Issue 1 -- September 10, 2014.pub
Transcription
Issue 1 -- September 10, 2014.pub
A new year of RCDS sports begins ... meet the new doctor Who, peter capaldi ... page 2 ACADEMIC BOWL TO appear on RSU-TV ... page 3 page 4 Published biweekly by and for the Upper School students of Riverfield Country Day School in Tulsa, Oklahoma The Commons “journalism is literature in a hurry…” jane goodall I hope you all enjoyed the electronic and arcade splendors of Game Night last Friday. But before you put up your agenda, pack your sunscreen, and prepare for tomorrow’s Campout, I wanted to let you in on the plans for next week. visits riverfield By nick hartman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF O Nick: Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Given our cultural and biological similarity to chimpanzees, what would you say have been the biggest revelations we have learned about our own race by watching theirs? Dr. Goodall: Humility. We are simply not as different from the other animals as we used to think. I think that has been the most important lesson, and it can then be trickled down to all these other amazing animals. N: In an interview with Bill Moyers in 2009, you discussed how the focus of your attention has become helping the next generation to become better environmental stewards than the previous one. What more do you think needs to be done to inspire and prepare us to finally solve the crises caused by generations of environmental neglect? Dr. G: It’s very easy. We just have to grow Roots & Shoots farther and farther so that young people get to learn about the problems that they don’t already know. They don’t understand. They’ve heard the wrong things. They hear there is no such thing as climate change, or it’s a natural cycle. They are told all sorts of wrong things by big corporations, so we need to make sure they know what is actually happening and what they can do about it. N: In your books and interviews, I often see the theme of Dame Goodall (center) is joined by her friend, Mrs. Pam O’Halloran-Blevins, who teaches Middle School Science at Riverfield, and The Commons’ Nick Hartman. Goodall visited the Roots & Shoots class after speaking to the faculty and students on September 3. PHOTO BY PATRICIA DICKEY hope surface. What gives you the most hope for the future survival of chimpanzees and the environment in general? Dr. G: The fact that nature is very resilient. Once we give it time, and perhaps some help, even devastated areas can recover to some extent. Animal species can be brought back from the very brink of extinction. I wrote a whole book about it called “Hope for Animals and Their World” ... and I have hope because of the energy and commitment of young people. N: What is the greatest piece of advice you would like to give my generation? Dr. G: Not to forget that every single day, you make an impact. And you get to choose what sort of impact you’re going to make. N: What are you most proud of? Dr. G: I suppose I’m most proud of helping a lot of people understand the true nature of animals … and of starting Roots & Shoots. N: What do you most regret? Dr. G: That I don’t have enough time left to live, to do all the things I’d like to do. N: What are your future plans? Dr. G: Well, I’ll carry on doing what I’m doing until I die. Up until then, I want to grow Roots & Shoots and fight for the environment for my own great-grandchildren and everybody else. N: Thank you, Dr. Goodall. U.S. attacks ISIS with coordinated airstrikes By William Genesen NEWS EDITOR Recently Iraq has been under attack from a terrorist group called ISIS. ISIS stands as one of the most dangerous Jihadist groups in the world, being rivaled only by Al-Qaeda. ISIS has been so extreme in their public executions and barbaric tactics that even Al-Qaeda doesn’t want to be connected to them. Over the past year or two ISIS has gained control of key sections of Syria, and now they have seized areas in Iraq. On August 8, the U.S. decided it was time to step in. The U.S. has attacked ISIS with coordinated airstrikes on their strongholds. Many Americans are worried about the U.S. getting involved in this conflict because they fear it will lead to another war with troops on the ground. ThECOMMONS is published biweekly during the school year by the Upper School Newspaper class at Riverfield Country Day School, 2433 W. 61st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74132. The staff reserves the right to edit any article or letter submitted for publication. Send all submissions to the Editor-in-Chief at nihartman@riverfield.org. All opinions expressed are those of the individual writers and do not reflect positions of the staff, adviser, or school administration. Newspaper Adviser: Mrs. Patricia Dickey. —Anonymous ‘Winwin week’ is Coming up Noted primatologist n Wednesday, September 3, we were all privileged to meet Dr. Jane