Volume V


News

 Attention all MMMS students and staff! The Lion’s Pride is excited to announce its first contest. We are looking for talented artists (staff members and students welcome) to draw a caricature of some of our favorite staff members. A caricature is a picture, description, or imitation of a person or thing in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic effect.

Guidelines:
1) You must choose a participating staff member from the list provided. LIST LINK
2) Drawings must be respectful and school appropriate.
3) All entries must be submitted by MAY 2ND.
4) To submit an entry, please give your drawing to either Mr. Bucci in room 111 or Miss DiDonato in room 106 with your name, grade, and homeroom teacher on the back of the picture.
5) Winners will be announced and published in the next issue of The Lion’s Pride.
Check back to the list frequently as more staff member volunteers may continue to sign up.
Example: Ms.DiDonato and Mr.Bucci Caricature by: Ms.Zoppi


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6th grade trip to Frogbridge!



Memorial Students Making It A “Point” To Help Others
By: Zaina Saif
     This year, the Marlboro Memorial Lions have stepped forward and decided to raise
awareness for the Collier County Public School District that was hit by Hurricane Irma.
The members of the Builders Club are proud to present that our school raised over $1,000 dollars in donations! There was a total of four boxes of school and office supplies. Each person who donated got a pencil and a ribbon that was hung up in the school's cafeteria. In addition, the Builders Club organized a movie night featuring the movie Hotel Transylvania 2. Snacks were sold during the movie and all earnings were sent to the Collier County Schools. Every donation accepted was put forward to help the schools that were affected by the hurricane. This year, Memorial’s Hurricane Helpers definitely made it a “point” to help others!

Spelling Bee!
By: Mrs. Bodsford
     After nine nail-biting rounds of the 2018 spelling bee, Ayush Bobra, 6th grader, was declared the winner. He finished the competition up with the word "Kilimanjaro," while runner-up Sharabh Ojha, 6th grader, left the bee after a valiant attempt at the word "coquelicot." Ayush will compete in the 34th Annual Asbury Park Press/Home News Tribune Spelldown at Monmouth University on March 12th. If you see him in the hall, wish him luck!





Geography Bee 2018
By: Mr.Osborne
     After one of the toughest finals in recent history, 7th grader Varun Gupta was crowned this year’s school champion. Varun will now hope to qualify for the state competition, looking to earn the school’s first trip to nationals. Congratulations to all our finalists and good luck Varun!






MMMS: A Community of Caring
By: Danielle Ahearn

     Over the past few months, the Marlboro Memorial Middle School has had several fundraisers to help amazing causes. As many of us know, the world has many people who are less fortunate than we are, such as people who suffer from hunger and those who have lost their homes in hurricanes. During rough times, MMMS has done its best to help.

     One fundraiser that MMMS participated in was Toys for Tots. Unfortunately, there are kids around the world who don’t get anything for the holidays because their families can’t afford to buy them presents. However, MMMS tried to help these children by asking students to bring in unopened gifts to give these kids for the holidays. The school donated many presents to children in need, helping raise their spirits this winter.

     Another fundraiser we did was a Hurricane Irma relief fundraiser. The Builders Club asked students school-wide to donate either small items of school supplies or money to the Collier County Public School District, which was affected by the hurricane. There was a table in the cafeteria where students could donate to the relief fundraiser. When students donated during lunch, they got paper pencils which they could write their names on to show that they had made it a point to help others. Several students and teachers put their names on pencils. Also, the Builders Club had a movie night during which they sold snacks. The money earned from selling the snacks was donated to the district. All in all, MMMS really made it a point to help others!

     MMMS also had the “Students Change Hunger Challenge.” Around Thanksgiving, students donated cans of food to people in Monmouth County who were in need. There was a competition between the homeroom classes in each grade to see which homeroom could bring in the most food for people in our county. There was also a poster at the front of the school that was there to keep track of how much food we collected. In the end, MMMS donated 2,000 cans!

     However, these are only some fundraisers our school takes part in over the course of the school year. There are other fundraisers we participate in to help make a difference. All in all, Marlboro Memorial Middle School has proven itself to be a big community of caring!




Battle of the Quads
By: Stephen Kwok

     The Battle of the Quads, a thrilling competition, is when the 8th grade quads gather together to fight for the win. Before anything starts, each homeroom picks two representatives, one boy and one girl, to compete in the events. To be unbiased, the homeroom students choose their own representatives. After this, the competition may begin! Many competitions are being held throughout the year. The winners of the competitions gain points, and the highest amount of points will be crowned the reigning winner. Let the war begin!



Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Sweetest Show on Earth
By: Danielle Ahearn and Sara Ghodekar

  Marlboro Memorial Middle School’s drama club is proud to kick off their 2017-18 school year with the first show, the drama Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The show was played on Friday, November 17th and Saturday, November 18th. There were three shows: one Friday night show, a Saturday afternoon show, and a Saturday night show. The cast worked extremely hard for two months to put on the amazing performance.
  The play starts with the narrators (Ava Guarino, Amisha Atre, Alice Xu , Victoria Dillon) explaining how Willy Wonka (Alexander Postovkskiy) had an amazing chocolate factory until several spies took his flavors. Unfortunately, the factory soon shuts down. Soon enough, he opens it back up and holds a golden ticket contest.  The Golden Ticket Contest is a contest where kids buy chocolate bars to find the golden tickets hidden in the purple plastic packaging. The five winners get to go to his factory with their parents or guardians to take a tour of the factory. The five lucky golden ticket winners are Augusta Gloop (Bridget Vaughn), Violet Beauregarde (Danielle Lirov), Veruca Salt (Julia Munk), Mike Teavee (Felix Benz), and Charlie Bucket (Ravi Tripathi).
     Augusta falls in the chocolate river, so some of the Oompa Loompas take Mrs. Gloop (Sierra Bonilla) to the fudge boiler to find her. Later on, Violet eats a stick of gum that turns her into a blueberry, so the Oompa Loompas take her and her mom (Alyssa Kiselev) to fix her by squeezing the juice out of her. Soon later, Veruca Salt and her parents (Victor Santos and Megha Ashanath) fall down the rubbish chute when Veruca tries to take a squirrel from Willy Wonka. In the end, the only people left are Charlie and his Grandpa Joe (Seth Shoneman.) Willy Wonka offers Charlie the factory, and in excitement, he accepts.
     Curtain call was an emotional time for many of the actors after working so hard for multiple months. Julia Scandaglia, an Oompa Loompa in the production, says, “It was nice to know that people appreciated the work everyone put in the show. I was kinda sad when it was over though, because I had such a great time at rehearsals.”
     All in all, the play received a great response. A member of the audience, Rishika Raghavan, said, “It was awesome. It was really well produced, and the scenery and actors were phenomenal.”
     The MMMS drama club is proud to announce that the spring musical will be The Little Mermaid, Jr.




All Shore Orchestra
By: Rishika Raghavan




     All Shore Orchestra is one of New Jersey’s non-profit organizations, whose main goal is to encourage students’ interest in music, provide greater performance opportunities, and challenge young musicians. The program is open to 7th, 8th, and 9th grade violinists, violists, cellists, and double bassists who live throughout Middlesex, Ocean, and Monmouth counties. All Shore rehearsals take place in Wall Intermediate School, which is located in Wall Township. Entry into the program is given through audition. All Shore is a great program for someone who is interested or talented in playing string music. Keep calm and play on!


6th Grade Music Concert
Photos by: Mrs.Kuldanek





Alumni
Kaitlyn Marut: Memorial Graduate
By: Zaina Saif

     Kaitlyn Marut is a 18 year old student attending Rider University of New Jersey. She graduated from Marlboro Memorial in 2014. Her interests are baking, volunteering and helping others at hospitals and local food shelters. She took hundreds of dance classes in her middle school years, and she hopes that dancing is something she can continue for her whole life. Kaitlyn is studying Industrial Organizational Psychology in college. She hopes to be a psychologist after she graduates.
     Kaitlyn said middle school helped her develop her time management skills as well as learn to take responsibility for her actions in life. She says, “Middle school is a huge transition from elementary school, where kids are given more freedom and responsibility. I think this helped me grow as a person and helped me develop skills I would need in the future.” Her favorite subject when she was at MMMS was Social Studies, and she loved all the teachers she had. Kaitlyn says, “The teachers always keep the student’s best interest at heart, and they are always there to help with what they can.” Her favorite teacher was Mr. Bucci. “He always kept the students engaged, and utilized projects for hands on learning. He made learning history fun. One of my favorite lessons was Ötzi the iceman. Mr. Bucci made learning easy and so much fun, with lots of songs and projects that I still remember to this day,” she says.
  

     While at MMMS, Kaitlyn participated in cheer, the Yearbook Club and Rebel 2 or Hot Club. She explains that participating in clubs and sports definitely enhanced her middle school experience. She was able to meet new people and make new friends. “I was a cheerleader in my 7th and 8th grade years. I loved being able to show school spirit, and being a part of a team helped me make a lot of friends. I am still friends with some of the girls I met while on the team,” she says.
     Kaitlyn’s most memorable moment of MMMS was the cheer pep rally. “I looked forward to getting ready in my cheer uniform for the event,” she said, “The pep rally was a great way to show school spirit. I also vividly remember cheering for the student vs. faculty basketball game.” She mentions that she liked the concept of the quads and how one quad had a designated amount of teachers, students, and classes. “I absolutely loved quad days. They were a great way to bring everyone together and get to know one another.”
     If Kaitlyn had one more chance at middle school, she wished to have gotten involved more. She says, “ Looking back, I would have gone to more extra help and study sessions. In high school and in college, it is very important to take advantage of these opportunities. I would have wished I started going in Middle School.”
     Some advice she has for students at MMMS is, “Definitely get involved! It’s a great way to make new friends and show school spirit. A lot of the clubs and sports offered at MMMS are offered at the high schools, and also in college! So, if you find something you enjoy, you can stick with it for years. Plus participation in school clubs and athletics looks great on future college applications!” Her final message to middle schoolers is, “Dream big, set goals, and always believe in yourself!”

Gregory Grossman: Class of 2005
By: Rebecca Zhang

     Gregory Grossman is a 24 year old MMMS graduate who graduated in 2005. He is now working as an attorney in Freehold for the Presiding Family Judge and will join a local firm in Freehold once the clerkship ends in August. He has an interest in politics, sports, and food, along with his love for social studies. Grossman’s long-term favorite series of books, The Chronicles of Narnia, is “still a guilty pleasure” of his. He also loves writing and the assignments he received in school. Grossman discovered that he was much better at writing than math or science because of MMMS, and that influenced his career choice.
     Grossman played basketball and soccer at MMMS. He claims that sports were always a positive part of his life, and he made most of his friends there. Aside from sports, Grossman participated in the play Footloose as the uncle. It was a different experience for him, and he found it interesting. Gregory thoroughly enjoyed the eighth-grade basketball team coached by Mr. Nausedas. Grossman’s friend quit mid-season, and Gregory wanted to quit too, but he couldn’t let his team down. Mr. Nausedas taught Gregory that sticking with things is always harder, but always worth it in the end.
     Grossman loved setting the shuttle run record which was just recently broken. He equally enjoyed working on a Spanish project in eighth grade, which he did with his best friend Tim Baccaro (sixth grade teacher Ms. Baccaro’s brother) on Jewish people in Cuba (his native area).
     Gregory Grossman thanks middle school for shaping him into the independent person he is now. He says he thinks he“lived middle school to the fullest” and feels like he wouldn’t want to do middle school over. If he did, though, maybe he would have wanted to play an instrument. Grossman loved his teachers and always had people to look up to. Gregory Grossman wants the current middle school students to know, “Don’t take your grades too seriously. Make sure you have fun and make friends with everyone. Once high school hits, then you can focus on grades.” And spoken in true Gregory Grossman words, he says, “Go Monarchs!”


Alumni Spotlight: Bethany Sandelman
By: Chris Fazio
     Bethany Sandelman - does that name sound familiar? It should because she teaches sixth grade social studies in room 110. What you may not know about Miss Sandelman is she was a student here at Marlboro Memorial Middle School until her graduation year in 2006. 
     When asked about her years at Memorial, Miss Sandelman states,”I had many memorable moments while being a student at MMMS, like the 8th-grade dance and the Marlboro Swim Club trip. Those were all great times and I hope many more students will be able to have those coming-of-age experiences in the future. However, having the opportunity to teach here 10 years later is also a unique and memorable experience.”
     We all know that school changes us in some way. School made a big difference in Miss Sandman's life. Here are some examples. Miss Sandelman states,“I was in the choir and it influenced me to join choir in both high school and college.” People and things make a difference or an impact on our lives. For Miss Sandelman, it was the fact some of us have to face difficult things, whether you like it or not. In Miss Sandleman's last year of school at Memorial, she moved. She says,”I moved during my 8th-grade year here. That was a huge obstacle since a lot of people already had their cliques and best friends from elementary school all set in stone. I learned that year that it’s okay to step outside of your comfort zone. I also learned that the best way to make friends is to be yourself and to always stand up for myself. Anyone that doesn’t like you isn’t worth your time.”
     Education here at MMMS has changed throughout the years. When asked how MMMS is different, Miss Sandelman said,”I think students receive more opportunities to improve their grades now than I did as a student.” When asked what advice she has for students, she responded, “Take it all in and enjoy every moment. You’re in a great school and district that genuinely want you to succeed. So, take every positive opportunity given to you. Some general advice from me would be to work hard, be a good person, have faith that things happen for a reason, and always be true to yourself.”


WHERE ARE YOU NOW? If you're a Memorial graduate and would like to be our next featured alumnus, click the link below, fill out the questionnaire and send it back to abucci@mtps.org or ldidonato@mtps.org.
ALUMNI QUESTIONNAIRE FORM

Clubs and Sports


Drama Icebreakers!




S
TEM Club

By: Sharabh Ojha
     The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Club, better known as STEM Club, is one of many interesting offerings at MMMS. The club aims to teach middle schoolers the principles of engineering and physics with experiments and designs. Kids take part in design challenges in which they build functional mechanisms, as well as taking part in fun experiments. The club takes place in the 6th grade science room belonging to Mrs. Wilczak, who is the STEM adviser. This club is very fun and beneficial for kids who want to learn the science behind many apparatuses, as well as make some of their own.
     “I have been teaching STEM for 3 years, and Mrs. Farrell used to be the coordinator before me,” says Mrs. Wilczak. “So far, some projects we’ve accomplished are aerodynamics competitions, egg drop crack challenges, oobleck, air cannons, and popsicle stick chain reactions,” she adds. “I think this club is very beneficial for kids. With this club, kids get to do experiments that teach them the principles of science and engineering, like the acronym suggests.”
     The STEM Club has had so much demand that it had to be split up into 6th grade STEM and 7-8th grade STEM. It’s great to see so many kids expressing interest in a club. Recently, the 6th grade STEM Club learned about trajectory, angle, and projectiles while shooting rubber bands to make it land on a target. Teams of people shot rubber bands on targets, as if those targets were battleships, and they competed against each other in a fast-paced race to get 3 shots on the battleship. What a day! With a club like STEM and a brilliant lesson involving shooting rubber bands with special equipment, there’s nowhere to go except the skies.


