefore leading to more possibilities of accidents. Jaywalking is another dangerous habit that many people
do. Even though it is illegal, many people still do it, and
the cops don’t do anything to stop it. Drivers don’t have
to stop for jaywalkers. They have to stop at the crosswalk, but not in the street, yet people expect the drivers to let them shuffle across the street, halting traffic. It can be helpful when the crosswalk is far away,
but only if you can make it across without stopping the
cars. If you get hit while jaywalking, it’s your fault,
nobody else’s.
The cops are also a problem. Since they enforce the
law, countless times they believe themselves to be
above it. How can people be expected to respect the
law when its enforcers don’t? The way I see it, the police need to set a better example for us regular people.
So there you have it. I’ve told you all I know and I
hope you see it my way. Driving while on the cell phone
and jaywalking aren’t very smart ideas. The cops should
respect the laws more. Sure you could go out and do
any of these things, but before you do, think about it.
Page 14
EDITORIALS
What’s the Deal with
School Lunches?
By Lizzy
Lately many kids are dealing with being overweight or obese, and school
lunches don’t always help to get them in
shape. Some schools are changing lunch
menus but, they could improve more and become even
healthier. Bringing your own lunch can be healthy if you
pack the right foods. I believe that school lunches should
get healthy to help kids become healthy and have good
eating habits when they are adults.
In the cafeteria lunch line, we have a chance to take a
healthy meal, although most kids don’t choose those
foods. Some schools serve salads or grilled chicken sandwiches, which would be better for us than the unhealthy
“tasty” meals of French fries, gooey pizza, chicken nuggets and hot dogs. Kids are attracted to unhealthy meals
because the salt and fat in the foods draw you in.
To get kids to eat healthy foods and improve their
health, kids can look over the school menu at night then
choose the foods that they like and are good for them,
too. It will prevent them from getting those fattening
foods, and it is almost like pre-ordering your meal. Many
people wouldn’t even consider eating foods at lunch that
are good for them but, it would help them in the long run
and keep them in shape. Also, healthy can be just as good
as junk foods if you find something you really like. Eating
the junk foods can lead to health problems and obesity. It
is the best bet to just eat these foods in very small portions and only once in a while.
There are many reasons to get schools to serve nutritious food. First, by eating healthy you have more energy
to get through your day. Second, eating healthy at a young
age can limit the number of health problems later in life.
Third, it is just as delicious to eat foods that are good for
you than junk foods or unhealthy school lunches. There
are many benefits to have nutritious food in your diet.
POINT...
CMS-7 PRESS
Pollution, Two
Treaties and the
U.S.
By Matthew
We have all heard of it, and we all know it is
happening. Pollution. The big scary word that
means contamination. We think of smog, greenhouse gasses and global warming. Sometimes, we
think that it isn’t a very big problem, even though
it is. We think that many simple things can help
reduce it, and while it can, it also helps if we have
a lot of big changes too. Although America is the
land of the free, we are not taking the proper
steps to cutting down on pollution. In order to
have a clean and healthy world, we need to start
doing things, not only as individuals, but as a country.
Although the US used to be a very accelerated
country in relation to all others, currently it is
losing its luster. Other countries are sending people to space, having better education, and are
manufacturing more goods. In addition, the US
isn’t really being environmentally aware. In 1990,
the US actually made 36.1% of the greenhouse gas
emissions of the world. We were taking a large
step forward when we signed the Montreal Treaty
which banned the use of chloral floral hydro carbons (CFCs) in aerosol sprays, which deplete the
ozone layer. Once this was signed by many countries, the hole in the ozone began to close up.
Now comes the Kyoto Protocol, which is where
the problem is. The Kyoto Protocol is a treaty
that limits the amount of greenhouse gasses that
may be released by things like factories and cars.
President Clinton signed it in a sec when it was
proposed in 1998, however when President Bush
became president, he removed the US from the
protocol, thus disobeying one of his promises as
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 15
EDITORIALS
...POINT - COUNTER - POINT...
Global Warming is a
Cycle
By Kevin
Many people believe that global warming is unnatural. However, I personally believe that global
warming is a natural cycle that occurs between periods of cooling. Global warming should be the least of
our concerns.
First, I believe that the Earth will warm itself
naturally. True, we are adding some greenhouse gases
to the atmosphere, but we are adding an insignificant
amount of greenhouse gases in comparison to what
the Earth will produce naturally. True, our cars emit
carbon dioxide, but even all the cars in the world
emit insignificant amounts of carbon dioxide in comparison to the Earth’s natural production of all greenhouse gases. The thought that cars add significant
amounts of greenhouse gases is untrue. The Earth
will add greenhouse gases to its own atmosphere
naturally.
Next, global warming occurs in a cycle. For instance, there were periods of cooling (an ice age) and
a couple billion years later, the Earth warms up
(period of global warming). The Earth will do this
naturally to reduce the extreme temperatures. If
the Earth didn’t warm itself after an ice age, the
earth would be EXTREMELY cold. Currently, we are
in a period of warming. A couple of million years from
now, there will be an ice age. The period of warming
that we are going through is completely natural and
will repeat itself.
It is clear that global warming is a natural cycle
that will repeat itself. We have not to worry about
our pollution significantly affecting our atmosphere,
because the Earth will naturally add greenhouse
gases to its own atmosphere to reduce extreme temperatures. In conclusion, global warming should be
the least of our worries.
A Man Made Cause
By Jake
I think that global warming is mostly our
fault. I think this because we are making a ton of
green house gasses. When we generate carbon dioxide it creates
a hole in the
ozone layer.
This enables
the suns UV
light in and
causes the
snow and ice
to melt. You
probably
think that as
a kid, you
can’t do anything about
it, but you
can.
You are able to walk to school or even ride your
bike; even that little bit is something you can do to
help. If we walk or bike to school almost everyday we
can easily help slow global warming and maybe our
little carbon footprint reduction will cool us off
enough to get a snow day next year.
I am a big fan of animals, and in Antarctica there
are many kinds of animals such as penguins, polar
bears, and seals. They may become extinct because
global warming is melting the ice of Antarctica that
penguins and other animals live on. They need this ice
to survive and it is melting at an alarming rate.
It is not just the animals that are in danger, so
are we humans. Have you thought how it would feel to
live in a frying pan? That’s what it is going to be like
unless we stop global warming. Think about having to
stay in your home all day because it will be over 100
degrees Fahrenheit outside. I surely do not want to
live like that. Global warming is our fault, but we can
still work to stop global warming.
Page 16
CMS-7 PRESS
EDITORIALS
Take Action! Become Educated!
Save Darfur!
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
President?
By Sarah
Arnold Schwarzenegger, president? Arnold
should be president but because of a law in the
Constitution he can’t. It is not fair because after
September17, 1787 no one born in a foreign country could be president. Many people would vote for
Schwarzenegger if he got a chance to run.
Genocide is mass murder.
One of the world’s worst
genocides is happening in Sudan right now. This absolutely horrific example of starvation, murder, and disease, has been terrorizing the poor people of Sudan
since 2003.