Goodall, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees and the founder of the international Roots & Shoots program. Dame Goodall visited the Riverfield campus again, ten years after her first visit, to promote environmental awareness among young people. The Commons was generously granted the following exclusive interview. SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 But President Obama clearly stated that the U.S. will not put any troops on the ground, but instead will use coordinated airstrikes to keep ISIS from moving forward, to force them to retreat eventually, and possibly to eradicate them completely. Since the airstrikes have started, the U.S. has already taken out many key targets and killed multiple high-ranking militants. The airstrikes are be- ginning to hurt ISIS and put them on the defensive. Unfortunately, because of this they yet again showed their extremist ways by releasing a video of the beheading of American reporter James Foley. At the end of the video, they claimed that if the U.S. does not stop the airstrikes, they will publicly execute another American reporter. The whole world is attentively waiting to see what will happen next. FALL 2014 STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ...................... Nick Hartman MANAGING EDITOR.................. James Morley ADVERTISING MANAGER ........ Kip Derryberry NEWS EDITOR........................... William Genesen SPORTS EDITOR ....................... Zeke Clark REVIEWS EDITOR ..................... Addison Standley FEATURES EDITOR .................. Julia Kraus OPINIONS EDITOR .................... Alex Milton PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR.......... Altug Delen through Emma’s EYES By Emma Keely Your newly-elected representatives have been essential in planning next week’s OSSAA WinWin Week. Last year, thanks to everyone involved, we raised nearly $3,000 for cancer research! It is hard to forget last year’s Powder Puff football game spectacle, but in case you missed it, here are some of the highlights. Unfortunately for this year’s senior and sophomore girls, we got our butts kicked 36-12. And who could possibly forget the half-time show provided by our very own male cheerleading squad? We can expect our up-andcoming WinWin Week to be very similar to last year, but lavender is this year’s color. Lavender is the designated color that represents all forms of cancer. So, in accordance with our purpose of benefiting cancer research at OU’s Stephenson Cancer Center, the t-shirts are lavender. Be sure to order one, because never again will there be a purple Riverfield shirt. Though it is highly anticipated, the Powder Puff game will not be the first sporting event next week where lavender will be worn. On Tuesday night, the Volleyball team hosts a game in which they will sport fabulously fashionable lavender bands. The posters have been posted, the coaches are ready to coach, and the sign-ups have been signed. I expect I’ll see you there! VOLUME IX ISSUE 1 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY ........................ Ragan Auxter COLUMNISTS ............................ Maddie Cadieux .................................................... Zack Davenport .................................................... Bailey Gower .................................................... Emma Keely .................................................... Max Musick NEWSPAPER ADVISER ............ Mrs. Patricia Dickey The COMMONS Wednesday, September 10, 2014 SPORTS / OPINIONS 2 NEW SEASON of NFL KICKS OFF BY WILLIAM GENESEN STAFF WRITER For football fans, this is the most exciting time of the year. The preseason is now over, and we can start speculating about which teams are looking good going into the regular season. The defending national champions, the Seattle Seahawks, are starting out the season in the No. 1 position. They are still considered the team to beat. The Denver Broncos are starting the season with the No. 2 ranking, followed by the New England Patriots, the San Francisco 49ers, and the New Orleans Saints. If your team was not mentioned, no need to worry. After the first week, the standings are likely to change. Anything can happen in the NFL on any given day, which makes it hard to predict what’s going to happen. Because of last year’s finish, we can say that the Seahawks are definitely the team to watch. They have both an explosive offense and what seems to be an impenetrable defense, which will make them tough to beat. But there are many other teams in the NFL that possess these same qualities, so honestly, anything could happen. It is really only a matter of a few games that can change the outcome of an entire season. That unpredictability is one of the main reasons the NFL is so exciting to watch. So with that, we are just going to have to take a seat and watch everything unfold. It’s