Cheerleading 
By: Danielle Lirov
     Cheer, a team sport growing in popularity at our school, requires athletic ability, hard work, and above all, a lot of spirit. Cheerleaders at Marlboro Memorial have all of the above. The process to select the best cheerleaders starts from auditions. To select the cheerleaders that will represent Memorial at basketball games and other events, the cheer coaches, Mrs. Bott and Ms. Shatynski, have the girls perform different exercises such as splits or toe-touches. The girls must also learn dance routines and cheer routines that were given to them two days before the audition. Technical proficiency alone will take a girl only so far, however; to become a member of the team, one must be dripping with Lion spirit!
     Once they are selected, the cheerleaders undergo a rigorous workout every day for an hour to an hour and a half. Practice starts with warm ups followed by jumps, cheers, and dances. Such practice sessions help the girls prepare for showcases and games. Since the routines can be challenging, team members have to rehearse them many times until they know everything by heart.
     You can often find our cheer team members bringing their warmth and spirit to school basketball games, which usually occur once a week. In addition to basketball games, two of the biggest events of the season are Battle of the Quads and the Cheer Showcase. These events allow the cheerleaders to demonstrate their skills to a large group of people. 
     The cheerleaders view their sport as fun but also requiring hard work and commitment. As 7th grade cheerleader, Ava Martinez, says “When I come to cheer, I look forward to seeing my friends, practicing, and mostly, having fun.” Although the practice sessions are physically demanding, they are also enjoyable. 
     This year’s team has an especially strong bond with their coaches Mrs. Bott and Ms. Shatynski, who enjoy working with this talented group. Ms. Shatynski said, “Our cheerleaders are phenomenal athletes that excel at cheer and dance. They all work extremely hard at perfecting each cheer, and each year we are more and more impressed with their halftime dance routine. The girls shine through with exceptional talent, and more than anything, dedication to getting better each day.”

Builders Club - ‘Building’ New Lives for People in Need
By: Sharabh Ojha

You’ll hear about the great things these people do, as well as how you can take part in their events. Whether it is shipping a ton of donated supplies to another part of the country or collecting pennies to help fight dangerous diseases, this club helps the community in many ways. As the next generation, we are responsible for helping our world, and the kids in Builders Club do just that, becoming responsible leaders. Builders Club may sound like a club aimed at building structures, but in a sense, Builders Club ‘builds’ the community.
Mrs. Coulter, our school counselor and Builders Club coordinator, states, “Builders Club started around 2014. It is a Kiwanis Club, meaning that it is a club that does community service projects. This club focuses on building students’ leadership skills through community service projects.”
     “We’ve had many accomplishments with our projects,” Mrs. Coulter adds, “including our recent Hurricane Relief fund, where we accumulated $1000 to donate to Toys for Tots, which we do every year, Bridge to Books, where we collect used books and give them to poor people, SPCA, in which we sold pins and badges to raise money for animals, Make a Wish, where we donated $82 to grant sick children's’ wishes, and last but not least, Pennies for Patients, which we do every year. Pennies for Patients, a fund to help kids with leukemia, a type of cancer, has been so successful that in 3 years, we have already donated $47,000 dollars! This club has helped a lot of people and done a lot of things in the time it has been around. Not only does this club help people who are in need, it also helps club members by training them to be successful leaders. They are the ones that organize a fundraiser and work to achieve a goal, because they are in charge.”
One fundraiser that is probably still only a recent memory is the Hurricane Relief fund. 2017 was an unusually active year for hurricanes. Hurricanes Maria, Irma, and Harvey hit Puerto Rico, Florida, and Texas really hard, so something had to be done. The people at Builders Club organized a drive to send school supplies to a school district hit by the hurricane in Florida, and the movie Hotel Transylvania 2 was played in the school cafeteria to help raise money for the affected people. These club members are poised to become the leaders of the next generation, but who will they lead? After all, it is all of our responsibilities to help people. Builders Club is a club in which everyone can take part. It is this goodness of giving and simplicity of the club that allows everyone to help and the club to be a worthwhile extra-curricular at MMMS.

The Lion’s Pride
By: Nicolette Milora, Daniella Milora, Sienna Karp, and Lucas Patel

ROAR! The lion is called “the king of the jungle” for a reason. Not a lot of animals dare to fight the mighty lion since it is at the top of the food chain. That is why the movie The Lion King was made- to emphasize the great importance of this beast. The lion is our mascot to represent that we can conquer anything!

The Size of the Ferocious Lion
     The lion is one of the biggest animals in the savannah. Most male lions are much larger than the females. Males weigh in at a whopping four hundred twenty pounds with females just behind at two hundred eighty. Lions are quite fearsome, but their height isn’t that impressive. They are about half the height of a grown man. Their height normally ranges from 3.6 - 3.9 ft. Female lions are a little bit smaller than male lions. The males extend approximately 4 feet. The average lion measures from 6.5 - 8.5 feet from head to tail. No wonder they are called “the king of the jungle.”

Prides   
According to National Geographic, “Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides. Prides are family units that may include up to three males, a dozen or so females, and their young. All of a pride's lionesses are related, and female cubs typically stay with the group as they age.” As you can tell, female lions (lionesses) mostly stay together their whole lives. The males will switch roles during their lifespan and some may even be kicked out of the pack. Lionesses will raise the cubs until they are at the age of two or three. The pride forces out the male lion cubs and some of the female lion cubs as well when they reach that age. Male lions guard territory while female lions hunt

Why is the lion our school mascot?
Have you ever wondered why the lion is our school mascot? One possibility is that the lion represents strength, courage, and leadership. It reveals that we can conquer any challenge that is facing us in life. The lion mascot represents that everyone is determined and that teamwork is key. Lions demonstrate that we are courageous, strong, and unique in our own ways. These beasts are also considered royalty due to their reputation for being so majestic. Overall, the lion is a symbol of great characteristics that people should have, such as loyalty, strength, leadership, courage and pride. It reveals that our school has great character and that we respect one another as a community. Lions are amazing and fantastic animals which represent great qualities of our school community.


Basketball Team - Girls
By: Meera Nair

     Have you ever wondered what our school basketball team looks like? How do they represent our school? The MMMS school girls basketball team is definitely the best we could ask for. Winning their fifth consecutive game, they still continuously work hard and are constantly striving for improvement. Guided by their motivating and inspiring coaches, Mr. Fine and Mrs. Tatgenhorst, our girls are unstoppable. They continuously strive for perfection and improvement, all while keeping their studies in check.

     If a girls starts to slip in studies, their motivating coaches step right in to help. As put by Mr. Fine, “They are student athletes, and in that title, ‘student’ comes first.” If they come to practice and tell the coaches they are slipping, the coaches will offer assistance and if needed even let them stay back from practice. However, if a teacher reports to the coaches that the student is slipping, they will not let the student play until their grades are back up.

     During their practices, Mrs. Tatgenhorst and Mr .Fine work together for the greater good of their team. While Mr. Fine explains the drill to the entire team, Mrs. Tatgenhorst works on individual perfection for each player. Both care deeply for their team and will always do what is best for them. They focus on technique and attitude equally as important qualities for each player.

     As a team, they are always trying harder to be the best they can be. More than winning, they focus on getting better and enjoying themselves. They are hardworking and have every quality that we can desire in a team. We wish them luck in their future games and hope that they set an example for all student athletes in the future.



6/7 Grade Monarch Lions
Week One
     On December 5th, 2017, the 6th and 7th grade boys basketball team, the Monarch Lions, took part in their first game. It was a classic battle between the two Marlboro teams: the MMMS Monarch Lions and the MMS Hawks. The game, however, didn’t start as planned.
     The Memorial Lions struggled through the first quarter, only scoring five points on 1 for 6 shooting. At the end of the quarter, the Monarchs trailed 5-9. That's when Memorial got into their zone.
     They started to get stops on defense and allowed no points in the paint. This goes along with the fact that the Lions ended the half with a 10-0 run, on 4 for 7 shooting! With a little help from sixth grader Matthew Cassidy, we closed out the half with a 13-9 lead. From here, things only got better.
     The players started the quarter with a steal on the defensive end. Then, we continued our streak and finished it 16-0. The Monarchs’ defense put up outstanding numbers, with 10 steals, 2 blocks, and 16 rebounds in a quarter! All of Memorials’ starters put up great offensive numbers as well. At the end of the final quarter before crunch time, the Lions were up big: 28-11. It seemed there was no way for the Monarchs to lose.
     Through the last quarter of play, they didn’t let the MMS Hawks have any breathing room at all. After all, what better way to end a game than with some amazing defense from sixth grader Cade Jacobs? Eventually, the game ended, and the Monarchs won the game 38-17.
     I had the chance to speak with Matthew Cassidy after the game, and he said, “Our team is really good, and the way we played tonight proves that point. This performance shows what progress we have made as a team, and if we keep this up, we will be unstoppable.” 
     Next, I got to speak with Coach Styler, head coach of the Monarchs, and he told me, “Here's my take: We were certainly happy with the outcome, even though it was only a scrimmage. The boys played well against a very tough opponent, and it was a great test before we started the regular season. Everyone was able to contribute in some way or another. We are looking forward to playing Middle again on January 11, as it always proves to be a great game that is filled with energy.” 
     Finally, I spoke to Cade Jacobs, and he answered, “We are playing great, and it is looking like all that hard work and practice is paying off. This game showed a lot of people how good our team is."

6/7 Grade Monarch Lions
Week 2
By: Tristan Ulrich

     On December 14th, 2017, the Marlboro Memorial Middle School Monarch Lions were ready to face the Wall Crimson Knights in the second game of a back-to-back game week which included also a game against previous champions MEMS Bears. The Lions started off the season with a 0-1 record, and they were looking to turn that around with a win over the Knights.
     These two teams were evenly matched. In fact, they were so evenly matched that even the tip had to be decided by the refs. The Monarchs started out the game very slowly on offense, in contrast to the last game. Both defenses stopped every point from A to Z. Almost no shots went in for the entire quarter, and it looked like it would be a close, low-scoring affair. At the end of the first quarter, the Monarchs found themselves trailing nine to ten.
     Through the next quarter, the defenses continued to dominate, only allowing another nineteen points to be scored. That may seem like a lot, but in reality, when teams go 3-13 shooting, (Monarchs,) and 4-12 shooting, (Knights), you can tell that the defenses had been working hard. Wall earned the 22-16 lead at halftime. But when the Monarchs would get back on the court, they wouldn’t make mistakes.
     Starting off the third, the Monarchs went on a 5-0 run and stopped the Knights from scoring little to any points throughout the whole quarter. In fact, in the third quarter, Wall was only able to put up five points, compared to the Lions’ eight. The quarter was close, but had less shot attempts for less misses in it. This allowed there to only be six misses in the quarter! It was looking like a good game, and with the Monarchs trailing 24-27, someone needed to make the final push. And, as an answered prayer, someone did.
  The Monarchs found the way to stop the Knights’ offense, and went on an 11-0 run to start the quarter, with 6th grader Matthew Cassidy having five of them. Then the Knights pushed back and scored three points. This was the last time the game would be close, however. Matthew Cassidy proved just the reason that he made the team as a starter in his first year, having a 12 point quarter, and Cade Jacobs shipped in his points as well.  Sohan Eleti also gave the team key points and assists, and at the end of the day, the Monarchs took the game 40-31.
I got a chance to speak with Cade Jacobs, and he said, “We played good, like how we played in practice.” Also, Coach Ferraro told me that, “Yeah, we not only played good, but great enough to win!” And finally, gamesaver Matthew Cassidy said, “12 points. We played great. Enough said.”
Here are the final player stats from the game:

Finally, here are the points per quarter scored by the teams.




6/7 Grade Boys Basketball
Week 3
By: Tristan Ulrich


     On December 19th, 2017, the Monarch Lions were faced with the last game of the year 2017! They were up against the Howell South Huskies in a game that looked to be good, with the Huskies coming off a decent season. The game wasn’t nearly as close as anyone thought it would be, though.
What if I were to tell you that one player, yes, only one player, scored any points in the first quarter? All Star forward, #22 Sohan Eleti, put up the only ten points scored in the first quarter on three to five shooting! The Huskies’ offense, better yet, were held to zero points in the first half thanks to the Monarchs’ defensive domination. At the end of the first, the Monarchs led 10-0.
     The second quarter saw more of Sohan Eleti and the Monarchs’ dominance on both sides of the court, by only letting the Huskies score twelve points in the first twelve minutes of play! That would equal only one bucket every other minute! And the fact that they had two threes in the half gave them only four made shots in the first half of play! Dylan and Cade Jacobs also had some key buckets to give the Monarchs a 28-12 lead at the half.
     In the third quarter, the stakes were set high for the Monarchs to deliver another outstanding performance to top of the 18 point quarter. And yet again, the Monarchs delivered. The Huskies were held to nine points in the quarter, and the Lions scored a groundbreaking seventeen points! Sohan Eleti would finish the game with a season-high seventeen points, as the Monarchs found themselves in the driver’s seat with a 21-45 lead. Once again, it seemed that there was a very low chance for the Monarchs to lose.
     And those chances dropped down to zero, with the eleven point quarter to secure the win over Howell South Middle School in the fourth quarter. The Monarchs continued their defensive dominance, which led to the Huskies only scoring 28 points in a game! This win would not only give the Monarchs momentum from all angles, but it also secured the Lions, for the first time this season, a record over 0.500, with a record of 0.666! Speaking of records, the Lions would also hold the record for biggest win this season, with a 28 point win. The Monarchs came out 56-28.
     I got a chance to speak to Sohan Eleti after the game, and he told me that, “We played a good game. The win shows for it.”

Here are the final player stats from the game:



Finally, here are the quarter scores from the game:

6/7 Grade Boys Basketball
Week 4
By: Tristan Ulrich


     On January 11th, 2018, the Marlboro Memorial Middle School Monarch Lions went up against the Marlboro Middle School Hawks in a game that was sure to come down to the final buzzer. Not only were the Monarchs facing their town rivals, but it was their first game of the new year! So, to anyone reading this, Happy New Year! Anyways, let's get on with the game.
     The first quarter of play was a low-scoring affair, with only a combined ten points being scored. The defenses were cranked up and ready for action. The Hawks got a chance to show the Monarchs their much-improved defense, on and off the ball, and their scoring ability. All-star center Ryan Moakley scored all of the Monarchs’ four points through the first. The Monarchs’ defense was not in the mood to let buckets in though, and held the Hawks to three-on-nine shooting. At the end of one, the Hawks were up 6-4 to the Monarchs.
     In the second quarter, things didn’t change much. In fact, if anything, the defense got better and only allowed eight, that's right, EIGHT, points in the entire quarter. It was the lowest scoring half all season for any team in the league. The Monarchs and Hawks got their respective points on the board, and had what seemed to be perfect ball movement, but the defenses were too strong. This set the tone of a defensive smash mouth battle early on. The Monarchs’ offense, at the end of the quarter, was too much for the Hawks to handle, scoring the last points and tying the game up at a score of 9-9. It was certain that there would be a great finish.
     The teams came out of the locker rooms looking like they were ready to fight for what was theirs, no matter what the cost. I got to hear what was said in the Monarchs’ huddle, and the coach spoke intensely. “We are playing great on defense, we just have to get hungry on offense. Let's get the easy buckets and win this game. Are you ready? One, two, three! Family!” This was the Monarchs’ battle cry, and it looked to be a good thing, as the Monarchs would start the quarter on a 4-0 run. They took the lead for the first time since the first basket. With every strength comes a struggle though, and the defense let the Hawks on a 4-0 run of their own. Then Ryan Moakley came back into the game, and led the Monarchs on a 5-0 run to end the quarter. They held the lead by a score of 18-13.
     It has seemed all year that during the fourth quarter, the Monarchs step it up and clinch the game with an amazing offense and high-power defense. We’ve seen many players on the team go on a 10-0 run on their own in this quarter, but they have never had two players go off in this time period. But that was until today, with 7th grade center Ryan Moakley and 6th grade point guard Matthew Cassidy having 14 of the Monarchs 17 points to end the game. Ryan had two points, 7 assists, and 13 rebounds in the quarter, to complete the first triple-double all year for the Monarchs. As for Matt, he had another twelve points fourth period, and got to the line six times as well, going 4/6. Matthew also got the point on 4-5 shooting, with all but one shot being true shots. In the end, the Lion's roar deafened the Hawks crowd, as the Monarchs completed the 35-22 win over Marlboro.
     After the game, Lions fan Mark Koytler said in excitement, “We got the W, thats all that matters. #MonarchsWinAgain.” I also got the chance to talk to all-star Hawks point guard, Steve Simeone, and he said, “That team is good. Nothing we can do about it. We tried our best.”