A major problem is taking place in Darfur, a region in
the western part of Sudan. This conflict is recognized
around the world as genocide. This has been inflicted by
the Sudanese government. This terrible conflict has
many causes. Its main cause is inequality between the
central areas of Sudan and the more rustic areas like
Darfur. Many people, including myself, believe that the
horrible murders should stop. Unfortunately, many
peace-seekers and reporters have gone to Sudan to no
avail. Many of them have been abducted and murdered.
More than four years have passed since the start of the
genocide in Darfur. As many as 400,000 innocent people
have been killed and more than 2.5 million more have
been driven from their homes. These refugees now face
starvation, disease, and rape, while those who stay in
Darfur risk torture, death, and displacement. We must
act quickly and decisively to end this genocide before
more hundreds of thousands of people are killed.
Many organizations are trying to create a petition
that will tell many different world leaders to take action against the murders in Darfur. SaveDarfur.org is a
site that helps interested learners take action and become well-oriented with the fact that for several years
this terror has been going on. It is clear that Darfur is
terrible, but will it stop? Will the people of Darfur ever
be safe? Hopefully they will be someday, and you will be
one of the smart people who can proudly say that you
stood up for what you believed in. Use this information
wisely and be smart, because everyone can make a difference.
By Matthew
Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a speech to
America saying many things about why he would be
a great president. He first discussed his decision
about being a republican or a democrat. Then he
talked about how he is proud to be part of the
Lincoln party. Near the end of the speech he
asked if he could become president. The answer to
the question is no even though he should be president. Arnold is doing things about global warming.
He is trying to get people to slow down global
warming by reducing carbon emissions. Arnold
would be a great president.
The Constitution says we can not run for
president if we are foreign born. The Constitution
has only been changed 17 times why can’t it be 18?
I think that it should be 18 times in order for foreign born people to run for president. This change
would show that the USA has let immigrants become more a part of the country, which is why
they wanted to come here in the first place. With
this change, the United States would be a better
role model in the world.
If Arnold gets a chance to run he would win.
Just because you are born in a different country
you shouldn’t be forbidden to become president.
Arnold Schwarzenegger would be the best president ever! I know I would vote for him.
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 17
EDITORIALS
The Best Cycle Class
Animals and the
By Emily
Fashion Industry, A
Good Mix?????
What is your favorite period of the day? It’s
probably your cycle class period because they are
fun, and interesting. I think the best 7th grade cycle class to take at CMS is FCS (Family and Consumer Science). Home Economics teaches sixth and
seventh graders how to cook things such as macaroni and cheese, pizza, cinnamon cake, and Christmas cookies. It teaches eighth graders sewing. I
think FCS is the most fun class, and it teaches a
skill that you can use everyday.
FCS is the best class because it is the most fun
class. There are no tests or homework and you get
to work with your friends to make yummy things
that you get to eat. Then you get to take your recipes home and you can make then for your family. It
is also fun to make a seasonal recipe each cycle. At
the end of the cycle, you get to make your own recipe book of everything you have made. FCS also
teaches many important skills. It teaches you how
to be safe in the kitchen by learning to follow instructions and how to follow recipes. It also
teaches how to work well with people because you
have to work together on your project. Most importantly, it teaches you how to cook quick and easy
things that are delicious.
In conclusion, FCS is the best cycle class because it teaches many important skills such as
working together, following instructions, and of
course, cooking. It is also a fun and relaxing way of
spending a period, and you get to make fast and
easy recipes and then eat them! I hope you agree
that FCS is the best cycle class at CMS!
By Olivia
How many of you adore your new Uggs or leather
jacket? In order for you to have those Uggs or that
jacket, an animal had to be killed. How would you like to
be raised to be killed? I know that a lot of us have grown
up wearing leather and wearing fur jackets. I am now
wondering, should these precious creatures have
rights???
First, the fashion industry is destroying poor
helpless animals for leather. Most of the leather that
the industry uses is from countries like India and China.
Slaughter houses are no 5 star hotels, the conditions are
cruel, and it is very crowded. When killing the animal for
the leather, they tail-dock and dehorn the cows, but
without any painkillers. Imagine getting a tooth pulled
without any numbing cream. That would hurt! Imagine
how these cows feel. There are so many reasons why
leather is a bad choice for clothing and jackets.
Next, fashionable Uggs and wool are abusing
more animals. These soft boots come from poor, helpless
sheep. Whatever you call it, “wool”, “mohair”, “pashmina”
or “cashmere” it all comes from the same place. In this
horrible industry, just a few weeks after a lamb is born,
its ears are punched, and their tails are chopped off. To
prevent a maggot infestation in the sheep, Australian
ranchers “mule” the lambs by carving huge pieces of
flesh off the backs of the lamb’s legs. P!nk stated how
she felt about this industry, “Sadly, like any other industry that uses animals, the wool trade uses methods so
sadistic that it makes you consider clearing your closet
of any animal products… [T]here are lots of clothes to
buy for a look that kills without killing anything.”
Want some ways to help? Find alternatives to
using real fur. For wool alternatives, try using polyester
Page 18
CMS-7 PRESS
EDITORIALS
Ice Cream
Sleep Deprived?
By Katherine
By David
At night when you’re hungry and looking for a
good dessert there is always the call of a carton of ice
cream. When I look into the freezer the one thing that
pops out at me is ice cream. Ice cream can be traced
back to the 4th century B.C. Researchers detected
early references to Nero, a Roman Emperor, who ordered ice brought from the mountains to Rome and he
combined it with fruit toppings. That was the start of
ice cream. The reason that so many people have dessert after dinner is that they need something to calm
them down after a long day at work or at school.
Ice cream appeals to many different tastes.
There are many
different flavors
you can choose
from: chocolate,
vanilla, cookie
dough, cake batter, chocolate
chip cookie
dough, mint
chocolate chip,
strawberry, peppermint, peanut
butter. There are
also lots of different types of
toppings that
you can add, too:
hot fudge,
chocolate syrup,
sprinkles, whip
cream, cherries,
candy, cookies,
and caramel.
There are different types of fun ice cream combinations such as ice
cream sundaes, banana splits, monster mash, and homemade sundaes with what ever you want on them. If you
are out, there are different brands and places that you
can get ice cream like Coldstone Creamery, Ben and
Jerry’s, Baskin Robins, Dairy Queen, TCBY, Maggie
Moo’s, and Magic Fountain. Those are just some of the
reasons why ice cream is the best desert.
In addition to ice cream flavors, ice cream is
delicious and even healthy. Ice cream is healthier than
most other desserts. You can also have an even healthier option of frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt is also a
good option for people who are lactose intolerant. Ice
cream is a good dessert any time of year as opposed to
warm desserts which aren’t appealing to people during
Sleep deprivation is a serious condition that
can negatively impact your life. Scientists say that
schools should start later due to students not getting enough sleep. Still many junior highs and high
schools start at 8:00 or earlier! Students should
have at least 1 more hour of sleep. When students
don’t get enough sleep it affects the way they work
in school. A later start to the school day is better
for teachers too, because kids will improve.