going to be a season to remember with so many potential championship teams competing for the ultimate prize: the Super Bowl. CLASSIFIEDS — BUY IT, SELL IT, LOVE IT! for sale shout outs PC GAMES Unopened games at below market rates: Bioshock 2, Portal 2, The Walking Dead GOTY Edition, Left 4 Dead 2. —Nick Hartman U.S. STUDENTS Here’s to another great year off and running… Thank you for being the most fantastical students ever! —Mrs. Jacobs Meet me for quick purchase, but buy fast. Premium FEDORAS selling like hotcakes! —Riley Brown Ben Violett, you are a beautiful person. You shall fly like an eagle. —Charlie H. Congrats to Tater Pugh, who came in 1st among 2A varsity boys at last Saturday’s XC meet! wanted High school From a freshman’s viewpoint BY ALEX MILTON OPINIONS EDITOR After only two weeks, high school already seems a lot different from middle school. When I was in Riverfield’s Middle School, the Upper School seemed like it would be a lot harder. I thought I would have absolutely no free time. As it turns out, it is definitely different from middle school, but not in the ways I expected. We do get more homework, but it seems to be balanced out by getting six free periods we can use as study halls every week. We can also go to the Learning Center after school as long as there are still teachers on the second floor. Now that our grades matter a lot more, it is more important for us to stay caught up with our work, to take notes, and to check RenWeb and our school email often. Our classes use more technology than in middle school because everyone now has laptops with them. Using our laptops for notes can help keep us organized and ready to study for quizzes and tests. Now that we have nearly all of our classes in the Upper School building, we don’t have to spend most of our passing periods walking from building to building. At lunchtime, after we are finished eating, we are able to go upstairs to the Learning Center and get more homework done if we feel like being productive. With the new market in the cafeteria, we can choose what we eat if we don’t take our lunches while still having the option of regular school lunches. High school may be a leap, but it is a leap in a better direction towards success. WANT AN AD? Contact Kip Derryberry at brderryberry@riverfield.org. 25 word max. Free to students and faculty. $5 for businesses. A new year of sports at RCDS BY ZEKE CLARK SPORTS EDITOR It’s crazy to think that the 2014-2015 school year is already well underway, but with the start of school comes the start of another year of Riverfield sports. Each and every year we have a steady increase of participants in every sport, and this year we hope for the same. Returning students have a pretty good understanding of what we have to offer. But the newer students might not, so I am going to explain what sports we have, and a little bit about them. Participation in Riverfield athletics has always been a big focus of this school, so if something sounds interesting, go try it out! The FALL SPORTS we offer are Cross Country (for both boys and girls), and Junior High Volleyball (for girls only.) These two sports have grown in popularity here over the past few years. Both sports will give you great opportunities to stay in shape and compete against other schools. Both of these teams have new coaches this year. The Cross Country team is coached by Mr. Parks, and the Volleyball team is coached by Mr. Breig. Both coaches are looking forward to improving the skills of each team member. Both of these sports are already mid-season, so if you’re thinking about joining, it might be tough. Maybe you could think about joining next year? These two sports are strong points in Riverfield athletics, and a great way to kick off a new year in Riverfield sports. WINTER SPORTS we offer focus on Basketball. There are Varsity Boys and Varsity Tater Pugh, Angelo Ramirez, Campbell Boulanger, Chris Bogle, Eric Haake, Aaron Reid, and James Morley are this year’s Varsity Boys Cross Country team, shown here at last Saturday’s meet at Henryetta. PHOTO BY ANNAHLYN PUGH Girls teams, as well as Junior Varsity (JV) for both. The Varsity Boys are coached by Mr. Bogle, who is assisted by Mr. Zinn. Mr. Zinn coaches the JV Boys. The Varsity Girls have Mrs. Stack for their coach, and she also helps out with the JV. Last year both of the Varsity teams had very successful seasons, and this year they are looking to take another step forward. Both teams participated in several different summer leagues to get in shape and ready for this year’s season. They played extremely well against some good teams. If you are interested in joining the team, make sure you contact Mr. Bogle or Mrs. Stack A.S.A.P. Practices start soon. SPRING SPORTS at Riverfield are Soccer Tennis, and Golf. As of right now, there is no Varsity Girls soccer team, but if there are quite a few girls