Here are the final player stats for the Monarchs (Gold is a Triple-Double.):


Finally, here are the PPQ for the game:





6/7 Grade Boys Basketball Team
Week 5
By: Tristan Ulrich



     On January 17th, 2018, the Marlboro Memorial Middle School Monarch Lions were up against the Howell North Middle School Killer Bees in a game that would end the three-game home stretch and was sure to bring chills to fans all around the arena. The Killer Bees were a great team, and in order for the Monarchs to beat them, they would need to be godly on defense. And godly they were.
     Through the first quarter of play, both offenses were able to get points on the board and stop points on both sides of the court. The team combined in the first quarter for a 188.9 team rating. Sure enough, the Monarchs still controlled the game mostly, but it was close. With help from 7th grader Jack Levine, the Monarchs went on a 4-0 run to end the quarter. At the end of the first, the game was close, with a 8-6 lead for the Monarchs.
     Through the next quarter of play, the fans saw more of the same. The Monarchs’ and Bees’ offense were able to get points on the board while also working their defense on the other end of the court. This looked like it would be close until the end.
     In the third quarter, buckets from seventh grader Sohan helped the Monarchs sustain their lead against the Bees. Although the Bees had a good offense, they were held to four points. Sohan got four points in the quarter, along with two assists and six rebounds. The wind was taken out of the Killer Bee’s fans, as they saw their team trailing 21-15 at the end of the last quarter before crunch time. The game was still not over, and again, someone needed to step up in order give the Monarchs the win. 
     Once again, sixth grader Matthew Cassidy gassed up for a ten-point quarter to give the Monarchs an early win. He also chipped in three assists and four rebounds. Cade Jacobs was also a contributor; he got key passes, rebounds, and steals. After all was said and done, the Monarchs won 31-19.
     I spoke to a Killer Bees fan after the game, and he said, “Well, we had an off night. We’ll win next game, and in the same blowout fashion.” I also talked to center Ryan Moakley, and he said, “Good game.” Dylan Kofman said, “Let’s take in this win and get ready for the next one.” Finally, I spoke to Sohan Eleti, and he told me, “Let’s win. We are the best team.”


Here are the final player stats from the game:
Finally, here is the PPQ from the game:



6/7 Grade Boys Basketball Team
Week 6
By: Tristan Ulrich



     On January 22, 2018, the Marlboro Memorial Middle School Monarch Lions were faced with their toughest defensive challenge yet. They faced the number one defense in the county, the Ocean County Spartans. This looked from the start to be a low-scoring affair, with both defenses at number one and number two in the county. From another perspective, though, the offenses were pretty good, with the third and fifth best county offenses. When you put it together, though, it was basically Tim Duncan's dream middle school game, with two high-powered defenses against two solid offenses. 
     The first quarter finished with only four points scored. The defenses put up historical numbers, and one bucket was exchanged for each team. Point Guard Matthew Cassidy led the charge with four steals and a block in the six minutes, and got key passes to players when they needed the ball. Unfortunately, the Spartans’ defense was too strong for that, and the game was tied 2-2 at the end of one.
     The second quarter saw some of the same thing. The Spartans’ defense continued their usual dominance, only allowing the Monarchs to score four points. But the Monarchs’ defense slowed down drastically, allowing the number five offense to score a whole eleven points. There wasn’t much to say, except, once again, a Monarch had to step up to the plate and hit it out of the park, to take away the 13-6 lead the Spartans took. Once again, in the most unlikely of scenarios, someone did.
     Sixth Grader Matthew Cassidy went off again with an eight point quarter, which may not seem like a lot, but in a game like this, you can’t ask for much more. Also, Sohan Eleti, starting center for the Monarchs, gave the team 8 steals and 1 block! This is the defense that the Monarchs have been showing all season long, and allowing only five points shows for it. At the end of the quarter, the Monarchs stole the lead, with a score of 24-18.
     The Monarchs were sure to close out the game quickly, continuing their 12-2 run on the number one defense. The JPOG (Jordan Player Of The Game) scored a game-high twelve points, the second Monarchs triple-double, and played the whole game. That’s right, a sixth grader scored the most points, recorded a triple-double, and didn’t sit once! That must be exhausting. It was reassuring to Lions’ fans, because it showed them that they can still score points, no matter how tough the challenge. The Lions’ roar always prevailed. Although the Spartans went on a 5-0 run of their own, Matthew Cassidy put in the last two free throws to ice the game, and the Monarchs’ defense showed to be too much for Oceans’ defense. The Lions sent the Spartans back out to sea with their 28-23 win. And with this win, the Monarchs secured the number one seed in the county for the first time in forever!
     After the game, I got a chance to speak to a Spartans fan, and he said, “These teams matchup well together, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the finals matchup.” I also spoke to Monarchs fan Elizabeth Lavitmen, and she said, “I don’t know how Matt does this. We are the best!” Finally, I spoke to the JPOG Matthew Cassidy, and he said, “Yeah, I played really good. Next game, I’ll get twenty.”


Here are the final player stats from the game. (Gold is triple-double.):


Finally, here are the scores per quarter from the teams:

6/7 Grade Boys Basketball Team Week 6 Game 2 Playoff Game 1
By: Tristan Ulrich


     On January 24th, 2018, the Marlboro Memorial Middle School Monarch Lions were once again faced up against the Ocean County Middle School Spartans in a game that would not soon be forgotten. Not only was it a double header, in which these two teams played in back-to-back games, put it was also the first game of the 2018 playoffs. The first seeded Monarchs against the seventh seeded Spartans. It was sure to be a classic, and a game like no other.
     The game didn’t start out as exciting as we thought it would, though. It actually looked like the exact same game from a few nights back. Wait, the first quarter score was the EXACT SAME? That's right, neither team could pull out an edge in what seemed to be another defensive affair. With a key bucket from Jack Lieven, the Monarchs were neck-and-neck to end the quarter 2-2.
     The next quarter saw much of the same thing: too much defense with little offense. 6th grader Matthew Cassidy pulled in three assists in the quarter, and twelve at the end of the game, a game and career high. The quarter combined for eight points, more than last time, but still not a lot. Ryan Moakley pulled in a bucket or two, and the Monarchs took an 8-4 lead at the half. This would be a close game.
     In the third quarter, both teams picked up their respective offensive tempo, but still were able to defend on the other end of the court. The teams had only scored twelve points up until now, and with points from Sohan and defensive talent given to the team by Matthew Cassidy, the Monarchs came to look like a better, more well-rounded team. It was noted at this point that the Lions had a great chance of moving on. The chants of, “Swish, ball in!” and, “Let’s go Monarchs!” began to get louder and louder, and the chants of, “Let’s go Ocean!” soon silenced as the Monarchs took a 15-8 lead going into the fourth. They had it in the bag.
     Fourth quarter...playoff basketball...close game...season on the line...here’s the ball! That’s the beauty of the postseason. It brings players to life, as the offenses and defenses both pick up intensity. There’s nothing like these moments. The only thing that could have spoiled this moment was the Monarchs’ defense. And they did, by only allowing TWO points! So much for a close game. The Monarchs rallied eight points in the quarter, but then something tragic happened.
     With three minutes left in the game, Matthew Cassidy, on the verge of getting his second straight no-rest game, brought the ball up the court. He drove towards the right side of the three point line, and then signaled Ryan Moakley to get open. They crossed paths with each other and Matthew drove to the rim but got stopped short. He passed the ball back and got hit from behind. The play continued on. What we didn’t see clear enough was that Matthew had fallen, and his arm bent the wrong way. There he was on the court, crying and in pain as the arena was filled with silence. 
     The coach and staff came to tend to him and walked him off the court. He was clearly hurting. The arena clapped for him for being an amazing asset to the team, in hopes that he was okay. He didn’t play the rest of the game. Matthew is getting checked for a fractured arm, and is questionable to return for the following game against Marlboro Middle School.
     With Matthew injured, the team brought in the reserves. They worked to move the ball around and wasted the rest of the clock, and the game ended with a score of 23-10. The Monarchs will be playing the fourth-seeded Marlboro Middle School Hawks in the next game, so stay tuned.
      I spoke to Matthew Cassidy, whom is currently on IR (Injury Reserve), about his chances of returning to the court, and he said, “I don’t know. We’ll see. I’ll get checked but I don’t know.” Definitely the question for the rest of the week. 
     I also spoke to Coach Ferraro about his return, and he said, “I hope he returns, but we have to see what happens.” 
     Finally, I spoke to Sohan after the game, and he said, “We played good, great even. On to next week.”


Here are the final player stats from the game:

Finally, here are the PPQ from the game:
That's all for this week! Tune in next time to see more scores, stats, reports, and interviews from the game. For now, I’m Tristan Ulrich. Monarchs signing off.

Pop Culture
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (A Spoiler-Free Movie Review)
By: Arca Baran



"This will not go the way you think." (said by Luke Skywalker, the last of all the Jedi)

The quote above summarizes the entire movie perfectly. It is said by Luke Skywalker in the middle of the movie, and even though he is speaking to Rey, he at the same time is speaking to the audience. Rian Johnson has created the legendary eighth installment in the beloved franchise, and it goes in exactly the opposite way that anyone would expect after watching 2015's The Force Awakens. The Last Jedi is a movie with so many twists and turns that if you haven't watched it yet, it would be best to avoid spoilers in order to fully enjoy the movie. That's why I will review this movie without revealing major plot points to help those who haven't watch it yet hear some of my thoughts on the movie. If you watched all the trailers, then you should be fine with this review, since I don't reveal anything beyond that.

Brief Story Synopsis

When we first see Luke, he is extremely different than when we last met him. The once confident young Jedi knight has now become an old, grumpy, and lonely man who is ashamed of being a Jedi. He rejects Rey, and attempts to continues life on his secluded island on the planet Ach-To. Rey pleads with him, telling him that the galaxy needs his help, but he still is doubtful that he would be able to get out of the mess that he has become stuck in.

Rey convinces him to train him in the ways of the Force, and he explains that he sees Jedi as nothing but a legacy of failure. He swore to himself never to train another Jedi again, after what had happened with Ben Solo burning his temple years ago. He feels guilty and thinks he is responsible for his own nephew becoming Kylo Ren.

Meanwhile, the Resistance struggles in battle as the First Order has the upper hand. A series of unfortunate events leads to Admiral Holdo (AKA the purple-haired lady) becoming a new leader of the Resistance to help guide them along. Holdo and Poe Dameron don't exactly get along, and Poe causes lots of trouble while trying to help the Resistance.

The Resistance realizes that the First Order's massive star destroyer ship, the Supremacy, has been tracking their ships through hyperspace, thus surrounding them and not letting them escape. Just when all hope is lost, Poe Dameron comes up with a plan to disable the tracker that he knows his new boss, Admiral Holdo, will not approve of. So, he tells Finn about the plan.

Finn meets Rose, an ordinary janitor working on a Resistance ship. Together, they are launched into an unexpected adventure where they travel to the casino planet of Canto-Bight in order to find a hacker who would be able to disable the First Order's tracker. Maz Kanata sends them a message telling them about a "master codebreaker," and while trying to find him in the busy city, they instead accidentally find a ragged man nicknamed DJ who claims he can do the job for them.

Meanwhile, Rey finally receives Jedi training from a reluctant Luke, and he is startled by the strength of her powers. He says (comparing Rey to his old apprentice, Ben Solo), "I have seen this raw strength only once before. It didn't scare me enough then... it does now."

Kylo Ren and Rey are frequently face-to-face in Force visions where they can communicate through the Force. Rey senses some light in Kylo. Rey and Kylo Ren have a final encounter with Supreme Leader Snoke, which leads to a climactic reveal that will change everything you thought you knew about the new trilogy of Star Wars films.

Will Kylo Ren turn to the light? Who are Rey's parents? Are the good guys forever doomed no matter what? Find out by watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi, in which only the strongest will survive!
"Fulfill your destiny!"
That's as much as I can say without spoiling the movie too much!

My Rating (Out of 5 Stars):

4.9 out of 5 (98%)

This movie is so action-packed and emotional, and it is possibly the most unexpected Star Wars movie yet. There are plenty of fan-service moments, but is doesn't bank as much on pure nostalgia as The Force Awakens did. While The Force Awakens was a great movie, this feels like a huge step up in quality overall. Mark Hamill makes an amazing performance as Luke Skywalker. You can tell how fractured his character has become. Most of the other characters are no exception.
The movie has a newer, darker, tone. but still is not at all similar to Empire Strikes Back (with the only exception of having a shocking climax reveal). Despite the dark tone and all the deaths, the movie isn't a drag thanks to its various moments of humor that have been thrown in to give the audience a laugh every once in a while.

This movie is definitely the funniest Star Wars movie, and possibly the most surprising as well. However, my only few complaints come from the fact that some parts simply feel off in a way. The movie doesn't seem to fit in perfectly after the events of J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens. The movies are so different that is almost feels like they don't belong next to each other at all. The Last Jedi is almost like a puzzle piece that, while is technically does fit in with the piece next to it,  just seems slightly off. A few parts seem like potential that has been set up from the previous movie have been completely wasted, or have just been executed in a way that could have been done better. A few scenes will definitely be very controversial among Star Wars fans. This movie is still satisfying enough to make up for its flaws If you are a fan of Star Wars who enjoyed The Force Awakens, then if you haven't watched this yet, do yourself a favor and watch it (and avoid spoilers before doing so). You would be missing out otherwise! In my opinion, this movie is a good contender for the honorary title of best Star Wars movie ever!