Of course, school would end one hour later
but it would mean getting better grades so you
wouldn’t get grounded so much. Plus, if you get up
early enough, you would have more time to prepare
for school in the morning, you wouldn’t have to rush
to get to school on time and you students wouldn’t
lose as many things trying to get out of the house. As
one can see, getting one more hour of sleep is a great
thing to do.
More time to get ready means more preparation for kids and teachers. This is a great way to improve the lives of many people. It would make many
people less grumpy than they were before. It also
might prevent bullying in some young kids lives. In
conclusion, getting one more hour of sleep would be a
great thing for kids.
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 19
EDITORIALS
McDonald’s or Burger King
By Meghan
Burger King and McDonald’s are two fast food
restaurants that feed people unhealthy meals around
the world. They offer you a menu that consists
mostly of hamburgers, fries, chicken nuggets, and
milkshakes. There are other fast food places like
Wendy’s, KFC, Sonic, and Quizno’s. But, McDonald’s
and Burger
King are the
most well
known. Why
do people
still give
these restaurants service if
they know
how unhealthy the
food is
that they offer?
McDonalds is
a fast food
restaurant
that serves people very fattening food everyday.
McDonald’s is trying to improve their menus with a
choice of salads like Chef salad, Garden salad, and
chicken Caesar. In the movie Super Size Me, a regular man eats McDonald’s food everyday, for 30 days,
24/7, every meal. He gains a total of 24.5 pounds,
which goes to show how people need to cut back on
eating at fast food places. Obesity is a big problem in
America.
Secondly, Burger King sells about the same types
of foods, which make everyone obese. They try to
have healthy meals by serving salads. They also provide breakfast meals, and lots of unhealthy deserts.
All in all, if you’re looking for somewhere to get a
quick meal, try to steer clear of the Golden Arches
and BK.
America has way too many obese people that are
trying to lose weight, but aren’t successful because it
is so hard. They keep on going on eating fast food,
even though they know it will not help their diet one
bit. In short, McDonald’s and Burger King should stop
selling bad food.
The Negatives of
Being a Child
Actor
By Meggie
Being a child actor is not
as glamorous as it may seem to be. Your life could turn
out to be very different depending on whether you get
a path that leads you to being a movie star or a reject.
Sure, there could be fame, fortune, and a talent but
there are also many negatives to living in the entertainment industry at such a young age.
If you are doing constant commercials and movies
then you might have to travel from place to place. Most
of your friends would be actors and managers. Living
around so many adults you could be introduced to alcohol and drugs. Having a daily school schedule doesn’t
work when you are on the move so the result would be
home schooling or tutoring sessions. This risks your full
ability to be in an environment to learn with friends
your own age. Many famous child actors do not succeed
in acting as an adult. and because they didn’t get properly educated they are not able to succeed in other
jobs they want to do. Even if the child is talented not
every part is meant for them and can be rejected
which is harder for young kids then adults who take it
a bit easier. With all this adult influence kids now start
to grow up too fast and don’t get to have friends and
other fun events taken place in a regular childhood.
Although there are plenty of negatives to being a
child actor or model, there are also some positives.
While in the entertainment industry you’re constantly
learning and getting better at acting, singing, and dancing. If you love to act then this could be a great learning experience. Also, there are laws to protect the
safety of child actors. Overall, acting can be a great
learning experience but I do not believe it is the best
idea for young children.
Page 20
EDITORIALS
The Giants
The Jersey Devil
By Michael
By Pat
Who do you think is the best football team? In my
survey the best football team is the Giants although it
was a close tie for first place with the Steelers.
The Giants have been winning during the last few
games and the Steelers lost in their last game. The
Steelers are not that bad but they are not the best, either. The most popular team is the Giants because they
have won the most games and bowls. Next were the
Steelers because they won a few games but the Giants
were better.
My favorite team is the Giants; I picked that team
because they win a lot. I picked the Giants because they
have the best quarterback, Eli Manning. They work well
as a team, have good coaching, good offense, good defense, and they are a special team. GIANTS ALL THE
WAY!
CMS-7 PRESS
The legend of the jersey devil
goes back three hundred years.
New Jerseyans have told stories
of this mythical creature
throughout the centuries. Supposedly the Jersey Devil lurks in the New Jersey
Pine Barrens, but with over 3,000 sightings this
creature has been seen throughout New Jersey,
Delaware, and Pennsylvania.
The way the jersey devil was created was that a
Pine Barren resident named mother Leeds (Leeds
being the name of one of New Jerseys earliest settlers, with many descendents still alive in New Jersey today). The legend is that in 1735 mother
Leeds found out that she was pregnant with her
thirteenth child. Once she found this out she put
her arms up to the heavens and said let this one be
a devil! A few months later on a very stormy night
she went into labor. She had her family in one room
and her and local midwives in the other with her,
getting ready to deliver the baby. When the baby
was born it looked and seemed like a normal baby
boy. Within a few minutes of its birth it started to
morph into a horrible creature the likes of which
the world had never seen before. It grew horns and
then wings and legs like a horse. After it had gone
through these horrific transformations, it tore its
mother and the midwives limb from limb then flew
into the room where its father and brothers and
sisters were and killed as many of them as it could
then flew up the chimney leaving only a pile of
rocks and bricks.
Over the 18th and 19th centuries the devil was
spotted in and throughout southern New Jersey.
Inhuman screams would be heard now and again in
the Pine Barrens. The killing of domesticated animals marked where it had ventured. People wouldn’t
venture into the woods past dark anymore. Occasionally the jersey devil would trek out of its home
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 21
EDITORIALS
Who’s Now
Xbox Live Good? Or Bad?
By Matthew
By John
Today, one of the biggest
money making industries in the
world is Hollywood. From the 15 minute Great Train
Robbery to the 21st century animated movies such as
Finding Nemo movies has been part of American life
for over 100 years. Though, there are thousands of
actors in the business only some of them will be remembered in history. Now a days most people like
Brad Pitt and Jessica Alba, but I took a survey in my
class to find the top 5 actors, and they are Will
Smith, Nicholas Cage, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, and
Johnny Depp.
Will Smith received the second highest vote count
in the class 5 out of 17 votes. His best rated movie of
2007 was I am Legend which got a B- from 15 critics
and a B from 24,956 viewers. He has made many movies though, and his best rated movie of all time was
his 1996 thriller Independence Day. On the Internet
Movie Data Base (IMDB) 100,615 votes were cast for
the movie. Will Smith is a great actor and if you go
see one of his movies I’m sure you won’t regret it.
Nicholas Cage did not get as many votes from our
class, but he is still a stupendous actor. His best rated
movie of 2007 was National Treasure Book of Secrets
it got a C+ from 8 critics and a B from 8,527 viewers.
Online best rated movie is The Rock which got 75,513
votes. A great actor, but he doesn’t rack up enough
points to be our number one.