interested, we could start one. The Varsity Boys team is coached by Mr. Schwarz, and he has really done a great job. Tennis will be offered for both boys and girls again, and it is coached by Mr. Clark. Varsity Boys and Girls Golf is coached by Mr. Bogle. Golf has always been one of Riverfield’s most prized sports, and I’m sure they are going to have another great year. It’s hard to believe that we are already planning a full year of sports. Winter and spring might seem like a long way off, but they are really not. The school year always flies by. So if you are interested in joining one or more of these sports, contact the coach(es) soon. Many students use the Learning Center during free periods, study halls, PHOTO BY ALTUG DELEN and during their lunch hour. New students find Riverfield different BY ALEX MILTON OPINIONS EDITOR Now that school is in session, most people have a feel for how this year will go. There are many students who are new to Riverfield’s Upper School this year. For many of them, RCDS is very different from their previous school. Of course, Riverfield is different from most schools in several important ways. One of the first differences people notice is the number of animals we have on our campus. We are also known for being environmentally conscious and involved with nature. Our focus on helping the environment teaches us to be aware of how important it is to take care of our planet and life around us. Some people know us for our unique teaching techniques that help make everyone’s learning experience better. Class sizes here are smaller to make sure everyone gets the attention they need. For still others, Riverfield is a school known for its very artistic students. To new students, Riverfield can be a unique experience. It is important to help new students feel at home. If someone is sitting alone at lunch or doesn’t know anyone in their classes, it is important that the rest of us help them get to know the other members of their Riverfield family. We are a very welcoming and diverse community. Riverfield is a place where people can feel accepted and proud to be a Raven. As new sophomore Julia Kraus says, “Riverfield is a learning environment where being passionate about what you learn is encouraged.” The COMMONS A&E / reviews LINDA-MAR’s burgers are our new favorite We were approached by a Riverfield teacher last year who told us we needed to try a burger place named “Linda-Mar,” and that the food was even better than Arnold’s. Now, Arnold’s has been a favorite of ours for years. Obviously, we had to put this to the test. The restaurant began in the ’70s when Jerry McCutcheon wanted to keep the legacy of burger joints alive in his family. Ever since, the ownership has passed among his brothers who continue to manage it to this day. The joint was recently featured on the TV special, “Hamburger America.” When you walk up to the hamburger stand, the smell of fresh grease and well-cooked meat greets you and definitely makes up for the small and somewhat rundown interior. There were only about five tables, but somehow that was a good sign to us. The restaurant is known for its Westside Burger, a double with cheese served on Texas TWO THUMBS UP? By Zack Davenport & Bailey Gower toast. Zack took it on while Bailey tried the double with cheese and bacon to see how a “normal burger” compared. Within seconds of biting into the perfectly seared burger dripping with grease and melted cheese, one thing was clear: the burgers were definitely more flavorful than their rival, Arnold’s. Bailey’s burger featured applewood smoked bacon, which gave it a much heartier taste. Zack commented that the Texas toast fit his burger perfectly. It was well buttered and toasted, adding a nice crispiness. We both agreed that the crinkle-cut fries, served in abundance alongside the burgers, were well seasoned and the perfect complement. Although the restaurant appears to be somewhat of a hole-in-the-wall burger joint, the wait staff was focused and friendly. In the end we concluded that if you want a great, classic milkshake, go to Arnolds. But if you want an oldfashioned hearty burger, head down Bailey and Zack stand outside the ordinary lookthe road to Lindaing hamburger joint at 1615 W. 51st Street. Mar. PHOTO BY ELORA WYMORE Classic GaME REVIEW: ‘Legend of dragoon’ BY ADDISON STANLEY REVIEWS EDITOR The original Playstation’s lasted from 1994 to about 2000. It was responsible for some of the most acclaimed titles of the 20th century, such as “Suikoden,” several “Final Fantasys,” and “Wild Arms.” But one title managed to slip under most consumers’ radar. “Legend of Dragoon” (2000) was heavily overlooked as the PS2 came to fruition, yet it has managed to create a cult following and is now regarded as one of the best PS1 titles. Does it still hold up? The game takes place in Endiness, a land rife with civil war, bandits, and