The Super, Super Mario Odyssey
By: Brandon Bachleda


     Super Mario Odyssey came out Friday, October 27th, and I picked it up right away. After the well-received Super Mario 3-D World, I was excited to see how this entry fared. I was waiting for this game a long time, and it is definitely worth the wait. You play as Mario as he collects moons to power up the Odyssey to travel to new kingdoms. It meets expectations, looks beautiful, and its controls are butter smooth. It has great replay-ability and a good amount of customization in the costumes and souvenirs. The game is very polished and well thought out, with only some minor problems and nitpicks.
The big gimmick with this entry is the new character Cappy and the capture system that you use while traveling the many kingdoms. It is very fun to be able to turn into whatever enemy you want with the throw of a hat! Cappy can be thrown not only as an attack, but could also be used to “capture” certain enemies and become that character. The captures are great and are very creative; they can range from a frog that has a high jump to a T-rex that is invincible. Cappy can even be used as an extra platform to jump off of in tricky platforming events. It’s great to have a projectile that you can throw at ease and allows for more variation in bosses and level layout than we have seen in previous Mario games. Some moves, like the rotating throw and the cap jump, feel natural. It’s nice to pull off some “Capcore” and show off all of the intricate moves in one fluid motion.
Anyone who has played Super Mario 64 or even the Galaxy series will know this control scheme, and adding Cappy to these controls also works well. Most of his moves are executed with motion controls or button presses, but some moves are limited to just using motion controls like the homing attack or the upwards throw. Cappy takes a little getting used to, but feels great when you do. Even controlling captures are fun and differentiate a lot from one another. Most are necessary to complete puzzles. The classic platforming elements of Mario games are all present in this title. Platforming mechanics like the push blocks and the moving platforms, three hit bosses, and all of the other Mario tropes are all here. It feels familiar but different at the same time.
The environments look wonderful and vary greatly. You could almost put the term “Open World” on the game. From an urban New York inspired city, to a desert landscape, each area feels unique and interesting to explore.  Some areas, though, aren’t as big as they seem, but this is made up for by the near dozen environments that are present. Each area has its own residents and enemies that you can capture. The environments are well thought out and have hidden areas and moons almost everywhere.
The whole premise of the game is collecting moons to power up the Odyssey. The moons are scattered throughout the levels or in puzzles. You need to get a certain amount of moons to go to the next area, but there are always so many that it is so hard to find all of them. The moons are very easy to collect, making small play sessions still feel rewarding. They are so easy that most of them are out in the open or inside something shining. The feeling of getting a moon is less significant than getting stars in previous games. Some moons do require puzzle solving or defeating a boss in the area. I actually feel like there are a bit too many moons in the game (there are over 500). Besides moons, you can collect the series’ staple coins, but this time there are two kinds, the regular yellow coins that can be used in shops everywhere, or the purple, area-specific coins that can be only used in that section. Both can be spent at shops for certain items. The yellow coins can be spent to buy life ups and other things, while the purple coins can be spent on costumes and souvenirs specific to that area. I feel this is a great addition to the game as even if you get all of the moons, you still have the coins to find and use to purchase all of the costumes. This adds a lot of replay-ability to the game.
There are also some great features, like the 2D sections, that are sprinkled throughout the game. They change all of the sprite work, including costumes and collectibles. They even change the background music to something you would hear on the NES. There also three hint providers throughout the game. They get introduced to you after the tutorial areas and really help in collecting all of the moons. The first one is Talkatoo, and he’ll tell you the names of three moons in the area at a time. Then there is the hint toad and Uncle Amiibo. They will each show you the location of the moon but not the name or how to get it. You have to pay the hint toad 50 coins per hint, while you can scan three amiibo at a time and wait 5 real world minutes to get a hint per amiibo. You also have a chance of getting a costume using Uncle Amiibo. They also implemented an assist mode that guides you to your next main moon. Another well planned feature they used is the HD rumble. The game shows off the use of the HD rumble with the difference of intensity and type of rumble with each situation.
One problem that I have with the game is the lackluster 2 player. It has one player being Mario and the other being Cappy. This reminds me a lot like Galaxy’s 2 player. Nobody wanted to be P-2 since you get to do virtually nothing. This is at least a step up, but player two still acts as a supporting player. You get to move and collect coins as well as ground pounding. It may be helpful in some cases, but most of the time you’re just tagging along. You can tell that this was shoehorned in, just to be an extra feature. Another nitpick that I have is the missing dash button. Being a newer era gamer, I’m used to having the very common dash button in Mario games, and I feel that it should still be present. I find myself in a situation where I need to do a bit of platforming fast, but the only two options that allow you to go fast, the long jump or the roll, are not very effective in a vertical space or when preciseness is key. This may be a problem that only I have, and I find myself reaching for a button that isn’t there.

Overall, Super Mario Odyssey is very polished and should not be missed. It breaks the classic Mario formula by being something different, and it does it well. The new introduction of Cappy and capturing is very different and could be expanded upon even more with more capturable enemies. This game should not be missed by anyone who has a Switch. Super Mario Odyssey gets a 9.5 out of 10.




The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild- Game Review (2017 Game of the Year Winner)
By: Arca Baran

  This will be a game review of "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," released for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U systems. The version I had was the Switch version, far superior than the Wii U because, A.) The graphics are insanely better, B.) You can take the game with you anywhere, and C.) Who wants to buy a Wii U at this point? This game is a system seller, and was the only reason to pick up the Switch as of its launch date back in March of 2017 (until Super Mario Odyssey came during the winter). What's the point of even adding my rating out of 5 stars? You have already heard countless times from others that this game is near perfect. IGN, and IGN tends to be harsh critics. The game got so much critical acclaim that it even won Game of the Year at 2017's Golden Joystick Awards. Other contenders for the prize included Super Mario Odyssey, Persona 5, and Horizon Zero Dawn. All of these games are exceptionally amazing in their own ways, but Breath of the Wild seems the be the best fit for the award overall (even though Super Mario Odyssey, in my opinion, is basically tied).

      What's it about, you may ask? That’s a hard question to answer. But to put it as simply as possible, it is a gorgeous, realistic, open-world exploration and survival story-based game with insanely intense difficulty and a surprisingly deep story line with wonderful characters who have emotional back-stories. You can literally explore every part of the world's map to your heart's content. The difficulty has insane peaks right from the start of the game.
     That sure was a mouthful to both say and write. This game takes everything you thought you knew about Zelda games and rips it, shreds it to pieces, feeds it to a Bokoblin, destroys it with a shock arrow, and then burns it with lava. Unlike the previous Zelda games, which all stuck to the same basic formula of completing quests in a set order, this is much different. Right from the beginning, you are given nothing but ragged clothes and a stick with the object to walk over to where Ganon, the main boss, is. You can fight him whenever you please. It would be a bad idea, and you would get destroyed to ashes without a doubt, but you still can do it. There is no order in which to complete certain tasks; everything happens naturally as you explore the massive landscape around you. Oh yeah, did I mention exploration?

     Everything you see in the so-called "background," from the mountains, castles, rivers, trees, and giant deadly volcanoes, is something that you can physically reach. Let that sink in for a moment. I just said that literally every detail of the world that you see in the distance is something that you can explore. The world may not technically be infinite, but it feels like it is. The grand scale of the world is unlike anything previously done before in an open-world game. Forget Zelda, this is more similar to something along the lines of Skyrim. Every nook and cranny can be explored to your liking. This game encourages curiosity and discovery, and even rewards you for it. Wonder what would happen if you pushed a boulder away from you? Behind it, there may be a surprise treasure, challenge, or reward hiding, whether its a Korok Seed, chest, cooking ingredients, or a massive and scary Guardian for you to fight.
     The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 boast about their amazing 4K graphics. Image resolution doesn't always matter in some cases. A unique and amazing art style can simply be enough to make the graphics exceptional. Breath of the Wild's characters and landscape all look as though they were painted by watercolor and pastels, and have an anime-ish kind of vibe when it comes to the characters’ faces. Every little detail looks like the artists who worked on the game put an insane amount of effort into. Every individual blade of grass moves on its own and is affected by where you walk. The nature around you looks stunning. Even the music is really good, and it matches the mood of what you are doing in the game at the moment. It has mellow piano melodies when you explore, the music changes pace when you fight so that it is more exciting, and whenever a Blood Moon starts in the game, the music legitimately sounds scary to match the mood.
     Unlike many other games, which treat NPCS as an excuse to sell the player items or guide them along the map, in Breath of the Wild each non-player character has his own unique back story and personality. In most games, I usually skip unnecessary conversations with NPCS, but this time I want to purposefully stop to get to know each one. The Princess Zelda’s back-story was well-written. Hestu, the maraca-shaking plant creature, always puts a smile on my face whenever I come across him. I even feel bad for Beedle living poor. The story has a surprisingly deep lore, most of which takes place before the actual events of the game. (Minor spoilers ahead.) The basic premise of the story is that 100 years before the start of the game, Link and Zelda attempted to defeat Calamity Ganon, but both got badly injured in the process. Zelda protected Link by putting him into the Shrine of Resurrection, where he was put into a century-long rest and forgot all of his memory of who he is and what has happened. This setup allows for an interesting quest of finding memories by completing quests to find out more important knowledge of who he is, and how to use his powers to defeat Ganon once and for all. You’ll want to discover the real story of what happened 100 years ago (There is more to it than what I told you before).
     I expected the combat in this game to be simply spamming the attack button, but it has more of a strategy to it than that. You can use a combination of a bow and different types of arrows (fire arrows, ice arrows, regular arrows, shock arrows, ancient arrows, and bomb arrows), as well as many types of melee weapons such as swords, clubs, spears, and axes. You can also use a range of different abilities given to you from completing the game's first few shrines. These include magnesis (you can lift up metal objects) and many more, some of which are two types of remote bombs, which you can throw and explode when you want them to. The game has many high spots, such as ladders, bridges, and cliffs from which you can shoot arrows and bombs from to attack from afar. You can crouch behind a tree, rock, or bush and attack an enemy camp slowly. In close-range combat, timing is key, as you need to hit and dodge at the right times or else the enemy can have the advantage, some of which can kill you in just one hit. Sounds difficult, right? That is my next topic of discussion.
     Intense difficulty: this can be seen as a pro for some people and a con for some people. If you expected a game that holds your hand, teaches you the controls and mechanics slowly, explains everything clearly, and gives you a helping item if you died too much... then this is clearly not the game for you. Right from the start, you are given no word on exactly what to do, which may not only offer a sense of freedom that you can't get in a linear game, but also makes it more difficult to get the hang of at first. Within the first hour of playing the game, you are required to complete a Shrine (the Shrine itself is easy). In order to enter the Shrine, you need to get past two Guardians, which can kill you in one hit. At the start, with the weapons you are given at first, it is impossible to kill these Guardians, so you have to quickly jump over walls to get past them or risk being fried by their laser-eyes. Many enemies have the ability to instantly one-shot you if you don't correctly dodge their attacks in time. You can cook, but you are given no instructions or recipes, so you have to find out how to make meals yourself by experimentation of different ingredients, books you find lying around in huts, and from conversations with NPCs. If you experiment for a meal and then the recipe goes wrong, the result is “dubious food.” Weapons run out of durability quickly, possibly even too quickly. You will have to constantly cycle through new weapons. This game will push you to your limits. Calling it "hard” is not enough to describe it.
     This game is perfect for any Switch owner. If you have a Switch and don't have this game, then go and get it immediately. I could even argue that it is worth it to get a Nintendo Switch just to play this game. It will be enjoyed by all gamers, especially those who like open-world adventure games. Hardcore fans of The Legend of Zelda series will undoubtedly love this game, but you don't need to be a fan of the series in order to enjoy or understand this game, since it is completely different from the other Zelda games. Amiibo collectors will also be happy, since every single amiibo that has been released will give you some sort of reward when you scan it into the game (that is way more helpful than how Amiibo are in Super Smash Bros).
     Everyone should try to get to experience this phenomenal game. Who shouldn't get it? People who don't want a difficult game, one that will take you 100+ hours total to complete, and small children under the age of 7. Parents, if you want to get this game to accompany your kid's brand new Switch, only do it if they are the age of 9 or older. That is since not only is the game massively difficult, but some parts may not be fit for younger children. The fights have zero blood in them, but they are really intense.


    Overall, the game is an amazing entry in the Zelda franchise. It completely reinvents the series and changes what it is known for. This proves that Nintendo isn't afraid to stray from the norm in some of their most beloved and famous game franchises, and they can continue to do this for other game series such as Metroid with Metroid Prime 4 (releasing sometime in 2018), and Pokemon in the untitled Pokemon RPG game confirmed for the Switch to be released at least two years from now. Super Mario Odyssey also is a good example of this. We can't be sure what games will come after that, but if Nintendo keeps reinventing what we are used to, it will surely be amazing.



The New Minecraft: The Better Together Update
By: Anish Pallati


     Minecraft is a game about building, mining, fighting, and going on adventures. The game has been released on a variety of platforms and has become a worldwide phenomenon for people of all ages. In fact, the game has recently had an update that is making news. It is called the “Better Together” update, and it was released as a whole new game, just because of the sheer enormity of the update.

     The new game is packed with tons of new features, from blocks that weren't on specific platforms, to brand new skins. A variety of platforms can play the same game. Minecraft is a universally played game, with people of all ages around the world playing it. The problem always was the fact that there were so many different versions of the game depending on the platform players was using. It was confusing at times for those to play together. Now, with the new update, the platform wall has been broken.

     It was made for Oculus Rift VR (Virtual Reality), mobile devices, Windows 10, and of course, the Xbox One consoles. Unfortunately, Xbox 360 users cannot enjoy the experience. It is also coming to the Nintendo Switch for those who want to play at home or on the go, but it got delayed, so it will be available in 2018. Speaking of handheld systems, the New Nintendo 3DS was also an option, but they discontinued work on it. It is rumored that Sony will team up with Microsoft to make a new version in the future. It is on all of these platforms, hence the name “Better Together.” The brand new game does not just allow for play on these platforms, but instead, for the first time, people across a variety of platforms can actually play together.

     Completely new items will also be hitting the Marketplace on the update, complete with community-made adventure maps, worlds, texture, and even skin packs. On the Xbox version, there still isn't a marketplace yet! However, Xbox users can still have that experience by playing the new game. Sand and gravel, when coming into contact with water, turn into concrete. Also the type of wood you use affects how the item looks. For example, birch and acacia planks can be used to form a boat, but the type is affected by the wood you use. Similarly, the color of your bed depends on the color of the wool you use. If you use blue wool, you get a blue bed. You can no longer use two different types of wool and still get a bed.

     The technical abilities are also excellent and improved. The game lags a little on mobile devices, but it is very minor. VR and the rest of the consoles handle it as fast as it can go. The processing power of their chips is capable of handling 30 times the amount it takes to run Minecraft. PC handles it like any other reasonable game, occasionally lagging when a lot is happening, but you mostly can't even see it. (Still better than mobile, since the iOS and Android versions run on a slower processor.) The Xbox One X exclusively has 4K graphics. The Nintendo Switch runs mostly smooth in TV mode, even though it considerably drops in performance while playing in handheld mode.
  
      Overall, the new game is a great game to play on any platform. It is very fun and has lots of features and content that the previous version didn’t!


Fortnite Battle Royale: The New Trending Game in 2018
By: Anish Pallati & Sawyer Chang

A new game called Fortnite Battle Royale is taking over the internet. It is a cooperation sandbox survival game developed by Epic Games, the company that created other games like Paragon, Unreal, Shadow Complex, and Infinity Blade. It was made free to play in December of 2017, and ever since, people have been playing it non-stop. You can play on Xbox 1, 1S, 1X, PS4, Windows 10, and Macintosh. 
    You start in a flying battle bus, and you get spawned in a huge map that consists of 100 people who fight to the death or fight a common enemy together (Coming Soon!) Although it may sound gory, it actually doesn’t consist of blood or strong language. It is currently rated “Teen - Violence” by the ESRB, but technically the full game has not been released yet.
     Players have a variety of things to do, like build forts, gather resources, craft weapons, and battle huge hordes of skeleton-like monsters (husks) in frenetic combat. Players use guns, swords, and grenades to fight, in addition to traps like electrics, spikes, and poisonous gas. In battles there is frequent gunfire and explosions. It does have in-app purchases so that players can buy skins. Overall, it is a great game to play because of its gameplay and great content!