Then, there is the famous Tom Hanks. He didn’t
get many votes from the class, just two, but the
internet voters thought other wise. His best movie of
2007 was Charlie Wilsons War, which got a B from 12
critics and a B from 1847 viewers. Plus the best movie
of all time, according to IMDB, was Forrest Gump
with 178,050. Tom is a very talented actor and has a
chance at winning our number one.
Now, we have Johnny Depp who in my opinion is one
of the best actors. The class gave him six votes which
Is Xbox Live good or bad? Xbox Live is when you
are able to play and talk on an Xbox or Xbox 360
online with people. Many people prefer it because you
can play with your friends and you can make friends
with other people. Many people don’t prefer it because
parents worry about child predators and you are talking to complete strangers. Personally, I love it.
The
bad
things about
Xbox Live
are that people sometimes curse
and say
very inappropriate
things in front
of young
kids. Also,
some people might try
to find
out where you
live by asking personal questions. Not to mention, that
some people will try to tell you that drugs and smoking
are good for you. These are only some examples of the
bad things about Xbox Live.
Xbox live is good because you can actually
block people from playing with you. You block them
with family settings which your Mom and/or Dad have
to set. They have to enter a pass code to allow you to
talk to people and play with them. You can always just
leave the game and gamers behind or if you are in
charge of the game, you can kick others out of your
game. You can also choose to make your game friends
only, invite only or allow to play. As you can see Xbox
Live is a very good invention and there are good ways
to keep you safe while playing.
Page 22
EDITORIALS
Uggs or Birkenstocks?
By Kate
Would you rather wear Uggs or Birkenstocks? I
would rather wear Uggs then Birkenstocks, they are
warmer and more comfortable. Uggs have fur inside and
keep your feet nice and toasty warm. Birkenstocks are
comfortable and nice, but do not keep you that warm.
Uggs are warm and comfortable and they stay on
whatever you are doing, but they can get dirty very easily. They come in a variety of colors like sand, chocolate,
chestnut, black, pink, light green, purple, blue, floral,
and mixed colors. They are also very expensive. They
can range from $90.00 to $200.00. They can be classic
short, classic tall, and kid’s sunsparkle. Uggs go with
everything you wear. Uggs have been made in Australia
for at least 200 years. Brian Smith was the founder of
Uggs on October 1st 2001. As you can see, they are expensive because lots of people want them.
Birkenstocks are comfortable, but not as warm
as Uggs. Birkenstocks also come in a variety of colors
like Black, Taupe, and Mocha. Taupe is a light brown and
Mocha is a dark brown like chocolate. These also go with
everything you wear. They can get dirty, but not as
dirty as Uggs. Birkenstocks are $119.95, so they are not
as expensive as Uggs. Birkenstocks are nice when we
have nice weather. Birkenstocks have been in the US
for 30 years. In conclusion, Birkenstocks are good, but
are they better than Uggs.
Do you have your decision of Uggs or Birkenstocks? My decision is I would rather Uggs than Birkenstocks because they are warmer and more comfortable.
There are many reasons why Uggs are better than Birkenstocks and then there are reasons why Birkenstocks
are better than Uggs.
CMS-7 PRESS
Quinn or Anderson?
By Connor
The Cleveland Browns drafted Brady Quinn in
search of a replacement for quarterback Charlie
Frye. Instead of Brady Quinn the Browns found
Derek Anderson backup for Charlie Frye out of Oregon State. I believe they made the wrong decision
based on stats.
In college, Derek Anderson had what some people
would call a bad senior year. Regarding Anderson’srushing ability, in his senior year at Oregon State he
rushed for a total of negative two hundred and
thirty one yards, compared to Brady Quinn’s seventy
one yards. Quinn didn’t have a lot but a least he got
more than zero. Next his passing was pretty good at
three thousand three hundred and thirty one yards.
The average per season is about three thousand
yards so he got three hundred more than the average season. Anderson threw for twenty five touchdown passes in his senior year which is pretty good.
Although he had a lot of yards and twenty five
touchdown passes he had forty five interceptions.
That is about two or three per game. That would be
about the amount the bad side of Eli Manning
throws per game. Derek Anderson had what some
fans would call a pretty bad senior year at Oregon
State. But in the NFL he had a great season in one
half of a game he averaged two touchdown passes,
one interception, and about eighty five yards.
Brady Quinn was a Notre Dame legend in his senior year. He was and still is an all round great player.
His best strength is passing at 3426 yards. That is
about the same as Derek Anderson but out of those
yards there was thirty nine TD passes which is
about twenty under the record of the NFL and he
got eighty five rushing yards. That isn’t great but
it’s sure a lot better than -231. As you can see
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 23
EDITORIALS
Devils or Rangers
By Kate
When you first think about the NHL what team
comes to mind first The New Jersey Devils or the New
York Rangers? Of course, the Devils come to mind and
that’s because the Devils are a much better hockey team.
The Devils are #1 in the Atlantic Division and the Rangers are #5 in the same division. In the league standing
the Devils are #7 and the Rangers are #19. The Devils
have many skilled players and have excellent stick skills
and they also have fabulous players. In my opinion the
Devils are a
much better
hockey team.
Even though
I think the Devils are a much
better hockey
team, there are
other people who
like the Rangers. For example, 5 out of 21
students in my
Journalism class said they liked the Rangers better but
16 out of 21 said they liked the Devils better. Although
the Rangers have more Stanley Cups with four wins, the
Devils are not far behind with three wins. The Devils
have a record of 26-16 and the Rangers have a record of
22-20.
Many people may like the Rangers better but, I believe that the Devils are a better team physically and
mentally. They are better physically because they have
excellent stick skills and good plays. They are better
mentally because they are focused to beat whatever
team that they are playing. Also, the team is very supportive of one another. With the help of their team
mates the Devils have become a better hockey team
mentally and physically. Although, the Rangers may have
more Stanley Cup wins and the Devils have not beaten
them they are still a better team.
In conclusion, I believe that the Devils are a much
better hockey club. They improved every game and do
everything they can to become a better hockey team.
Though, the Devils have not beaten the Rangers yet this
year but, they still have many chances to beat them this
season.
The Dangers of
Instant
Messaging
By McCall
Today, there are billions of people in the world.
Most of them have cell phones or computers. We all
contact friends through one of these devices currently. Companies like AT&T Dell, and Mac are some
of the most popular networks. But even though
some of these ways to keep in touch are useful,
some can be dangerous.
Currently, there are billions of people using
AIM. AIM is a great way to communicate but in
hopes to become better, it has become more personal. On AIM you can express your feelings or information about yourself in away messages,
statuses, buddy info, profiles, and of course the
most dangerous, chat rooms. These can be cool for
kids but they are great ways for a predator to
track down a kid. Chat rooms are by far the most
risky because you never know who you are talking
to. The person you are instant messaging could say
that they are a 13 year old kid but they could really
be a 50 year old man! So if kids know that chat
rooms are so dangerous, why do they go in? Some
say it is curiosity, the child has heard of one from
someone else and want to know what its like. Online
predators look for things like, Cell phone numbers,
full name, school name, other friends names, other
friends screen names, sports team, sports jersey
number, age, and many other things.