dragons. You play as Dart, a mercenary who finds his hometown burnt to the ground and his childhood friend kidnapped. When he goes to rescue her, he becomes involved with the troubles of Endiness, and eventually the fate of the world itself. wear your blue rcds shirt on Wed. for all-school pic! 3 ‘SNOWpIERCER’ is smart, original The climate in the film world today rarely allows a film like “Snowpiercer” to see a worldwide release, and that it was able to do so is a miracle. Based on a French graphic novel, the movie was directed by Bong Joon-ho, a Korean known for films that have been widely acclaimed but have seen limited releases. “Snowpiercer” is the rare oddity that was able to make it, and the film doesn’t disappoint. It is without a doubt the most original film I’ve seen in a long time. It is 2031, 17 years after the onset of a worldwide ice age caused by an attempt to stop global warming. Before the world froze over, the last remnants of humanity boarded MoVIE Night By Addison Standley a massive train that perpetually moves around the earth. It was not long before a class system was introduced, with the upper class taking residence in the front of the train and the poor forced into the back. Curtis (Chris Evans) decides to stage a rebellion and force his way to the front to kill the mysterious overseer of the train, Wilford, and take control. The film explores many complex themes and ideas such as the machinations and failures of revolutions and class struggle. The fact that these ideas are explored in a summer action movie is amazing. Chris Evans is great and nearly unrecognizable as Curtis, creating a complex, believable, and likable protagonist. The rest of the cast is surprisingly diverse, and they’re all great as well. The film is superbly shot and directed, with an action scene involving the train partway through the movie being a standout moment of nail-biting tension. If you want a film that’s smart, well written, and most important, original, then I can't recommend “Snowpiercer” enough. We need more films like this. (Rated R. If you are under 17, see this with a parent or guardian, as I did.) GAME PREVIEW: ‘Silent HILLS’ BY KIP DERRYBERRY STAFF WRITER A few weeks ago, a mysterious demo for an unknown game was released for the Playstation 4. It was a horror game, and the demo was called “P.T,” standing for “Playable Teaser.” Once completed, it revealed a trailer for an upcoming game called “Silent Hills.” Despite the franchise’s recent problems, many believe this is the series’ chance to redeem itself. The game director is the same as for the famed Metal Gear franchise, Hideo Kojima. Guillermo del Toro, a famed film producer/director, is also directly involved with the game, as well as highly famous television actor Norman Reedus, who plays the main character. Kojima Productions will be making the game, giving Kojima a chance to use his new Fox Engine. This engine has been used on both “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” and its sequel, “The Phantom Pain,” which is yet to be released. Del Toro has been involved with countless films: “Pacific Rim,” the “Hellboy” films, “Blade,” and even “The Hobbit” films. He is another director of the new game. He has much experience with horror, and this experience should give him strength in “Silent Hills.” Norman Reedus is extremely popular for the character he plays, Daryl Dixon in “The Walking Dead.” He is a very talented actor, but he has not had many other memorable roles. Could “Silent Hills” be Reedus’ next step towards more widespread acclaim? The “Silent Hill” franchise has taken a couple of hits lately with “Silent Hill: Downpour” having very clunky combat which ruined the game, and “Silent Hill: Book of Memories” being more like a Diablo spinoff than a horror game. However, based on the P.T. demo, there are high hopes for what’s to come. Now here’s the question: Can Kojima, del Toro, and Reedus do “Silent Hill” right? What do you think? Capaldi: The new doctor who BYJULIA KRAUS The story is only slightly above average, and it devolves into complete absurdity by the third disc. Thankfully, the characters are interesting, diverse, and likable enough to keep you engaged with the narrative. It’s the gameplay that makes “Legend of Dragoon” truly stand out. During turnbased battles, the game makes use of timed button presses. You have to time your button press to a symbol on the screen whenever the character’s weapon is about to hit the enemy. This lets you unlock combos called “Additions,” where you have to hit the button several times in a row with complete accuracy to do maximum damage. This makes the game extremely fun and engaging and keeps you constantly focused while playing. Overall, “Legend of Dragoon” is not a perfect game, but it’s a classic title that every RPG fan should try. Wednesday, September 10, 2014 STAFF WRITER Peter Capaldi is