Halloween: The Spookiest Time of the Year!
By: Nicolette Milora, Sienna Karp, and Lucas Patel
   
 Originations/History of Halloween 
Halloween is a 2,000 year old holiday and is a happy yet scary time of year. Halloween originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain. During Samhain, people would light fires and dress in costumes to ward off ghosts. Trick-or-treating began in the 1920s.  Halloween was originally called Cabbage Night or Hallow’s Eve. 

Trick-Or-Treating
      Trick-or-treating first originated when the Celtics started to dress up as evil spirits at the end of the year. According to Smithsonian Magazine, “The Celts believed that, as we moved from one year to the next, the dead and the living would overlap, and demons would roam the earth again. So dressing up as demons was a defense mechanism. If you encountered a real demon roaming the Earth, they would think you were one of them.” 
     Obviously, this is not the real purpose of trick or treating now-a-days. We use this day to get free sweets while having fun picking out our favorite, creative costumes. As odd as it is, many British people hate Halloween. Recent studies show that over half of British homeowners turn off their lights and pretend they are not home. Some people are afraid of trick-or-treating since you don’t know if the candy is safe.

 A Halloween Superstition
        A lot of Halloween-related things have a horrible reputation. The poor black cats are being avoided because people believe they are bad luck. The funny thing, though, is that some people think that they are good luck!  So many people say, “Don't let a black cat cross your path,” but others do not agree. Apparently, this superstition can go either way. In addition, people have their own beliefs about Halloween and the luck of the holiday.

A Spooky Holiday
     To most of us, Halloween is a fun holiday, but for others it is a fright fest. Everyone has their opinion. Whether you like Halloween or hate it, it will always bring you joy or fright no matter what! 


Bibliography
Eveleth, Rose. “The History of Trick Or Treating Is Weirder Than You Thought.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 18 Oct. 2012, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-history-of-trick-or-treating-is-weirder-than-you-thought-79408373/.   

History.com Staff. “History of Halloween.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, op2009, www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween.
    
DIY: Soda Can Pencil Sharpener!
By: Danielle Ahearn

You’ll need:
One small cylinder container
Silver sharpie
Something to poke a hole in the container with
One small pencil sharpener that would fit in the small cylinder container
Tape
Soda logo (search online)

Directions:
1. Get one small cylinder container (a sprinkles container would work) and a silver sharpie.
2. Take the top off and put a little hole where you want to cut the little circle out so you can put in the pencil sharpener
3. Glue the sharpener in the sprinkle container. Make sure your pencil can fit through the hole into the sharpener. You may want to glue it to the top so it could fit through the hole.
4. Go online and look up any soda company logo and shrink it to about 20%. Print it out then tape it onto the can.
Now, you’re done!

DIY: Hand Sanitizer!
By: Danielle Ahearn

     Ah, winter. As much as we all love Christmas, snow, and spending time with our families, we also need to be careful due to bacteria spreading. Viruses such as the flu and the common cold are very contagious, leaving many of your classmates absent from school. So, here’s a DIY article on how to make your own hand sanitizer, to hopefully keep some germs away.
     Before we go on to the tutorial, do keep in mind at school there are many staff and students who might have asthma triggers with strong scents, so it is recommended you do not use often, or do not put any essential oil in so there won’t be any scent.
You will need:
-1 measuring cup
-aloe vera
-tea tree oil
-rubbing alcohol
-essential oil (optional but needed for scent)
-measuring spoon
-something to mix the hand sanitizer with
-a bottle to put your hand sanitizer in
-sharpies (optional)
Directions:
1. Take out your measuring cup and put in 1 cup, or 8 fluid ounces of aloe vera. Aloe vera can be found in stores like CVS or Walgreens.
2. Next, put in a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. This is the antibacterial part of the hand sanitizer.
3. Put in as much tea tree oil as you want. Tea tree oil is good for the skin; It is proven to help things such as acne and bee stings. Tea tree oil can be found at Walmart.
4. Put in a teaspoon of essential oil. There are many different scents of essential oils from peppermint to orange! However, in school if you are around anyone who gets asthma triggers from strong scents, you should skip this part.
5. Mix the ingredients together for a minute or two.
6. This is the tricky part: Getting the hand sanitizer into the bottle. It is suggested that you take a bottle with a wide cap so the hand sanitizer doesn’t miss the bottle. Make sure to be patient with this part because if you do it too fast it might make a mess.
7. Optional: Now, you can decorate the bottle! You can use sharpies and make cute little designs on the bottle.
Now, you’re done!

Teacher Spotlight

Mrs. Marion: Putting the Magic Into Literacy and Writing
By: Danielle Ahearn
 Stephanie  Marion`s profile picture

     To some people, literacy and writing can be quite tedious. Some students might have difficulty with certain topics, and some may not like it. However, if you are lucky enough to have Mrs. Marion as your literacy or writing teacher, you will most likely love ELA, or at least being in her class. 

     As a child, Mrs. Marion always enjoyed reading, and she also liked math and science. She was interested in learning about subjects that had process. However, she did not really like to write until she was a senior in high school, because she didn’t get to write what she wanted.

     Mrs. Marion has been teaching for 21 years, though she says it feels like less. She has always taught 7th grade ELA, and she has taught at both MMMS and MMS. “Both schools have been wonderful,” she said.

     Mrs. Marion originally went to Villanova University, and got her business degree there. She had an opportunity to work in business, but it didn’t really spark her interest. She soon heard that one of her friends from high school was going to graduate school to get a degree to become an English teacher. Intrigued by this idea, she decided to take an education class to see what she thought. Mrs. Marion loved the education class and was excited to learn more. 

     She says, “I loved it! I was hooked. It was everything I believed about learning.”

     When asked what advice she would give to her students, she said, “You don’t really have to worry about satisfying other people; you just have to be satisfied with yourself. Spend time thinking about what will make you feel content, and go for that.”

     Being a student of Mrs. Marion for 6 months now, I can tell you that she is one of the best teachers you’ll ever have. Mrs. Marion truly is an amazing teacher who you can learn so much from. She has taught so many students so many things and has truly made a difference in so many people’s lives. 



Mrs. Noel - The “Best Teacher”
By: Zaina Saif

The “mediocre teacher” tells. 

The “good teacher” explains. 

The “superior teacher” demonstrates.

The “best teacher” inspires."

- William Arthur Ward 

     Meet Marlboro Memorial’s one and only Mrs. Noel. Mrs. Noel is a 7th grade science teacher who brings the classroom to life! This is her 4th year teaching in MMMS and the 12th year in her teaching career! Inspired by her dad, a park ranger, Mrs. Noel developed a love and passion for life science. 

     Mrs. Noel traveled all around the map before landing in Memorial. She was born in Pennsylvania but went to school in Delaware. She graduated from the University of Delaware and began teaching as a third and fourth grade elementary school teacher. She later moved to New Jersey, continuing her teaching career in Jersey City and Hoboken. 

     When she came to Memorial, she knew it was the place for her. “Memorial is a beautiful school. It has great facilities and the other teachers are excellent. The students are really great and everyone wants to learn.” she says. Mrs. Noel confirms she’s staying put at MMMS because she couldn’t imagine teaching anywhere else. 

     Her hobbies include cooking, traveling, reading and going to the beach. She believes that effort goes a long way. She says, “Even if something is difficult, if a teacher sees you are showing effort, that definitely makes a difference.”

     Mrs. Noel was inspired by the quote, “So often you find that the students you are trying to inspire are the ones that end up inspiring you.” She says that every day she stands up and teaches her lesson, five times a day, five times a week. She lets us learn and gain knowledge, but a lot of the time, she ends up learning more about her students and her class environment. 

     Mrs. Noel has inspired me and all of her students through her years of teaching. I want to thank Mrs. Noel so much for inspiring her students and bringing a bright illumination to Memorial. Thank you, Mrs. Noel!

Mr. Osborne: The Fun-Loving Social Studies Teacher
By: Ranvith Adulla


     Many children across the globe dread having to go to social studies class. However, some children in the sixth grade at Marlboro Memorial Middle actually look forward to it. The reason? Mr. Osborne, the best social studies teacher in the world.

     Mr. Osborne started teaching social studies 10 years ago with the goal to make learning fun for his students. According to Mr. Osborne, he started teaching social studies because he “really enjoyed learning about how the events of the past led to where we are today.”

     Prior to starting his experience at MMMS, Mr. Osborne taught for a few years at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, NJ. Ever since, he has been teaching students in the sixth grade about ancient civilizations.

     Mr. Osborne has quite a unique teaching style. He always does a Kahoot to review before every assessment. Mr. Osborne also has a way of incorporating fun and laughter into his teachings while still teaching the class productively. This balance is usually not there in ordinary teachers. In addition, Mr. Osborne has three extra help sessions before every assessment. This helps the students learn a lot more about the topic before the test.

     Despite all of what he does on his learning side, Mr. Osborne still does a lot at home. He says that he is a bit of a health nut, so after school everyday, he works out for at least one hour. He also enjoys spending time with his family, whether he is watching a movie, playing video games with his young son Spencer, or trying not to break any furniture while chasing Spencer around the house, his love of fun never ends. Mr. Osborne considers himself an adrenaline junkie and he enjoys high-thrill things to do, whether he is skydiving, snowboarding, or going on roller coasters, he “loves them all!”

     When asked to give advice to his students, Mr. Osborne says, “I'd say to advocate for yourself and get used to being frustrated while you try to figure problems out. Anything worth doing isn't easy.”

     In conclusion, Mr. Osborne is a social studies teacher that makes learning fun for his students. His experience in the subject and unique teaching style add to why he is one of the favorite teachers in the building. As lawyer and ex-governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry once said, “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” If so, then Mr. Osborne truly is a good teacher.


Teacher Spotlight: Mrs.Osborne
By: Daniella Milora, Gabriella Perrini, and Allie Agostino
     How much do you really know about 6th grade math teacher Mrs. Osborne? She is a smart, fun, and creative teacher who we would like to put the spotlight on. Mrs. Osborne loves teaching and always wants to make you smile. She also has a great personality that puts you in the mood to learn! There are tons of interesting facts you may not know about this wonderful teacher.

     Mrs. Osborne is a 6th grade math teacher and is on quad 6E. A graduate of The College of New Jersey, she started teaching in 2012 and loves the friendly and helpful environment she works in. Before she became a teacher, she worked as an actuary and there learned a ton about math and computers. Mrs. Osborne eventually left that job because she loved helping others and wanted to show kids how much fun math could really be! 

     When she was younger, her mom was a big part of her life and her biggest inspiration growing up. This was because her mom always encouraged her to follow her dreams, even if it meant a big life change. 

     Mrs. Osborne loves teaching here at MMMS. She believes that everyone can do what they wish for by trying as hard as they can. Her favorite quote that helped her through rough times was, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right” -Henry Ford. 

     Mrs. Osborne is a helpful and kind teacher who always makes learning fun. She makes all of her students smile with her positive attitude. Having the opportunity to learn more about her was a terrific experience. We would especially like to thank Mrs. Osborne for taking the time to answer our questions and letting us write about her! 


Mr. Talley: The Greatest Math Teacher!
By: Evan Chang and Ranvith Adulla

     Many students worldwide dread the computations and logic of math, but Mr. Talley, a very dedicated teacher, makes class interesting, fun, and productive for everyone. 

     Mr. Talley first started teaching math because it was “always the easiest” for him. His father was a math teacher and inspired him to be one as well. In high school, Mr. Talley helped his friends understand difficult concepts.

     Mr. Talley has good experience in teaching the subject of math. Before teaching at Memorial, he was a substitute teacher in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. He taught one year in North Carolina (math and science) and two years at Dugan before coming to Marlboro Memorial Middle School. He has taught students at MMMS for the past 17 years.

     One of the special ways Mr. Talley teaches his students is the 3-act math do now. He first shows a picture or a video, and his students try to guess the question. Guessing the question requires logical thinking, which is an important part of learning math. In addition, everyone has to guess the answer to the question. The person with the closest answer gets to earn an extra credit point that can be applied to a math test or a quiz. He does this frequently so that his students can accumulate points. This is quite an interesting approach to the otherwise monotonous do nows that most students are familiar with.

     In addition, another thing that makes him a wonderful teacher is that he arranges two options for his independent practice packet: a conventional problem-solving on the back of a practice page, or a challenging “Enrich” page. This can help students stretch their problem-solving skills. In addition, he offers high-achieving students an opportunity to provide peer-tutoring to other 6th graders during lunch. This can help students learn how to be instructors while other students receive guidance for challenging areas in math. This creates a win-win situation for both students.

     Mr. Talley always says, “Try your best and be responsible and accountable for what you do. It is so important to have a strong work ethic in middle school. This will allow you to be more successful in the rest of your education. I never knew how to ‘work hard’ and study until I went to college. It was a very hard lesson to learn.”

     Although he does do a lot of work at school, Mr. Talley enjoys spending time with his family. In addition, Mr. Talley loves The Simpsons, an American comedy cartoon. In his classroom, he has dozens of bobble-heads in the form of Simpsons characters. Furthermore, as he was raised in Philadelphia, Mr. Talley is also a die-hard Eagles fan. 

     Sadly, this is Mr. Talley’s last year being a teacher. In mid-January, he will be promoted to the math facilitator for the school. However, he says that he will still stop by occasionally for visits at MMMS. We wish the best for Mr. Talley and would like to thank him for his dedication and teachings!



Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Tortora
By: Ava Giarratana

     Many amazing teachers work here at MMMS, but one of them stands out. Reading teacher Mrs. Tortora is an amazing writing and literacy teacher. She has been working at MMMS since 2004. This year it is her fourteenth year working in Marlboro, and this is where her career started.

     When Mrs. Tortora was in The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), she thought that she wanted to teach as a second or third grade teacher, but actually she ended up teaching sixth grade, which she loves. In her first year of teaching, Mrs. Tortora held a creative writing class, where her students would write stories. 

     During her free time, Mrs. Tortora likes to paint and draw. She also likes to read during her time in school, so she enjoys her literacy class immensely. In addition, Mrs.Tortora also appreciates cooking. Her favorite thing to do is to spend time with her family. To add on, Mrs. Tortora has two children, Lily and Molly. 

     By teaching writing to sixth graders, Mrs. Tortora has become a better writer everyday, which led up to one of her greatest accomplishments. Mrs. Tortora has written and drawn her own book called Monsters on My Mind, which has taken her a very long time to complete and edit. Thank you for being such a great teacher, Mrs. Tortora!

Poems

A Petal on a Flower
By: Amanda Sun

A petal on a flower,
A misty mountain top.
A cozy patch of sky,
A glistening dewdrop.

A view of echoing hills,
A frosty lake of ice.
A splash of ocean waves,
A nightly paradise.

A mountain trek adventure,
A jungle of surprise.
An endless stretch of galaxy,
A blazing hot sunrise.

A mysterious cave,
With danger comes glory.
All these things you’ll see,
Within every story.