Another danger of Instant Messaging is
viruses. Viruses are passed on through emails and
IM`s. some can delete every file on your computer
without warning and there is no way to stop it. Others can completely destroy your computer to where
it never works again. These viruses are very
Page 24
CMS-7 PRESS
EDITORIALS
Facebook vs. Myspace
By Emily
Facebook and Myspace are commonly used social sites. They provide
communication, they have privacy settings, and they allow people to choose
their friends on their own terms. Which
site has a better privacy policy? This is a commonly
asked question amongst teens, adults, and parents.
Facebook includes many privacy settings for the account holder’s safety. People who are not on a person’s
friends list cannot view that person’s profile. If a person wants to befriend someone, then they have the setting of allowing the person to see a “limited profile”. A
limited profile only allows a person to see a few parts of
your profile instead of the whole thing. The only information that Facebook gives out to a person looking at a
person’s picture is the network they’re in. A network can
include the area they live in and what school they go or
went to. Facebook shows a person’s real name unless
they made an account with a fake name. Some people
write their full name, their first and last name, their
first and middle name, etc. This name cannot be
changed.
Myspace also includes many privacy settings. If a person wants to view someone’s profile and they are not on
that person’s friends list, they may be able to view it
depending on whether or not that profile has a privacy
setting feature. The profile will include the person’s
quote, age, where they live, and their mood if they have
their privacy setting set up.
Myspace doesn’t display the person’s name on their
profile unless they use that as their display name. The
display name can be changed at any time that one person
wants.
I think Facebook is safer and has a better privacy
policy because it doesn’t allow as much information to go
out to people that aren’t on that person’s friends list
unlike Myspace. Facebook hasn’t been hacked into as
much as Myspace. Also, Myspace shows the person’s age
Lifting A Weight, Not So
Great?
By Eric
How many boys reading this lift heavy
weights? Research shows that lifting heavy weights
before reaching fourteen or fifteen years old could
have severe side effects. If you lift before fourteen, your growth could be permanently stunted, or
be limited. When your growth gets stunted your
muscles will stop growing.
Fourteen is the right age to lift heavy
weights. Don’t let anyone or anything tell you differently. Just because you can bench press 75
pounds at 12 years old doesn’t mean you should.
There are more negative side effects than there
are positive ones. Sure, you may look great, but
only for a little while. Soon your growth spurt will
kick in, but since you will be lifting weights with
your growth plates still open, something can go seriously wrong. Since you will be building your muscles up and your body will be doing the same, your
growth can be stunned. There are some people who
lifted before 14 or 15, and nothing happened to
them, but it isn’t a chance worth taking. I am sure
nobody wants to have small muscles!
I lift weights myself, but never over 5lbs,
and I never do more than 15 curls on each arm per
day. I want to grow to be as big and strong as I
possibly can be. As soon as I am around 15 years
old, I’m going to start pumping iron!
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 25
EDITORIALS
Chain Letters:
Are They Really
Fun?
Capital Punishment
By Peter
By Jillian
>>S M A C K! YOU HAVE BEEN HiT BY THE BEAUTiFUL
CHAiN! ONCE YOU GET >> THiS, YOU HAVE TO SEND
It TO 10 PEOPLE OR
>
>MORE TO SHOW THEM THAT YOU >>DON’T THiNK
THEY ARE JUST AS UGLY AS YOU ARE. IF YOU GET
HiT AGAiN, IT >>MEANS
>
>YOU ARE TWiCE AS UGLY! IF YOU JUST DELETE
THiS AND DON’T >> SEND IT TOP ANYONE, YOU
WILL BE CURSED WITH
>
>>UGLiNESS FOR THE NEXT 5>> YEARS AND WON’T
GET A DATE OR FALL IN LOVE AND HAVE SOMEONE
>> LOVE YOUY FOR THE
>
>>NEXT 10 YEARS. I SUGGEST YOU START COPY AND
PASTING
Have you ever gotten a chain letter like this one? If
you have, you know what it feels like. Getting a negative
chain letter can be upsetting. Chain letter use threats,
examples and peer pressure to get you to pass on the
message. These letters, whether received by e-mail or
texting, can make people unhappy and upset.
One way chain letters get around is if they include
threats. Some are unbelievable, like, “If you don’t send
this to 8 people, you’ll get hit by a bus full of cheeseeating clowns.” No one would believe that. It’s more
upsetting when you’re reading something that says,
“Send this to 10 people or a family member will get
killed.” Of course, that’s not true, but it is a depressing
thought. Some people will send the letter just to get
The death penalty debate has been going on for
many years and does not have a final conclusion in
sight. There are many ways of performing the
death penalty
the one I’m focusing on is lethal injection.
Lethal
injection
has
been a very
questionable
method of ending
someone’s
life and so far
there have been
2 methods used
on humans. A
third one is being considered due to the fact that
the chemical known as potassium chloride, which has
been used in both formulas, has been known to cause
extreme pain when administered.
Many potential problems have been found wit
lethal injection, such as, when the drug mixture is
being administered the prisoner tries to resist injection, they can not find a vein, the mixture of
drugs is wrong, the chemicals are directed into the
skin rather than a vein, and the prisoner does not
react normally to the drugs. These are the reasons
I believe that execution with lethal injection is
wrong.
For many years no state has abolished the death
penalty, but recently New Jersey has made the
death penalty has illegal. This occurred during the
debate to make the injection drug cocktail illegal
and instead to use the same chemicals as they do to
put dogs to sleep. Since the current drug cocktail is
known to cause extreme pain when administered.
Even though some people support the death penalty I hope people realize why I think it is bad. I
have seen two reasons why people may think capital
punishment is good. One, if a person commits a crime
they should get what’s coming to them and, two, if
all crimes are punished by death then all crimes may
stop and this world would become perfect.
Page 26
CMS-7 PRESS
EDITORIALS
Led Zeppelin’s Last Concert in
1980 vs. Led Zeppelin Reunion
Concert 200
By Milo
In 1980 Led Zeppelin broke up after their last concert because John Bonham died. Then they had a reunion concert in 2007 with John Bonham’s son, Jason
Bonham.
I think that their concert in 1980 wasn’t better
because their instruments were old and not as good as
the newer ones. I also think that the concert in 2007
was better because they had more time to practice
their songs. Robert Plant, the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, gave an amazing performance. Jimmy Page, one
of the most respected guitarist alive rocked out next
to Plant not missing a single note. John Paul Jones, Led
Zeppelins base and keyboard player, partied all night
long and apparently has not lost contact with his inner
rock star. Jason Bonham (John Bonham’s Son) actually
cried on stage because he wished is dad was right
there next to him, but besides from that, he was the
center of attention.
In 1988 the three remaining members of Led Zeppelin and Jason Bonham got together for the one concert that critics criticized. The concert in Carnegie
Hall wasn’t their best and Jimmy Page’s flat guitar
playing and his tempo were off. In the first forty-five
minutes people were already leaving. It was definitely
one of their bad concerts.