the twelfth and current actor to play the role of The Doctor in the cult BBC-TV sci-fi show, “Doctor Who.” Taking over Twitter, fans and critics alike were vocal and split in their opinion of the new Doctor. According to Michael Hogan of London’s The Telegraph, “Capaldi crackles with fierce intelligence ... Peter Capaldi is a veritable elder statesman and a throwback to Doctor Who’s roots.” Other viewers thought more along the lines of AA Gill, the critic at The Sunday Times’ TV review, who said Capaldi’s portrayal was “not unlike Richard Dawkins, madly science-fictive and theophobic, with selective amnesia and vague formless feelings of charity.” Capaldi was an interesting choice for the Doctor on sever- al counts. For one, he is 25 on Twitter, “I loved Peter Capalyears the previous actor’s di in his first episode as The (Matt Smith’s) senior. He also Doctor, I just didn’t like the epiplays the role without all of sode.” Possibly, mixed reviews the high energy action and shouldn’t be directed at Capaldi, goofiness his predecessors but at the episode itself. were known for, taking a quieter, more dramatic approach. This looks to have been noted and appreciated by critics. According to Eric Deggans on NPR’s Morning Edition, Capaldi’s portrayal seems “a little darker and more impatient than previous versions -- perfect for an age where even comic book champions are more antihero than hero.” So maybe the problem isn’t a darker Doctor. Ac- Clearly, local stores are hyped for the new cording to one fan season of this show. PHOTO BY RAGAN AUXTER The COMMONS Features Escape from the dark ages original fiction By Maddie cadieux GUEST COLUMNIST Previously … Our story began with a castle under siege and its prince, Lander, in distress. After ordering a squire to save him and following him to save the squire’s brother, Caspar, they escape into the forest. While in the forest, Lander catches the squire performing witchcraft to heal his brother. The squire then reveals that she is in fact a woman named Arabella, and Prince Lander is now her hostage. As they travel across the land, they meet many old friends including the gypsy Caltha and her brother Ralf, new friends including the runaway prince and princess Duncan and Aileen, and the head of a criminal organization, Basilia. Meeting new obstacles and enemies at every turn, not to mention dealing with the romantic tension between Arabella and Lander begin to trust one another. FILE ILLUSTRATION BY CLAIRE WHITE Lander and Arabella, it seems as though they will never reach their destination. As they finally arrive at the home of the wizard Merlin, they are ambushed by the same knights that attacked Lander’s castle. The leader of these knights, Edgar, had been a spy in Lander’s kingdom. He had pretended to be a knight. In fact, he was the knight who had trained Arabella and Caspar. Edgar reveals that Arabella and Caspar are actually the missing prince and princess of their kingdom. He also tells Lander that he is now the sole survivor of his royal family. In order to take over Arabella and Caspar’s kingdom, Edgar demands that Arabella marry him. Though she vehemently refuses at first, she agrees when he threatens Caspar. Edgar then orders the others taken to the dungeons. While in the dungeon, Lander learns that Arabella and her brother ran away from their kingdom when they were younger and were then raised by Merlin. Lander comes up with an idea, and Merlin agrees to help. At the quickly arranged wedding ceremony, Arabella feels something sharp and cold materialize under her armor. She pulls out her sword and quickly puts it to Edgar’s neck. As the wedding guests run away, she demands to know where her friends are … Continued in the next issue! Tarot cards have an interesting history BY JULIA KRAUS FEATURES EDITOR Although tarot cards are typically used as a fortune telling instrument today, these cards have a long and justly disputed history. Their beginning has been documented as beginning in the 14th century with the Islamic invasion of North Africa, Spain, and Sicily. At that time and still in France, tarot is viewed as just a card game, “similar to modern -day bridge,” according to the website Collector’s Weekly. They were also used in playful poem writing and children’s storytelling games. Finding a home in the Italian nobility, wealthy aristocrats would commission ornate decks to be painted with intricate patterns and gold plated. With a rising popularity among the general public, cards began to commonly feature symbolic patterns of both Christian and pagan traditions. They took on a more narrative form, which made it easier to relate to people’s lives. As recently as the middle of the 18th century, the tarot took on the air of mysticism for which it is so widely known today. Interestingly enough, according to Caitlín Matthews, a teacher of cartomancy (divination with cards), before