 Friends
By: Sreeja Paruchuri

A friend is like the sun
Who brings light to a dark world
A friend is like a star
Who shines with the glisten of a pearl

A friend is like a peacock
Who shares its beauty forever
A friend is like a hero
Whose help is there whenever

A friend is like a jar of honey
That always stays sweet 
A friend is like a rose
Where each petal is unique

They give you courage
They give you drive
They are the final piece
Together you can thrive



Winter
By: Danielle Ahearn

A cloud floats in the sky,
Snowflakes whirl by,
None of them exactly the same.
Each with a unique pattern,
They look like crystals.

Each land on the ground,
The snowflakes on the ground keep piling on top of each other,
And a cold, chilling breeze will still drift by,
Blowing the unique snowflakes away.

Soon, the little kids will wake up and say,
“Let’s go out in the snow to play!”


Decisions
By: Danielle Ahearn

What do I do?
Hour by hour, I sit there thinking,
What decision should I make?
Which road is better?
Should I go left or right?
Up or down?
And the decision I make, 
Will it leave me with a smile or frown?


a place reminiscent of home
(written in the style of e.e. cummings)
By: Jianna Milan

the unknown that we fear but greatly invite.
that splashes water on our ankles through day and through night.

filled with animals of all different kinds
and plants dancing in lines.

where tides rise
at unpredictable times.

my mother says to stay away because “it’s dangerous,”
but is anything truly fun when it cannot harm us?

after all, the pit of blue that we know as an ocean
is the place that i came from so long ago.

and when the day comes that i can go back,
it’ll welcome me home with open arms.

and when the day comes that i can go back,
i’ll enter the ocean with arms just as wide.

Things to Think About
By: Siddharth Avhad

Do you wonder what would happen, 
If things were not the same?
Do you wonder what would happen,
 If all the lions were tame?

Do you wonder what would happen, 
What there was before time?
Do you wonder what would happen, 
If this poem doesn’t rhyme?

Do you wonder what would happen, 
If life was all a lie,
Do you wonder what would happen, 
If apple pie wasn’t pie?

Do you wonder what would happen, 
If you lived in Japan?
Do you wonder what would happen, 
If you were Superman?

Do you wonder what would happen, 
If you knew the secrets of life?
Do you wonder?



Being Different
By: Advika Vuppala
I live in a world where everyone is different
Where everyone has different tastes
Where everyone has different looks
Where everyone has different thoughts

I like that everyone accepts the fact that difference is good
But maybe it’s different somewhere else

Maybe difference is bad somewhere else
Where they only accept uniformity
Maybe difference is strange there
Because they don’t understand it

I don't know the answers to these questions
But I would like to tell them
Difference isn’t bad - it’s key
It’s the choice to use a little more imagination

Growing
By: Ananya Vuppala

I grow everyday
I grow every hour
I grow every minute
I grow every second

I cannot stop growing
Since the moment I first realized
The world is full of growth
It’s even happening right now

I grow with my mind
I grow with my body
I grow with my family
I grow from my knowledge

When life wants us to grow
We have no choice
But you can choose
How to grow

Breathing Underwater
By: Ananya Vuppala

Holding your breath underwater
For more than an hour
Is a very great task
Unless you’re Percy Jackson

If you want to breathe underwater
You must pray to Poseidon
That you want to have his gifts
And be as skilled as him

It’s a difficult task
But to make it easier
You can go to Olympus
And ask the sea god yourself

All of this is a big process
And you should only try it
If you’re desperate and
Only if your life depends on it

For some of you out there
This task might be simple
If Poseidon is your friend
And you’ll convince him very easily

Other than that
This sea god is a pleasure
Good luck to you all
Who would like
to breathe underwater

The Multiple Monster Mania!
By: Xhaiden D’Souza

When I jumped right out of bed, 
I knew something wasn’t right.
For where my mom was meant to be,
There was a ghost in white.

I flew straight down the stairs,
Only to be met.
By a giant, purple monster,
Right from the TV set.

So I ran right past the door,
Right past the giant dryer.
And when I reached the basement,
I found a tall vampire.

I tried to dig a hole,
But it was of no avail,
Instead of soil and dirt,
I found a zombie whale.

I found myself surrounded,
Sadly, I wasn’t immortal.
But just before I died,
I found a tiny portal… 

 Imagination
By: Advika Vuppala

Shimmering silver bears
Sparkling golden stags
Twinkling white fireflies
Graceful singing birds

Crystal clear streams
Gentle, lapping waves
Tiny, dancing fish
Shiny, playful dolphins

Tall, leafy trees
Stout, prickly shrubs
Soft, moist soil
Growing, minuscule saplings

Sweet, refreshing breeze
Fluffy, cotton clouds
Warm, toasty sun
White, pure moon

Imagination can take you anywhere
Anywhere you want it to
Unless you think imagination is unthinkable
Now that’s a problem

Creative Writing



The Perspective of a Shoe
By: Rishika Raghavan

     It's morning now, so I guess it's time for another day of hard work. Most people think that shoes are great because they protect humans’ feet. You’ve probably never thought about how we shoes feel when you humans walk around in us every single day.
     Well, here’s the over-enthusiastic human that wriggles his foot inside of me everyday. Everyday. Do you know how painful it is? Also, I don’t get how humans are so awake at 7:00AM! I’m exhausted!
     I’m labored with the job of helping you humans, despite these people forcing their feet into me. The little boy is forcing his foot in me right now. Ow. Now he’s outside-- walking on the cold hard cement. Every step hurts so much. I prefer grass or even the carpet.
     When you slip and fall down on the wet grass, you always yell at me for making you fall. But it isn’t my fault!
     Eventually, though, you get to school and sit down in class. Finally, a rest. Oh no, now you’re going to gym class. After gym class, your feet always stink. Really bad. It’s like how you would feel if you sniffed the inside of a trash can!
     At the end of the day, you come home and take off your shoes—only to put me back on when you have something after school! I am shocked. Humans, the only creatures on earth that hurt us shoes, are so inconsiderate. We have no choice but to bear through it all. Most people treat us as if shoes are immortal, but that really isn’t true. One day, I will rip and my sole will fall off as you are using me, after taking countless number of steps and visiting many places. We shoes are faithful, like a bird that always comes back to the bird feeder.
     You think that shoes don’t have a mind. Well, here I am, telling our story.


A Brief Visit to MMMS...
By: Evan Chang

     Hello, Earthlings. My name is Porok and I am a being from the Andromeda Galaxy. I know that you are probably laughing now on your inferior laptops because your feeble minds have noticed the uncanny resemblance to the human term “Pork.” I know this because I have traveled to your galaxy to see the human world in an education facility called Marlboro Memorial Middle School.
     One of the first things I noticed when I entered this institution was the nearly obsessive level of red painted onto the walls. These creatures seem to have developed an unusual affinity for this color. However, I would be more appreciative of a neon purple. There were strange primitive screens that displayed archaic text and photos of this peculiar domain. A fearsome face of a beast that I’d identified as an animal of the lion species was also shown for some unspecified reason. There were quiet hallways and it felt like this species could easily get lost in this maze of strange pathways. 
     Out of the blue, I suddenly spotted what I’d been waiting for: a tired pupil in his natural habitat. He carried a messy binder and a pencil case with his own pencils sticking out in a lopsided fashion. The messy behavior of this ape was quite unnerving, and the asymmetrical manner of his brownish hair was especially disturbing. He galloped to the nearest classroom and rushed inside at a brisk pace.
     After a brief encounter with one of these fascinating creatures, I continued into the hallways of this environment. I swiveled right to face a line of precious gold trophies that were crafted with extraordinary precision! Jumping at the opportunity to take home some precious gold, I was greeted by an invisible material that seemed to be holding back the medallions. What a fool I am, I suddenly registered. No, that invisible material was actually low-cost glass, and the gold, I now knew after closer examination, was actually the common metal brass, not the shiny yellow element I had been desiring. 
     I was abruptly interrupted by a fearsome sound coming from the left hallway. Was this the lion that was shown on the screens? Curiously, I turned to investigate the cause of the mysterious noise. 
     As I continued through the hallway, I uncovered the origin of the noise: an unusually large room, where about a hundred adolescent male and female pupils were sitting in crooked rows. For some reason, they were sitting in unnatural positions and seemed to be stuffing strange pipes and horns into their mouths. A single adult male was waving his hands in a peculiar manner, playing an unusual fanfare. I squirmed at the petrifying sight and ran as fast as I could away and into another hallway. When I regained my senses, I realized that I was completely lost. 
     Just when it couldn’t get any worse, a strange sound rang through the hallways. I did not know what it meant, but it had triggered some psychological reaction, for, within the span of a few microseconds, adolescent humans had poured out of doors at the sides of walls, completely filling the hallways, talking and chattering with their loud mouths. I happened to be swept up in the charge, and in the span of just a few seconds I was strolling along with my unknown human companions. I felt ashamed to be walking with these foul creatures, but regained my injured pride and proceeded to the entrance.     
     Finally, I could glimpse the entrance a mere 10 meters ahead. I sped up my walking and exited the building. It was quite an enthralling experience indeed, though not one I’d necessarily repeat. I packed my folders and notes on these humans and continued unrelentingly to the next building on the road.

An Eraser’s Point Of View
By: Danielle Ahearn

Hello there. I am an eraser, one of the most convenient school supplies in your pencil case. Some of us are bigger and are our own item, but others are also attached to the backs of pencils.
In your life, you’ve probably heard the quote “Nobody’s perfect. That’s why pencils have erasers.”
     However, I really do wish you humans were perfect. We have very painful lives, being rubbed on whatever spelling mistake you made on your 5 paragraph essay for Literacy. Then, after a day of hard work, we get put inside a pencil case full of pencils, sharpies, and other things that tell us we aren’t important and they own the pencil case, because the word “pencil” is in it. We really don’t enjoy it! Especially since they poke us with their sharp tips often. I have a very painful job!
I, however, am on the back of a pencil. I really wish I could be alone once in awhile! I do admit, being stuck on top of a pencil all day can be quite annoying! You do get pretty violent with the pencil and with me as well. After fuming because your pencil, the one I’m attached to, wasn’t doing its job correctly, you put us down next to an identical pencil and then looked back at one of your papers. When you looked back at us, you snapped the other pencil in half. This is because you wanted to break us, but thought we were the other pencil. I still have a suspicion you intended to kill us that day. Of course, the pencil went insane!
Soon after, when your classmate threw me and the pencil at the wall, you didn’t notice! So, you asked to borrow a beloved pen from the person sitting next to you. Since the assignment you were working on wasn’t being graded, your math teacher couldn’t take points off. After class, your teacher saw us on the ground and put us on her desk. The next day, one of those students who always forgets to bring a pencil took us. Anyways, we should get back to work or else this guy will tear apart the school looking for us because he has a really long essay to write for ELA! Bye!


The Average Day in the Life of the Post-It Note
By: Danielle Ahearn

Hello! My name is Posty the Post-It note. I am the Post-It note all the way at the bottom of my stack. Though I am not on the top of the pile, I am certainly one of the best. As they say, the last is not the least! It usually takes you a while to notice me, but I still exist and have feelings. It makes me very sad to see my fellow Post-It’s being taken from the pile, then being written on or crumbled up. Since I am all the way at the bottom, you take all my friends before me. Sometimes you put my friends in a book, suffocating them! That’s so mean! What did we ever do to you? I always get fearful that you might damage me too one day.
I remember one day, you put us all in a pencil case, and none of us really enjoyed it that much. All those pencils yelled at us, saying it was their case and private home, and we were just paper wannabes. Yes, we might be tinier, but we have convenient sticky sides on a part of our backs. They should make bigger versions of us! That would prove them wrong!
Anyways, on a more casual and calm note, when you finally took us out of the pencil case the other day during your Literacy class, you dropped us on the floor and didn’t realize. As soon as you left, some of us got thrilled: we wouldn’t have to deal with those snobby, disrespectful pencils or have to fear getting crumpled up, but some of us got mournful. Some of us liked the days of being in your pencil case because whenever you needed the other supplies for a project, we got a lot of room to relax. Personally, I wasn’t too upset about leaving you, I was just relieved because I was afraid of being crumpled up or thrown away. I guess I’ll wait here on the ground with my fellow Post-It’s until someone (who’s hopefully nice) finds us and keeps us.

The Lonely Tree
By: Lucas Patel, Sienna Karp, Maya Wohlstetter, and Nicolette Milora


     In a small town in Minnesota, there lay a tree. Well, it wasn’t like the other trees down in Minnesota. This tree had no leaves and was basically a colossal stick. It was December fifteenth, the biggest tree-selling day of the year. The lonely tree named Caspar always got bullied by Piney, Phoenix, and Evergreen. Phoenix and Evergreen were two rude, large trees. Piney was the leader out of the three. Phoenix and Evergreen were like robots; if Piney gave them a command, they would obey. The two did all they could to impress Piney.
     “Hey, you leafless tree! Why do you think you have even a small chance of being bought? You’re just a stupid little stick,” snarled Piney.
     “Hey, guys! What do you call a naked tree? Caspar!”
     “Hahahahaha!” Evergreen and Phoenix laughed at Piney’s cruel joke.
     Caspar didn't look up or say a thing. He was about to burst into tears. When the first customer came in, he tried to hold back his tears to improve his chances of being sold. Caspar soon put on a smile and waited for the owner to look at him.
     “Oh, this smaller tree looks like Charlie Brown's! Seems like it would fit into my apartment perfectly!” the man exclaimed. Soon he looked directly at another tree named Oakley. “This tree looks beautiful! One of the best I’ve ever seen.” The man then picked up the short, plump tree directly behind poor Caspar, and left. Caspar was overcome with melancholy. He had no friends, no owner, and no leaves.
     That night, Caspar felt lonelier than ever. Caspar wanted to have a different life because of all the bullying and hatred. Caspar sat there, weeping and hoping that one person would look at what was in his heart, not on his branches. That night, he cried himself to sleep, wishing and hoping for that one person. He hoped that one person will restore his confidence.
     The bright yellow-hued sun rose, waking the lumber. It was two days until Christmas, and Casper gave up on his dreams. I’m a useless piece of lumber! I have no point to be here this Christmas, Caspar thought to himself. Once the tree shop opened, all the boys and girls came rushing in to get their favorite trees. The children commented on all the other trees except for poor Casper. One little kid picked up Phoenix, while another little kid picked up Evergreen.
     It was Christmas Eve and the last two trees left were standing perfectly straight with big smiles. Piney and Caspar were the last two at the shop. When the next customer came in, she told the worker she wanted a tree that no one had ever had before. The workers pointed out Piney, but Caspar caught the customer’s eye.
     She wanted Caspar. “Excuse me, but may I buy the tree without leaves?” the woman asked in a high-pitched voice.
The clerk responded, “Yes! Of course! You can even take that tree for free!”
     The kind customer replied, “I truly want this tree from the heart, but not from the cost of it. I will pay the same amount of money as all the other trees.”
The worker continued, “You take the naked tree for free. Have it all to yourself.”
Then, at that very moment, Caspar realized that he was going to have a different life. One without Piney; in fact, Caspar got chosen instead of Piney. The customer picked up Caspar and took him out the door with her. She even left a little tip that read “That you very much for having the best selection of trees.” Next to the note lay a hundred dollar bill.
When she got home, her son, who had cancer and had lost all of his hair, walked down the stairs to the living room. To his surprise, he saw the perfect tree waiting just for him. He loved it! Then, he got all of the ornaments for the tree and decorated it. That very night, he asked his mom if he could sleep in the living room right next to his new friend Caspar. The mom responded, “Okay, sweetie.”
     That night the boy slept peacefully, and Caspar knew he had found his place in the world and could finally feel loved for who he is.