I think Led Zeppelin had a better concert n 2007
than in 1988. I also think they should go on tour.
Favorite Movie Genre
By Patrick
Many people say they love romantic movies or
comedies. Or they would say the love action and horror films. With the many movie genres to choose from
there is bound to be one that you like the most. I did
a bit of research to see which genre people like best.
According to “Quibblo.com”, “horror films are stories whose central struggle focuses on escaping from
and eventually defeating a Monster (either human or
non-human).Comedies: stories whose central struggle
causes hilarious results. Science-fiction: stories
whose central struggle is between a
Champion
and a problem or injustice in
society.
Usually the
Champion
has a personal stake
in the outcome of
the struggle. Musicals: contain singing
and dancing. Other:
different
genres that contain art movies and other rare types.”
Quibblo asks the question,” What is your favorite
movie genre?” The results were the following: Horror/
Thriller came in first with 42% of the votes, second
was Comedy with 32%, Science-fiction came in third
with 16%, ‘other’ came in fourth place with 6%, and
musicals came in fifth place with 3%.
Many people have different views on different
genres. I like comedy because it’s funny, and I like to
laugh. I wouldn’t go to a movie theater just to scare
myself with a horror movie. Others might like musicals
because they love to sing and dance. I wouldn’t waste
my money going to the theater watching a musical
when I can listen to my I Pod. Which ever is your favorite, enjoy the magic of the movies!
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Page 27
EDITORIALS
Yankees vs. Red Sox
A Dog Sledding Vacation
By Scott
By Alex
The Yankees and Red Sox rivalry is the most
hated rivalry in all of sports. Every year the division
has come down to the two teams, and just about every
year the Yankees win it. The Yankees have won 26
World Series and the Red Sox have only won seven.
The Yankees have the most world championships in all
of sports. The Yankees and Red Sox have played many
games against each other but every year the Yankees
dominate. Every team in every sport plays to win a
championship, and the Yankees have done that more
than any
other team.
Coming
into the
2007 season the
Yankees
had won the
division
every year
since
1994. In
the 2006
season, the
Yankees
played five
games at
Fenway
Park.
They won
every
game and it
was one
of the best
sweeps
ever. Winning five
games in a
row
against the
Red Sox, that sweep is now called “The Boston Massacre.” Last year the Yankees won the series 10-9.
The Yankees have had great players such as Babe
Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, Reggie
Jackson, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez. The Red
Sox have had Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, David Ortiz,
and Manny Ramirez. Therefore, the Yankees have also
produced better players. They have had 35 hall of
fame players, and the Red Sox have had 33. The Yankees have more future Hall of Fame players, like Derek
Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
The Yankees have had great moments against
the Red Sox such as Bucky Dent’s home run to send
Have you ever wanted to go
on a vacation full of adventures?
If you said yes to this question,
than Wintergreen is the place
for you. Wintergreen is a dog
sledding vacation based in Ely,
Minnesota. Wintergreen is
owned by Paul Schurke, a famous
musher who has traveled thousands of miles by dog sled. He
has an extraordinary staff that is kind and helpful.
They own over 65 pure bread Canadian Eskimo dogs
that are born to pull. Wintergreen is a wonderful vacation spot for families, friends, and individuals traveling alone.
There are many different trips that you can
choose from. Wintergreen offers trips where you dog
sled from lodge to lodge, and trips where you camp
out. There are parent daughter trips, photo workshop
trips, and medical workshop trips. Each adventure has
wonderful reviews by the people who have experienced it. In this article you will read mostly about the
parent daughter trip that is offered by Wintergreen.
During the parent daughter trip you travel from
lodge to lodge. This life changing experience lasts for
five days and four nights. On the first day you meet
your guides who will be trailing with you on skies as
you dog sled. You also meet the other travelers that
you will be with throughout our vacation. A wonderful
dinner is made by Wintergreen’s French chef, Bernard
Herrmann. After dinner you sit around a campfire and
socialize with everyone. Finally, you walk over to the
dog pen and meet the dogs! After a long day, you head
back to the cabin and go to sleep.
The next two days are pretty much the same. You
wake up at 7:30 in order to be changed and ready to
go by 8:00. At eight o’clock everyone heads to the dog
pen to feed the dogs and clean around each of their
Page 28
CMS-7 PRESS
EDITORIALS
The Best NFL Franchise Ever?
PGA Career vs. MLB Career
By Ryan
By Austin
There are many great franchises in the NFL. But
who is number 1? In my research I found that there
have been four teams that have gone back and forth
as the number one franchise. The four teams are the
Dallas Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers, the Pittsburg
Steelers, and the San Francisco 49ers. Right behind
them are the Chicago Bears, the New England Patriots, and the Denver Broncos.
PGA is the way to go for me. Golf is something
you can play most of your life but in the MLB you
can only play for 10-15 years. The PGA season lasts
all year long and the MLB season lasts about 8
months, including pre-season. If you are an experienced player in the MLB you can get paid millions.
In the PGA you earn most of your money winning or
placing high in tournaments. In the MLB it is easier
to get paid a lot. If you like a calmer more relaxing
experience than you should play golf but if you like
fans yelling at you and calling you names definitely
join the MLB.
The Steelers, 49ers, and the Cowboys have
each won five Super Bowls. The Packers have four
Super Bowl wins, the Patriots have won three Super
Bowls and have a chance next week at winning Super
Bowl 42. The Denver Broncos have won two Super
Bowls and have been in the Super Bowl five times and
they have won it two years in a row. Overall the 49ers
have the best NFL franchise. They have had many
star quarterbacks like Joe Montana and Steve Young
and players like Jerry Rice.
Lastly, the 49ers get the award and the Pittsburg Steelers come in second for best franchise. For
the Giants fans they come in twelfth. Right now the
49ers aren’t very good, but they dominated before
2000. Overall, the 49ers have the best franchise
ever.
In baseball you are under a lot of pressure
because your whole team is counting on you. In golf
you are only under the pressure you put on yourself. It is hard to get into both of these associations, but the MLB is probably harder. You can’t
play both because the seasons take place at the
same time so you have to choose. There are more
people playing baseball than there are playing golf.
Playing golf on the PGA is definitely something you
should go for. I know that’s the way for me.
Page 30
Teachers
CMS-7 PRESS
Wyatt, Ms. Saridaki, a social studies teacher, was inspired by her own seventh grade history teacher. She used to
work for a publishing company, but then she decided to go to Westfield to teach. The following year, she came
here to CMS. Thirdly, Mr. Kravitz, our well-known chorus teacher, loved music his whole life. He told us, “I love
being able to share the joy of making music with young people.” In short, each one of these teachers was inspired
in some way to work with kids.
In addition to their inspiration, these CMS teachers have personal hobbies. Mr. Wyatt enjoys speed skating as his main sport. He also enjoys playing musical instruments such as the guitar, piano, and mandolin. While Mr.