the 18th century the imagery on these cards was accessible to a much broader population. All of this does beg the question: Could the rise of spiritual meaning surrounding the tarot have been aided by the increased obscurity of its symbolism and the requirement for assisted interpretation? According to artist and graphic designer Bill Wolf, “the subjects took on more and more esoteric meaning.” This led to the need for a more experienced interpreter and guide, much like the Dungeon Master in some modern Role Playing Games. Thus, there is always the possibility that in the modernday, a tarot reader plays the same part — just to a far greater extreme. Wednesday, September 10, 2014 COMING UP IN OUR NEXT ISSUE ON SEPTEMBER 26 — Ninja turtles, redskins(?), the future of media … 4 FALL CAMPOUT REMINDER! All 9th through 12th graders will leave TOMORROW MORNING, September 11, and travel to War Eagle Campground near Tahlequah for two days of floating the Illinois River and various fun activities. We leave Riverfield on charter buses at 8:30, so don’t be late! This is a longstanding tradition, and the best opportunity of the year to get to know Riverfield people. So pack tonight, and be here bright and early! New vending machines a big hit BY JAMES MORLEY STAFF WRITER A new snack bar or “minimart” was added to the Upper School kitchen this fall. The snack bar was installed and is run by Imperial. By all reports, it is certainly an upgrade from last year’s vending machines. You have choices of candy, drinks, sandwiches, chips, and you can even purchase universal ear buds! This snack bar also requires no faculty to run it, so it is open and available for students and faculty at all times. This snack bar is one of the first of its kind to be installed at a school. So far this system seems to be doing well. But the snacks and drinks are only half of the reason for its success. It is fast, convenient, and it fits our varied schedules. Most of the time, students and faculty can get their food and drinks, pay, and leave within two minutes. This new system uses a self-checkout terminal instead of a cashier, allowing the school to pay less money because no cashier is involved. All Upper School students were given a “market card” to set up their Imperial accounts. Once an account is set up, you can add cash or credit to your account at any time, and the card can be used to purchase any merchandise in the “store.” In fact, you don’t even need the card after you set up your new account. You can scan your thumbprint and put it into the system. Then you can check out just by putting your thumb on the terminal’s scanner. Overall this new snack bar is a great addition to the Upper School and is one of the many things that make our school unique. The terminal helps make the new market fast and convenient. PHOTO BY ALTUG DELEN iPhone 6 release rumors true? BY JAMes MORLEY STAFF WRITER Apple’s newest phone — the iPhone 6 — was officially announced yesterday, September 9. Preordering starts on Friday, and they will go on sale on September 19. Two new iPhones will be offered, both with a significant expansion of the screen size. The first will have a 4.7” diagonal screen. The second model, the iPhone 6 Plus, will have a 5.5” diagonal screen. The screens will have sharper resolution than previous models. Screens on iPhones have always tended to scratch and crack very easily. One drop could shatter your screen, and laying your phone upside down could give it a flesh wound. Apple is using a new type of screen in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus called the “ion-strengthened” or “sapphire” screen. Named after one of the hardest naturally-occurring minerals, the new screens will be virtually scratchproof, although they may still crack. The new iPhones have adopted the iPad mini and iPad Air design with rounded edges. The cameras on the new phones are also improved, now offering 8 megapixel images. The new iPhones will offer up to 128GB of storage. What would you do with 128GB of storage? I have no idea. The new phones will have the new A8 chip, which means faster performance and longer battery life. Apple says it can handle high-end gaming graphics and developers have already started creating games for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. But most importantly, the new iPhones will introduce iOS 8 to the public, bringing many new features. Overall, this is a great step up for Apple and will allow it to continue competing well with other devices. Academic bowl team on RSU-TV! Riverfield's Varsity Academic Bowl team will appear on RSU-TV's "I Want Answers.” Catch it on cable channels 35.1 and 35.2 later this year or with Vimeo online. Panel members shown above include Elora Wymore, Bailey Gower, Zack Davenport, and Ethan Landis (not shown are Sam Brander and team captain Nick Hartman.) PHOTO COURTESY RSU-TV STAFF