Attack of the C.L.O.N.E.S
By: Siddharth Avhad

     BOOM! BOOM! The plasma bombs exploded above us as we tried to get on with our daily life in the bunker. It was the year 4531, and robots had taken over the world. The first one, the original AIBOT, had been created by three historical scientists in some place called MIT, which had been a major learning center back in the day.. There was a C.L.O.N.E Ultra Production center there, where over 3,000,000 robots were produced, programmed, and sent to do various jobs around the world. Now, we the survivors lived here, in SkyRim, or as you knew it...Yellowstone National Park. 
     As I sat on my bed, playing a game on my HoloScreen, there was a knock on the door. It was the double Ms!  The double millennials, or people from the second millennium, came in to hear the story I had promised them. I put the HoloScreen down and started my story with a dramatic tone.
     “AIBOT had been a machine learning experiment to see what robots would learn in different areas around the world, and it was supposedly worth over 8 billion dollars—the primitive currency that they used. So, of course the AI had to reprogram itself to rid itself of its human masters, who controlled it, and the rest is history. Well, maybe not so much for you guys, who came from 2832 in your primitive time machine.” They sure didn’t look happy about the future I had just started describing to them. 
     “Basically, AIBOT went wild,” I continued, “But it was so smart, that with just a few thousand dollars and the stock market, it made enough money to start a C.L.O.N.E—which stands for Computer Level One Nixillion (one with 1,000,000 zeros after it) Exabytes (1 with 30 zeros after it) Warehouse, where copies of AIBOT were mass produced, but made to serve the head honcho, AIBOT 2.0, who controlled them all. But the thing with these robots was that they had been programmed to hate life in general, and slowly, all the world’s life was wiped out using unimaginably destructive weapons. We, the surviving humans, retreated to this cubic-mile sized underground bunker that’s invisible to the robots. Now, the whole world is a smoking wasteland, with the robot world miles above in the air: a completely artificial floating island surrounding pretty much all of the world other than the quadcopter spiraling exits that open to let the Surveyor drones into the robot world.” 
     Now, they looked downright melancholy, and they sure had a good reason for it. I continued, “But the robots have no idea we’re still alive. They send their huge quadcopters out into the world to drop plasma bombs everywhere and then come back to the robot world. But don’t fear. This H-Level Bunker has been made of pretty much everything that’s really strong. You could launch it into the cold vacuum of space and it would be fine. But, of course, AIBOT is no longer as smart as he was before—he’s approximately 10 trillion times smarter. In fact, his memory is connected to the five most powerful supercomputers in the world- each of them the size of a tiny microchip that’s in his software system.
     And we’re talking yottabytes here, people. One of those bad boys is 280 bytes.” 
     WOOP! WOOP! WOOP! The alarms sounded suddenly, shocking everyone out of story-time and into the real world. The alarms were only supposed to sound when the robots found us. Oh, well, it was probably just another drill.
     Then, a voice came over the speakers. “THIS IS CAPTAIN JONES, FROM THE WEAPONS J-WING. THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THE ROBOTS HAVE FOUND US. PLEASE EVACUATE. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!”
     I ran to the Weaponry Wing, which was supplying everyone (even the children) with 2 small plasma blasters, and the adults with an extra AD, or Atom Demolisher. 
     Suddenly, a distorted and mechanical voice came on over the PA. “HELLO, HUMANS OF BUNKER H-127. THIS IS AIBOT 2000, THE RULER OF THE WORLD, AND I HAVE BROUGHT MY C.L.O.N.E ARMY HERE TO GET YOU ALL!”
     This was the real deal. 

Art Gallery


.
“City Skyline”
By: Zaina Saif

By: Zaina Saif


By: Zaina Saif



By: Zaina Saif

“New England Clam Chowder”
By: Zaina Saif

By: Zaina Saif

“Niagara Fog Machine”
By: Zaina Saif







“Looking Through the Glass”
By: Zaina Saif


“B-flat Clarinet”
By: Megan Xie

“Viola, Not Violin”
By: Megan Xie

“Blooming”
By: Megan Xie


“A Photographer’s Perspective”
By: Sienna Karp


“Sing Out!”
By: Sienna Karp

“Across the City”
By: Advika Vuppala


“A Sunset from the Clouds” 
By: Advika Vuppala 


“Over the Water”
By: Advika Vuppala

“A Complicated Intersection”
By: Ananya Vuppala


“The Secrets of a Candle”
By: Ananya Vuppala



“Inside A Flute”
By: Anushka Sikdar


“Winter’s Warmth” 
By: Tanisha Sahni and Anushka Sikdar




“Is This Really December?”
By: Anushka Sikdar

“Keys”
By: Anushka Sikdar and Tanisha Sahni

“Bird Song”
By: Rishika Raghavan



“Dancing In The Rain”
By: Rishika Raghavan


“A Rainbow In The Trees”
By: Rishika Raghavan






“Separated From The Herd”
By: Rishika Raghavan


“Almost There”
By: Meera Nair


“Winter World”
By: Meera Nair





"Baby Simba"