Wyatt speed skates and plays music, Ms. Saridaki competes in martial art tournaments. She has a musical talent
as well. Ms. Saridaki plays the trumpet, saxophone, piano, and guitar. Tennis, ping-pong, and music are just some
of Mr. Kravitz’s favorite hobbies. His instrumental favorites are the violin and piano. As you can see, these teachers all enjoy after school activities and musical instruments.
We all have things to be proud of and for Mr. Wyatt, it is his 13 years of speed skating. This led him to
receiving two silver medals in the Nationals. Now, he’s hoping to qualify for the Nationals again in July. Mr. Wyatt
has won many medals, and he has worked hard for them. He trains two to four hours a day for five to six days a
week. Next, there’s Ms. Saridaki who has also achieved some impressive things. She does martial arts, and has
competed in many tournaments. Finally, Mr. Kravitz has also gotten many impressive awards. He got the Duke Ellington award for outstanding composition. He won the highest score at the DMI songwriting contest in NYC.
These teachers truly worked hard for their achievements.
In conclusion, each CMS teacher has an interesting background filled with inspiration, hobbies, and
achievements. Each individual has worked hard to achieve their goals. They all enjoy helping kids every day. All in
all, CMS is lucky to have teachers like these.
Global Warming
phere when coal, fossil fuels, and natural gas are burned. Carbon dioxide is also released by cars. We can stop
global warming by using hybrid cars, carpooling, and using cars less often. Instead of driving short distances, you
could walk or ride a bike. These fossil fuels release carbon dioxide and other substances known as greenhouse
gasses. As the atmosphere becomes richer in these gases, it becomes a better insulator, retaining more of the
heat provided to the planet by the sun, thus causing global warming.
What is the real cause of global warming? Many people believe it is just a natural cycle, but we are the ones
who make the cycle worse. We are the ones that use cars that run on gasoline. We are the ones who run factories
that burn tons of fossil fuels. Even cement mixing creates green house gasses. There are many other things we do
to make global warming worse. When we burn gasoline, we make carbon dioxide and other Green House Gasses.
Just last month, California was denied by Bush the right to lower the limit of carbon dioxide output in cars! Many
people, animals, and other things will suffer if we don’t stop. Don’t you want your grandchildren and future generations to have a safe environment? If so, we need to stop. Everyone can help, even you.
To answer the question, are we causing global warming, the answer is that we are, and we aren’t. We are half
the reason for global warming. If we stop polluting this earth, we can get out of the cycle and save more than
just our lives, but the future for humans, too.
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Bio Fuel
Page 31
palm oil. All of this would further contribute to climate change. In my opinion, I think that bio-fuels may help save
the environment, but they will not be able to replace fossil fuels. Bio-fuels can make a difference only if we begin
to limit the consumption of fossil fuels. If bio-fuels can come from non-edible tree crops like the jatropha in India, and the crops are grown on wastelands, this may be successful. People in poorer countries would also be employed to harvest the crops, and the fuels would not take away from the environment, or much needed food
sources. Will bio-fuel be a part of the future?
Pollution
president: ‘to treat carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and revert to actions solely driven by domestic economic concerns. This promise was again broken last month, when California was denied the right to limit the amount of carbon dioxide that could be released by cars in the state. These two actions helped no one, especially not Mother
Nature.
The problem of pollution in the US is no joke. Being in the top five largest countries in the world, our participation in reducing pollution is crucial to make this world go ‘round. You can help by doing small things: picking up
trash and donating to conservation foundations. This world will be no more if no one steps up soon.
Ice Cream
the summer. Ice cream is good for a hot day in the summer or a cold day in the winter.
I think ice cream is the best dessert because it is always appealing to me. You can have it when ever you
want it, what ever kind you want, and what ever you want on it. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing there is
always a place where you can get ice cream. Anybody of any age can eat ice cream, because you don’t need teeth
to eat it, you just put it in your mouth and swallow. These are the reasons that I think ice cream is the best dessert of all times.
Animal Rights
fleece. "Pleather” is a cute, fashionable alternative to using real leather. Many big fashion designers including
Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren and Marc Bouwer will not use real fur in their designs and offer trendy substitutes for leather. Next time you go to the mall, think where the leather and fur came from and if it is the right
choice for the animal and yourself.
O vs. P
September, 2002. Dr. Phil got 3 stars and a rating of 398. Dr. Phil has written six books that were on the New
York Times Best Seller’s List. His books have been published in 39 different languages with over 24 million copies printed. Now you have heard both sides of the story, I hope you will watch the best talk show—The Oprah
Winfrey Show!
Page 32
Brady
CMS-7 PRESS
At age 30 Tom Brady stands 6 foot 4 inches and weighs 225 pounds. He has had a love of football for his
entire life and growing up, he practiced whenever he could. Tom Brady went to the University of Michigan, played
for the Wolverines and led them to a 20-5 season. After college Tom Brady joined the Patriots and has been with
them for eight straight years. Tom Brady has set many football records with New England. He set the record for
fifty touchdowns in the regular season. He has the best pass rating in the NFL at 117.2. This is why Tom Brady
became football’s Most Valuable Player for the 2007-2008 season.
NJ Devil
and terrorized local cities and towns.
The most famous incident was between the weeks of January 16 thru the 23, 1909. Footprints were
found in the snow going over and under fences, across fields and backyards and even rooftops. Its trails were
found in big cities such as Camden and Philadelphia. Then it was spotted several times by eyewitnesses in Bristol,
Pennsylvania, police shot at it but nothing happened. A few nights later it attacked a late night meeting of a social
club and then flew away. A day later it was seen in Burlington, New Jersey while scurrying across the track in
front of it. Even if you thought that it would stay to itself it didn’t.
To conclude, the jersey devil has haunted many people over a course of three hundred years. Many people
have been persuaded to believe otherwise that the jersey devil is a hoax but many have seen this mythical beast
and been scared for life.
Choices
dogs.
Adam “Pacman” Jones is a corner back for the Tennessee Titans. He has been a very bad influence on
young people, too. He has been arrested many times. His first arrest in the NFL was July 15th. His latest arrest
was at a night club and Roger Goodell banned him from the 2007 NFL season. He also got a big fine from the police. His wrestling contract for TNA “Total Nonstop Wrestling” expired in October. He played in TNA during his
suspension. During a couple of his arrests, he had a gun and he was with his bodyguard. Pacman has been getting in
trouble because of his friends from his hometown. Halfway through the 2007 season he would be allowed to play
the second half of the season if he showed progress and did community service. However, he didn’t do any community service, so he was not allowed to join in on the 2007 season. Pacman Jones is a very bad role model and he
should realize what he has done.
As a result, both Michael Vick for his dog fighting crimes, and Adam Jones for his gun possession and being in a gang, have made them terrible role models. They both got banned from the 2007 NFL season for a good
reasons. Michael Vick will not be in the 2008 NFL season, and may he not be able to return to the NFL because of
his involvement in dog fighting. Overall, both these players have great talent, but both of their careers have been
thrown away because of their legal issues. In conclusion, these players have been bad influences and they have
messed up their lives and thrown away their careers.