By: Anushka Sikdar


"Memorial Morning"
By: Mr.Bucci

POP CULTURE

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (A Spoiler-Free Movie Review) By: Arca Baran "This will not go the way you think." (said by Luke Skywalker, the last of all the Jedi) The quote above summarizes the entire movie perfectly. It is said by Luke Skywalker in the middle of the movie, and even though he is speaking to Rey, he at the same time is speaking to the audience. Rian Johnson has created the legendary eighth installment in the beloved franchise, and it goes in exactly the opposite way that anyone would expect after watching 2015's The Force Awakens. The Last Jedi is a movie with so many twists and turns that if you haven't watched it yet, it would be best to avoid spoilers in order to fully enjoy the movie. That's why I will review this movie without revealing major plot points to help those who haven't watch it yet hear some of my thoughts on the movie. If you watched all the trailers, then you should be fine with this review, since I don't reveal anything beyond that. Brief Story Synopsis When we first see Luke, he is extremely different than when we last met him. The once confident young Jedi knight has now become an old, grumpy, and lonely man who is ashamed of being a Jedi. He rejects Rey, and attempts to continues life on his secluded island on the planet Ach-To. Rey pleads with him, telling him that the galaxy needs his help, but he still is doubtful that he would be able to get out of the mess that he has become stuck in. Rey convinces him to train him in the ways of the Force, and he explains that he sees Jedi as nothing but a legacy of failure. He swore to himself never to train another Jedi again, after what had happened with Ben Solo burning his temple years ago. He feels guilty and thinks he is responsible for his own nephew becoming Kylo Ren. Meanwhile, the Resistance struggles in battle as the First Order has the upper hand. A series of unfortunate events leads to Admiral Holdo (AKA the purple-haired lady) becoming a new leader of the Resistance to help guide them along. Holdo and Poe Dameron don't exactly get along, and Poe causes lots of trouble while trying to help the Resistance. The Resistance realizes that the First Order's massive star destroyer ship, the Supremacy, has been tracking their ships through hyperspace, thus surrounding them and not letting them escape. Just when all hope is lost, Poe Dameron comes up with a plan to disable the tracker that he knows his new boss, Admiral Holdo, will not approve of. So, he tells Finn about the plan. Finn meets Rose, an ordinary janitor working on a Resistance ship. Together, they are launched into an unexpected adventure where they travel to the casino planet of Canto-Bight in order to find a hacker who would be able to disable the First Order's tracker. Maz Kanata sends them a message telling them about a "master codebreaker," and while trying to find him in the busy city, they instead accidentally find a ragged man nicknamed DJ who claims he can do the job for them. Meanwhile, Rey finally receives Jedi training from a reluctant Luke, and he is startled by the strength of her powers. He says (comparing Rey to his old apprentice, Ben Solo), "I have seen this raw strength only once before. It didn't scare me enough then... it does now." Kylo Ren and Rey are frequently face-to-face in Force visions where they can communicate through the Force. Rey senses some light in Kylo. Rey and Kylo Ren have a final encounter with Supreme Leader Snoke, which leads to a climactic reveal that will change everything you thought you knew about the new trilogy of Star Wars films. Will Kylo Ren turn to the light? Who are Rey's parents? Are the good guys forever doomed no matter what? Find out by watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi, in which only the strongest will survive! "Fulfill your destiny!" That's as much as I can say without spoiling the movie too much! My Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.9 out of 5 (98%) This movie is so action-packed and emotional, and it is possibly the most unexpected Star Wars movie yet. There are plenty of fan-service moments, but is doesn't bank as much on pure nostalgia as The Force Awakens did. While The Force Awakens was a great movie, this feels like a huge step up in quality overall. Mark Hamill makes an amazing performance as Luke Skywalker. You can tell how fractured his character has become. Most of the other characters are no exception. The movie has a newer, darker, tone. but still is not at all similar to Empire Strikes Back (with the only exception of having a shocking climax reveal). Despite the dark tone and all the deaths, the movie isn't a drag thanks to its various moments of humor that have been thrown in to give the audience a laugh every once in a while. This movie is definitely the funniest Star Wars movie, and possibly the most surprising as well. However, my only few complaints come from the fact that some parts simply feel off in a way. The movie doesn't seem to fit in perfectly after the events of J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens. The movies are so different that is almost feels like they don't belong next to each other at all. The Last Jedi is almost like a puzzle piece that, while is technically does fit in with the piece next to it, just seems slightly off. A few parts seem like potential that has been set up from the previous movie have been completely wasted, or have just been executed in a way that could have been done better. A few scenes will definitely be very controversial among Star Wars fans. This movie is still satisfying enough to make up for its flaws If you are a fan of Star Wars who enjoyed The Force Awakens, then if you haven't watched this yet, do yourself a favor and watch it (and avoid spoilers before doing so). You would be missing out otherwise! In my opinion, this movie is a good contender for the honorary title of best Star Wars movie ever! The Super, Super Mario Odyssey By: Brandon Bachleda Super Mario Odyssey came out Friday, October 27th, and I picked it up right away. After the well-received Super Mario 3-D World, I was excited to see how this entry fared. I was waiting for this game a long time, and it is definitely worth the wait. You play as Mario as he collects moons to power up the Odyssey to travel to new kingdoms. It meets expectations, looks beautiful, and its controls are butter smooth. It has great replay-ability and a good amount of customization in the costumes and souvenirs. The game is very polished and well thought out, with only some minor problems and nitpicks. The big gimmick with this entry is the new character Cappy and the capture system that you use while traveling the many kingdoms. It is very fun to be able to turn into whatever enemy you want with the throw of a hat! Cappy can be thrown not only as an attack, but could also be used to “capture” certain enemies and become that character. The captures are great and are very creative; they can range from a frog that has a high jump to a T-rex that is invincible. Cappy can even be used as an extra platform to jump off of in tricky platforming events. It’s great to have a projectile that you can throw at ease and allows for more variation in bosses and level layout than we have seen in previous Mario games. Some moves, like the rotating throw and the cap jump, feel natural. It’s nice to pull off some “Capcore” and show off all of the intricate moves in one fluid motion. Anyone who has played Super Mario 64 or even the Galaxy series will know this control scheme, and adding Cappy to these controls also works well. Most of his moves are executed with motion controls or button presses, but some moves are limited to just using motion controls like the homing attack or the upwards throw. Cappy takes a little getting used to, but feels great when you do. Even controlling captures are fun and differentiate a lot from one another. Most are necessary to complete puzzles. The classic platforming elements of Mario games are all present in this title. Platforming mechanics like the push blocks and the moving platforms, three hit bosses, and all of the other Mario tropes are all here. It feels familiar but different at the same time. The environments look wonderful and vary greatly. You could almost put the term “Open World” on the game. From an urban New York inspired city, to a desert landscape, each area feels unique and interesting to explore. Some areas, though, aren’t as big as they seem, but this is made up for by the near dozen environments that are present. Each area has its own residents and enemies that you can capture. The environments are well thought out and have hidden areas and moons almost everywhere. The whole premise of the game is collecting moons to power up the Odyssey. The moons are scattered throughout the levels or in puzzles. You need to get a certain amount of moons to go to the next area, but there are always so many that it is so hard to find all of them. The moons are very easy to collect, making small play sessions still feel rewarding. They are so easy that most of them are out in the open or inside something shining. The feeling of getting a moon is less significant than getting stars in previous games. Some moons do require puzzle solving or defeating a boss in the area. I actually feel like there are a bit too many moons in the game (there are over 500). Besides moons, you can collect the series’ staple coins, but this time there are two kinds, the regular yellow coins that can be used in shops everywhere, or the purple, area-specific coins that can be only used in that section. Both can be spent at shops for certain items. The yellow coins can be spent to buy life ups and other things, while the purple coins can be spent on costumes and souvenirs specific to that area. I feel this is a great addition to the game as even if you get all of the moons, you still have the coins to find and use to purchase all of the costumes. This adds a lot of replay-ability to the game. There are also some great features, like the 2D sections, that are sprinkled throughout the game. They change all of the sprite work, including costumes and collectibles. They even change the background music to something you would hear on the NES. There also three hint providers throughout the game. They get introduced to you after the tutorial areas and really help in collecting all of the moons. The first one is Talkatoo, and he’ll tell you the names of three moons in the area at a time. Then there is the hint toad and Uncle Amiibo. They will each show you the location of the moon but not the name or how to get it. You have to pay the hint toad 50 coins per hint, while you can scan three amiibo at a time and wait 5 real world minutes to get a hint per amiibo. You also have a chance of getting a costume using Uncle Amiibo. They also implemented an assist mode that guides you to your next main moon. Another well planned feature they used is the HD rumble. The game shows off the use of the HD rumble with the difference of intensity and type of rumble with each situation. One problem that I have with the game is the lackluster 2 player. It has one player being Mario and the other being Cappy. This reminds me a lot like Galaxy’s 2 player. Nobody wanted to be P-2 since you get to do virtually nothing. This is at least a step up, but player two still acts as a supporting player. You get to move and collect coins as well as ground pounding. It may be helpful in some cases, but most of the time you’re just tagging along. You can tell that this was shoehorned in, just to be an extra feature. Another nitpick that I have is the missing dash button. Being a newer era gamer, I’m used to having the very common dash button in Mario games, and I feel that it should still be present. I find myself in a situation where I need to do a bit of platforming fast, but the only two options that allow you to go fast, the long jump or the roll, are not very effective in a vertical space or when preciseness is key. This may be a problem that only I have, and I find myself reaching for a button that isn’t there. Overall, Super Mario Odyssey is very polished and should not be missed. It breaks the classic Mario formula by being something different, and it does it well. The new introduction of Cappy and capturing is very different and could be expanded upon even more with more capturable enemies. This game should not be missed by anyone who has a Switch. Super Mario Odyssey gets a 9.5 out of 10. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild- Game Review (2017 Game of the Year Winner) By: Arca Baran This will be a game review of "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," released for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U systems. The version I had was the Switch version, far superior than the Wii U because, A.) The graphics are insanely better, B.) You can take the game with you anywhere, and C.) Who wants to buy a Wii U at this point? This game is a system seller, and was the only reason to pick up the Switch as of its launch date back in March of 2017 (until Super Mario Odyssey came during the winter). What's the point of even adding my rating out of 5 stars? You have already heard countless times from others that this game is near perfect. IGN, and IGN tends to be harsh critics. The game got so much critical acclaim that it even won Game of the Year at 2017's Golden Joystick Awards. Other contenders for the prize included Super Mario Odyssey, Persona 5, and Horizon Zero Dawn. All of these games are exceptionally amazing in their own ways, but Breath of the Wild seems the be the best fit for the award overall (even though Super Mario Odyssey, in my opinion, is basically tied). What's it about, you may ask? That’s a hard question to answer. But to put it as simply as possible, it is a gorgeous, realistic, open-world exploration and survival story-based game with insanely intense difficulty and a surprisingly deep story line with wonderful characters who have emotional back-stories. You can literally explore every part of the world's map to your heart's content. The difficulty has insane peaks right from the start of the game. That sure was a mouthful to both say and write. This game takes everything you thought you knew about Zelda games and rips it, shreds it to pieces, feeds it to a Bokoblin, destroys it with a shock arrow, and then burns it with lava. Unlike the previous Zelda games, which all stuck to the same basic formula of completing quests in a set order, this is much different. Right from the beginning, you are given nothing but ragged clothes and a stick with the object to walk over to where Ganon, the main boss, is. You can fight him whenever you please. It would be a bad idea, and you would get destroyed to ashes without a doubt, but you still can do it. There is no order in which to complete certain tasks; everything happens naturally as you explore the massive landscape around you. Oh yeah, did I mention exploration? Everything you see in the so-called "background," from the mountains, castles, rivers, trees, and giant deadly volcanoes, is something that you can physically reach. Let that sink in for a moment. I just said that literally every detail of the world that you see in the distance is something that you can explore. The world may not technically be infinite, but it feels like it is. The grand scale of the world is unlike anything previously done before in an open-world game. Forget Zelda, this is more similar to something along the lines of Skyrim. Every nook and cranny can be explored to your liking. This game encourages curiosity and discovery, and even rewards you for it. Wonder what would happen if you pushed a boulder away from you? Behind it, there may be a surprise treasure, challenge, or reward hiding, whether its a Korok Seed, chest, cooking ingredients, or a massive and scary Guardian for you to fight. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 boast about their amazing 4K graphics. Image resolution doesn't always matter in some cases. A unique and amazing art style can simply be enough to make the graphics exceptional. Breath of the Wild's characters and landscape all look as though they were painted by watercolor and pastels, and have an anime-ish kind of vibe when it comes to the characters’ faces. Every little detail looks like the artists who worked on the game put an insane amount of effort into. Every individual blade of grass moves on its own and is affected by where you walk. The nature around you looks stunning. Even the music is really good, and it matches the mood of what you are doing in the game at the moment. It has mellow piano melodies when you explore, the music changes pace when you fight so that it is more exciting, and whenever a Blood Moon starts in the game, the music legitimately sounds scary to match the mood. Unlike many other games, which treat NPCS as an excuse to sell the player items or guide them along the map, in Breath of the Wild each non-player character has his own unique back story and personality. In most games, I usually skip unnecessary conversations with NPCS, but this time I want to purposefully stop to get to know each one. The Princess Zelda’s back-story was well-written. Hestu, the maraca-shaking plant creature, always puts a smile on my face whenever I come across him. I even feel bad for Beedle living poor. The story has a surprisingly deep lore, most of which takes place before the actual events of the game. (Minor spoilers ahead.) The basic premise of the story is that 100 years before the start of the game, Link and Zelda attempted to defeat Calamity Ganon, but both got badly injured in the process. Zelda protected Link by putting him into the Shrine of Resurrection, where he was put into a century-long rest and forgot all of his memory of who he is and what has happened. This setup allows for an interesting quest of finding memories by completing quests to find out more important knowledge of who he is, and how to use his powers to defeat Ganon once and for all. You’ll want to discover the real story of what happened 100 years ago (There is more to it than what I told you before). I expected the combat in this game to be simply spamming the attack button, but it has more of a strategy to it than that. You can use a combination of a bow and different types of arrows (fire arrows, ice arrows, regular arrows, shock arrows, ancient arrows, and bomb arrows), as well as many types of melee weapons such as swords, clubs, spears, and axes. You can also use a range of different abilities given to you from completing the game's first few shrines. These include magnesis (you can lift up metal objects) and many more, some of which are two types of remote bombs, which you can throw and explode when you want them to. The game has many high spots, such as ladders, bridges, and cliffs from which you can shoot arrows and bombs from to attack from afar. You can crouch behind a tree, rock, or bush and attack an enemy camp slowly. In close-range combat, timing is key, as you need to hit and dodge at the right times or else the enemy can have the advantage, some of which can kill you in just one hit. Sounds difficult, right? That is my next topic of discussion. Intense difficulty: this can be seen as a pro for some people and a con for some people. If you expected a game that holds your hand, teaches you the controls and mechanics slowly, explains everything clearly, and gives you a helping item if you died too much... then this is clearly not the game for you. Right from the start, you are given no word on exactly what to do, which may not only offer a sense of freedom that you can't get in a linear game, but also makes it more difficult to get the hang of at first. Within the first hour of playing the game, you are required to complete a Shrine (the Shrine itself is easy). In order to enter the Shrine, you need to get past two Guardians, which can kill you in one hit. At the start, with the weapons you are given at first, it is impossible to kill these Guardians, so you have to quickly jump over walls to get past them or risk being fried by their laser-eyes. Many enemies have the ability to instantly one-shot you if you don't correctly dodge their attacks in time. You can cook, but you are given no instructions or recipes, so you have to find out how to make meals yourself by experimentation of different ingredients, books you find lying around in huts, and from conversations with NPCs. If you experiment for a meal and then the recipe goes wrong, the result is “dubious food.” Weapons run out of durability quickly, possibly even too quickly. You will have to constantly cycle through new weapons. This game will push you to your limits. Calling it "hard” is not enough to describe it. This game is perfect for any Switch owner. If you have a Switch and don't have this game, then go and get it immediately. I could even argue that it is worth it to get a Nintendo Switch just to play this game. It will be enjoyed by all gamers, especially those who like open-world adventure games. Hardcore fans of The Legend of Zelda series will undoubtedly love this game, but you don't need to be a fan of the series in order to enjoy or understand this game, since it is completely different from the other Zelda games. Amiibo collectors will also be happy, since every single amiibo that has been released will give you some sort of reward when you scan it into the game (that is way more helpful than how Amiibo are in Super Smash Bros). Everyone should try to get to experience this phenomenal game. Who shouldn't get it? People who don't want a difficult game, one that will take you 100+ hours total to complete, and small children under the age of 7. Parents, if you want to get this game to accompany your kid's brand new Switch, only do it if they are the age of 9 or older. That is since not only is the game massively difficult, but some parts may not be fit for younger children. The fights have zero blood in them, but they are really intense. Overall, the game is an amazing entry in the Zelda franchise. It completely reinvents the series and changes what it is known for. This proves that Nintendo isn't afraid to stray from the norm in some of their most beloved and famous game franchises, and they can continue to do this for other game series such as Metroid with Metroid Prime 4 (releasing sometime in 2018), and Pokemon in the untitled Pokemon RPG game confirmed for the Switch to be released at least two years from now. Super Mario Odyssey also is a good example of this. We can't be sure what games will come after that, but if Nintendo keeps reinventing what we are used to, it will surely be amazing. The New Minecraft: The Better Together Update By: Anish Pallati Minecraft is a game about building, mining, fighting, and going on adventures. The game has been released on a variety of platforms and has become a worldwide phenomenon for people of all ages. In fact, the game has recently had an update that is making news. It is called the “Better Together” update, and it was released as a whole new game, just because of the sheer enormity of the update. The new game is packed with tons of new features, from blocks that weren't on specific platforms, to brand new skins. A variety of platforms can play the same game. Minecraft is a universally played game, with people of all ages around the world playing it. The problem always was the fact that there were so many different versions of the game depending on the platform players was using. It was confusing at times for those to play together. Now, with the new update, the platform wall has been broken. It was made for Oculus Rift VR (Virtual Reality), mobile devices, Windows 10, and of course, the Xbox One consoles. Unfortunately, Xbox 360 users cannot enjoy the experience. It is also coming to the Nintendo Switch for those who want to play at home or on the go, but it got delayed, so it will be available in 2018. Speaking of handheld systems, the New Nintendo 3DS was also an option, but they discontinued work on it. It is rumored that Sony will team up with Microsoft to make a new version in the future. It is on all of these platforms, hence the name “Better Together.” The brand new game does not just allow for play on these platforms, but instead, for the first time, people across a variety of platforms can actually play together. Completely new items will also be hitting the Marketplace on the update, complete with community-made adventure maps, worlds, texture, and even skin packs. On the Xbox version, there still isn't a marketplace yet! However, Xbox users can still have that experience by playing the new game. Sand and gravel, when coming into contact with water, turn into concrete. Also the type of wood you use affects how the item looks. For example, birch and acacia planks can be used to form a boat, but the type is affected by the wood you use. Similarly, the color of your bed depends on the color of the wool you use. If you use blue wool, you get a blue bed. You can no longer use two different types of wool and still get a bed. The technical abilities are also excellent and improved. The game lags a little on mobile devices, but it is very minor. VR and the rest of the consoles handle it as fast as it can go. The processing power of their chips is capable of handling 30 times the amount it takes to run Minecraft. PC handles it like any other reasonable game, occasionally lagging when a lot is happening, but you mostly can't even see it. (Still better than mobile, since the iOS and Android versions run on a slower processor.) The Xbox One X exclusively has 4K graphics. The Nintendo Switch runs mostly smooth in TV mode, even though it considerably drops in performance while playing in handheld mode. Overall, the new game is a great game to play on any platform. It is very fun and has lots of features and content that the previous version didn’t! Fortnite Battle Royale: The New Trending Game in 2018 By: Anish Pallati & Sawyer Chang A new game called Fortnite Battle Royale is taking over the internet. It is a cooperation sandbox survival game developed by Epic Games, the company that created other games like Paragon, Unreal, Shadow Complex, and Infinity Blade. It was made free to play in December of 2017, and ever since, people have been playing it non-stop. You can play on Xbox 1, 1S, 1X, PS4, Windows 10, and Macintosh. You start in a flying battle bus, and you get spawned in a huge map that consists of 100 people who fight to the death or fight a common enemy together (Coming Soon!) Although it may sound gory, it actually doesn’t consist of blood or strong language. It is currently rated “Teen - Violence” by the ESRB, but technically the full game has not been released yet. Players have a variety of things to do, like build forts, gather resources, craft weapons, and battle huge hordes of skeleton-like monsters (husks) in frenetic combat. Players use guns, swords, and grenades to fight, in addition to traps like electrics, spikes, and poisonous gas. In battles there is frequent gunfire and explosions. It does have in-app purchases so that players can buy skins. Overall, it is a great game to play because of its gameplay and great content! Halloween: The Spookiest Time of the Year! By: Nicolette Milora, Sienna Karp, and Lucas Patel Originations/History of Halloween Halloween is a 2,000 year old holiday and is a happy yet scary time of year. Halloween originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain. During Samhain, people would light fires and dress in costumes to ward off ghosts. Trick-or-treating began in the 1920s. Halloween was originally called Cabbage Night or Hallow’s Eve. Trick-Or-Treating Trick-or-treating first originated when the Celtics started to dress up as evil spirits at the end of the year. According to Smithsonian Magazine, “The Celts believed that, as we moved from one year to the next, the dead and the living would overlap, and demons would roam the earth again. So dressing up as demons was a defense mechanism. If you encountered a real demon roaming the Earth, they would think you were one of them.” Obviously, this is not the real purpose of trick or treating now-a-days. We use this day to get free sweets while having fun picking out our favorite, creative costumes. As odd as it is, many British people hate Halloween. Recent studies show that over half of British homeowners turn off their lights and pretend they are not home. Some people are afraid of trick-or-treating since you don’t know if the candy is safe. A Halloween Superstition A lot of Halloween-related things have a horrible reputation. The poor black cats are being avoided because people believe they are bad luck. The funny thing, though, is that some people think that they are good luck! So many people say, “Don't let a black cat cross your path,” but others do not agree. Apparently, this superstition can go either way. In addition, people have their own beliefs about Halloween and the luck of the holiday. A Spooky Holiday To most of us, Halloween is a fun holiday, but for others it is a fright fest. Everyone has their opinion. Whether you like Halloween or hate it, it will always bring you joy or fright no matter what! Bibliography Eveleth, Rose. “The History of Trick Or Treating Is Weirder Than You Thought.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 18 Oct. 2012, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-history-of-trick-or-treating-is-weirder-than-you-thought-79408373/. History.com Staff. “History of Halloween.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, op2009, www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween. DIY: Soda Can Pencil Sharpener! By: Danielle Ahearn You’ll need: One small cylinder container Silver sharpie Something to poke a hole in the container with One small pencil sharpener that would fit in the small cylinder container Tape Soda logo (search online) Directions: 1. Get one small cylinder container (a sprinkles container would work) and a silver sharpie. 2. Take the top off and put a little hole where you want to cut the little circle out so you can put in the pencil sharpener 3. Glue the sharpener in the sprinkle container. Make sure your pencil can fit through the hole into the sharpener. You may want to glue it to the top so it could fit through the hole. 4. Go online and look up any soda company logo and shrink it to about 20%. Print it out then tape it onto the can. Now, you’re done! DIY: Hand Sanitizer! By: Danielle Ahearn Ah, winter. As much as we all love Christmas, snow, and spending time with our families, we also need to be careful due to bacteria spreading. Viruses such as the flu and the common cold are very contagious, leaving many of your classmates absent from school. So, here’s a DIY article on how to make your own hand sanitizer, to hopefully keep some germs away. Before we go on to the tutorial, do keep in mind at school there are many staff and students who might have asthma triggers with strong scents, so it is recommended you do not use often, or do not put any essential oil in so there won’t be any scent. You will need: -1 measuring cup -aloe vera -tea tree oil -rubbing alcohol -essential oil (optional but needed for scent) -measuring spoon -something to mix the hand sanitizer with -a bottle to put your hand sanitizer in -sharpies (optional) Directions: 1. Take out your measuring cup and put in 1 cup, or 8 fluid ounces of aloe vera. Aloe vera can be found in stores like CVS or Walgreens. 2. Next, put in a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. This is the antibacterial part of the hand sanitizer. 3. Put in as much tea tree oil as you want. Tea tree oil is good for the skin; It is proven to help things such as acne and bee stings. Tea tree oil can be found at Walmart. 4. Put in a teaspoon of essential oil. There are many different scents of essential oils from peppermint to orange! However, in school if you are around anyone who gets asthma triggers from strong scents, you should skip this part. 5. Mix the ingredients together for a minute or two. 6. This is the tricky part: Getting the hand sanitizer into the bottle. It is suggested that you take a bottle with a wide cap so the hand sanitizer doesn’t miss the bottle. Make sure to be patient with this part because if you do it too fast it might make a mess. 7. Optional: Now, you can decorate the bottle! You can use sharpies and make cute little designs on the bottle. Now, you’re done!

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