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
Computers
Page 33
graphics quality, making it great for 3D gaming. Windows also comes with many useful programs for music, videos, games, etc. This system also has support in many stores and venders. However, this system is vulnerable
to viruses, so you would need to buy a virus protection program. This computer is recommended for people who
know their way around computers.
If you were to choose your computer would you choose something easy and loaded with features such
as a Mac; something high tech and high in security such as Linux; or something with high support in a lot of
stores such as Windows? I believe you should choose a Mac because of its ease of use and feature fever, and
it also has excellent security.
Thin
affecting young girls and teenagers and people do need to know about the problem and help it. The fashion
industry needs to be aware of too thin girls that they are hiring. People around the world need to project a
good body image so that people will be influenced in a good way and stay healthy and not form an eating disorder. So stay healthy and be a good role model for young girls around the world!
School Lunch
To conclude, hopefully more people will get fit and start making better choices at lunch time. It can
truly help someone’s health just by making better decisions. I would hope that over the next few years
schools will serve more nutritious foods to help America become a healthy happy place.
Censorship
Censorship exists on websites to block bad websites. But is also blocks some other websites that are good for
no reason. If there were no censorship, then people could go to any website they chose. If it is a bad website,
the person on it is on it because they feel they can. Overall, censorship blocks websites so you can’t look at
some even if they are good.
In conclusion, censorship is bad because it blocks good things that aren’t even close to being inappropriate. Censorship blocks bad things too, but each of us needs to use our brain to decide if we should look at the
bad things or not. So what do you think of censorship? Is it bad because it doesn’t let you watch or look at
things? Or is it good because it blocks bad things but also blocks good things, too? I think censorship is really
bad because it blocks your from seeing things or watching things you choose even though it may be good. Be
against censorship!
Anorexia
grams, diet foods, and exercise machine commercials flicker across the screen. Even when you reach the show
you want to see, there is at least one thin woman on it. Why does America deny this evidence that women are
influenced into anorexia by the media? It’s time to get out of denial, America, and start shaping a new female
image that everyone can be happy with.
Page 35
Chain
CMS-7 PRESS
rid of the lingering thought in the back of their mind. You don’t think of all the other people you are putting this
weight on.
Another way people get their chain letter around is by making you think twice. They will say something along
the lines of, “You may think this is just another stupid chain letter, but don’t delete it! I repeat, DO NOT DELETE IT! It could be the worst mistake of your life!” This is obviously an exaggeration, but some people look
twice and that’s the problem. Another problem is the writer uses examples to get people to send their message.
“Take Laura White for example. She got engaged and she was overjoyed. At work, she got this chain letter. She
deleted it, without a thought. Then she got a phone call. Her fiancé had just been killed in a car crash.” This is
made up, but it makes people think about what might happen to them. They send it to others so that they aren’t
worried. What they are really doing is upsetting other people.
The final way chain letters are passed around is by peer pressure. Some chain letters come in the form of petitions. Petitions are a rebellion type of letter, where a bunch of people sign in and then it’s sent to the person
who has the ability to change what they want. The downside is anyone who signs it has their name right on it for
everyone to see. It’s an easy way to get into trouble. Sometimes you are one of the first people to receive the
petition. Other times many people, including your friends have already signed it. It’s hard to turn down signing it
if so many people already have. You don’t want to feel like a party pooper. Don’t worry, if you decide not to sign it
(which is a good choice), sure, you’ll be crashing the party, but they’re going to be the ones getting into trouble.
In conclusion, chain letters can be upsetting and even harmful. Chain letters about people can lead to depression and even suicide. Petitions can be troublesome and threatening. All in all, chain letters are not a good idea.
Marking Period 3 Ends
Wednesday, April 9
7th Grade Cycle 4 Ends Tuesday, March 18
Baseball
them to the 1978 World Series; Aaron Boone’s walk off home run in extra innings to send the Yankees to the
World Series; Gehrig’s 440 foot double and then tipping his cap to the Red Sox.
In conclusion, the Red Sox may have won the World Series but I know everyone would rather have 26
World Series championships, than only 7 like the Red Sox have.
Myspace/Facebook
and town. Facebook only shows the person’s area and possibly their school. Facebook doesn’t show as much information all around and they ask to only put up appropriate pictures. Myspace asks the same but does not enforce it
as much. I think Facebook looks like the more appropriate and safer site out of the two.
January, 2008
Issue Number 3
IMing
Page 36
harsmful and with just one click your computer can be ruined forever.
Summing up, instant messaging is a very fun way to communicate but is getting a little too personal and
dangerous. If AIM keeps increasing like this, soon there will be no safe way to instant message! I hope this helps
you make better decisions online and don’t put too much information out, and make sure to steer clear of the chat
rooms. Always be careful online because no matter what you think, someone is always watching.
Quarterback
Brady Quinn kicked serious butt in college.
In conclusion, Brady Quinn should have started in this season. His stats have proven he is the better candidate
for starting quarterback. Derek Anderson in college had a total of -231 yards. With what I have said I think you
will agree that the coaches of the Browns made the wrong decision.
Peace
to get clean water. Some volunteers teach farming techniques, so that a village can have a better diet. They also
install technology centers in some villages so that they can stay connected to the outside world. As you can see,
Peace Corps volunteers have a chance to use their talents on the job.
To conclude, being a Peace Corps volunteer is a great experience. Not only do volunteers help other people, but
they also learn new things and have new experiences. They use their knowledge and expertise and apply it to their
job. The volunteers often come back from their stay in the foreign country much more appreciative of the things
they have here. They live a simplistic life for 27 months and therefore realize that money does not buy happiness.
To summarize, being a Peace Corps volunteer is a great opportunity to see what is happening in the world around
us, and help other people.
Actors
is the highest votes so far. In 2007 his best movie was Pirates of the Carribean at Worlds End. It got a C+ from
fifteen critics and a B from 71,629 viewers. His best rated movie of all time was Pirates of the Carribean Curse
of the Black Pearl it got 151,686 votes from the website. Johnny Depp has probably the best statistics, and has a
very good chance of winning this competition.
Lastly, we have the great Robert De Niro who has been around the longest. He didn’t get a lot of vote
from the class only two, but the world thought otherwise. In 2007 his movie that was best rated movie was Stardust. It received a B- from 14 critics and a B+ from 10,309 viewers. On the IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) his
movie best rated of all time is the Godfather Part 2 which received 146,213 votes from the website. As you can
see, Robert De Niro is a wonderful actor, but doesn’t win first prize.
In conclusion, we have reviewed the top 5 voted actors. Will Smith, awesome actor and personally my favorite, but not number 1. Next, we had Nicholas Cage a good actor, but not number 1 quality. Johnny Depp a
beastly actor one of my favorites, but still not the champion of the 5. Robert De Niro, a very famous actor and
will always be known, but not number one. Now the moment you’ve all been waiting our number one actor by statistics Tom Hanks. With the best statistics he has clearly won this competition. These are some of the greatest actor of our time and they will always be remembered.

editorials - School District of the Chathams

Transcription

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