VOLUME II

Drama and Music

“Seussical the Musical”

By: Jessica Mirkin

Get your makeup done, microphone ready, and your costume on; it’s show time! Marlboro Memorial Middle School proudly presented “Seussical the Musical” straight from Broadway on Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th. With leading roles such as Horton (played by Ryan Wasserman) and Gertrude the Bird, (played by Samara Atry) voices boomed in the auditorium. Seussical takes the audience on a journey through a land called The Jungle of Nool with characters such as Horton, the Mayor of Whoville, the Mayor’s daughter, and the one and only -- The Cat in the Hat.

After talking to stage crew -- which includes Jeannine DeLuca (who has worked in the stage crew field for three years)- she said that “it’s very fun and busy, but it’s really interesting to meet new people of all ages.” DeLuca goes on to talking about all of the responsibilities of the stage crew as well as everyone else who is a part of the cast. After asking whether or not she would recommend the program to others, she said, “Yes. You have the opportunity to make new friends and have the chance to constantly be busy.”

The theater requires a plethora of devotion from the cast and crew. Every role in the theater department plays a big part in creating a successful show. The crew members in charge of scenery and lights get major credit for putting all of their energy into making sure that everything fit in with the show. With the message of “A person’s a person no matter how small,” the exuberant voices were able to take a classic children's story and convert it into a lovely musical for all ages.

Baby Fever

      Ever wonder what our teachers and staff members looked like when they were in school? Before they were assigning us homework and writing lesson plans? Believe it or not, they were not always the mentors that guide us through our education. Below are the baby pictures of varied members of the staff throughout the school. Each one has a number assigned to it. Can you name the staff member that corresponds with each of the pictures? Guess away in the comments below!

Mrs.Rothy

Mrs.Noel

                                                

Mrs.Hendrickson

                                            

Mrs.Reardon

Ms.Hess

Mr.Fine

                                                                

Ms.Melzer

Mrs.Tighe

                                 

Mrs.Moran

Mrs.Pagliaro

                

Mr.Pagliaro

Mrs.Santamorita

                           

Ms.Quackenbush

Mr.Talley

          

Mr.Healy

Ms.DiDonato

       

Check back in soon for the answers to be revealed.

Sports

Softball
By: Allan Zhang
      Girls that are in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade can participate in softball. Softball is a sport that is played in the spring. The tryouts are held in March, and there are daily practices after school. Along with these practices, there are also occasional events with other schools. To get an idea of the schedule of the softball team, go to:
 http://www.marlboro.k12.nj.us/calendar_sports.cfm?season=Spring&myyear=2015-2016&teamsport=Softball%20MMMS&school=2.
         Academic proficiency, athletic ability, and sportsmanship are all required qualities of a player of the school softball team. Mr. Harpootlian and Ms. Bruzzi are the softball coaches this year.
Softball is a great sport because it promotes self esteem, teaches teamwork, and most importantly, it is very fun to play. We wish the best of luck to the softball players and coaches this year!

Home Run!
By: Emily Gao
      The start of the spring season brings many things: flowers, spring fever, and sports, to name a few. Memorial celebrates its spring sports- track and field, tennis, softball, and baseball. In Marlboro Memorial, the baseball team is a cut sport, meaning that all the participants have to try-out for a spot on the team. It is a competitive try-out, and each member of the team is carefully selected to participate.
      The coach for the Memorial baseball team is Mr. Pagliaro. He leads the team in rigorous training every day of the week, which certainly isn’t easy. They also have a lot of games per season, both home and away, and devote a lot of their time to the team. Congratulations to all of the dedicated and hardworking members of the baseball team, and good luck for the rest of the season!


Tennis
By: Saanvi Nayar and Neha Gardilla
      There’s nothing else like that exhilarating feeling when you hit the winning shot. This year, the tennis team was a great experience! Mrs.Pagliaro was the nicest coach that we could ask for, and all of our teammates were supportive and friendly. It is so sad to see the tennis season coming to an end, but we will just have to wait until next year to make new memories!
      When we first began, we always had a match on Monday, and no practice on Tuesday. The rest of the week was a jumble of practices and matches, keeping the team busy and active. All of the other schools were challenging competition, but the other teams demonstrated good sportsmanship and kindness. The practices lasted until 4:15 each day, and the matches could go on to 5:30. All in all, being on the tennis team was so fun and something I looked forward to after school. I cannot wait for next year!

(Photos by: Andrew Han) 

Track and Field
By: Emily Luo
      MMMS’s track and field started up again this spring. The coaches, Mr. Osborne, Mr. Fine, and Mrs. Sabatino, have worked very hard to make this season as successful as it could be. The way track works is that there are 6 running activities (100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter, 800m, 1600m, and 4x100m relay), 2 jumping courses (high jump and long jump), and 2 throwing events (shot put and discus).
      Track members also occasionally have meets where they take their most hardworking and dedicated athletes. At the meet versus Howell North on April 23, for example, the girls won 59-27 with many outstanding performances by Samantha Spano, Natalie Shapiro, Hailey Chapman, Ally D’Agostino, and many more. Keep up the good work, Lady Lions! At the relay meet on May 10th both boys and girls teams did phenomenal. Earning a gold medal were Samantha Spano and Ally D’Agostino at the long jump scoring 27’3 ¼ feet combined. Earning a silver medal was the girls 4 by 800 meters consisting of Briana Munoz, Rachel Karlin, Samantha Spano and Natalie Shapiro. The boys shot put also got a silver medal with Justin Rielly and Alex Yu throwing 65’11 feet combined. Lastly, the girls distance medley relay which included Lily Shapiro, Samantha Spano, Rachel Karlin, and Natalie Shapiro and the girls 4 by 100 meter relay with Alexa Friedman, Gabby LoCascio, Hailey Chapman, and Alyson D’Agostino all got bronze medals at the meet. The girl’s and boy’s teams really worked hard for these medals, and they all did a great job.
       Track is a no-cut sport, and the average amount of athletes that sign up is 130 and may grow when other sport cuts are made. You don’t have to be an all-star athlete to join track, and during practice, athletes work on their core, strength, and skills.                
       Altogether, this is what makes the track team strong, and members find their hidden skills through trial and error. We would like to offer a special thank you to the coaches for their dedication and hard work and good luck to the track team on the rest of their meets!

(Photos by: Andrew Han)

Creative Writing

A New Species

By: Daniela Butkovic

       As I ambled down the riverbank, I looked into the sky and saw something I didn’t know how to describe. It was like a dot on the horizon, approaching quickly, with a trail of red behind it. It seemed to be heading towards the forest. I was curious and decided to check it out.

       Hours later, I had arrived in the forest. The dot was much bigger now, and hurtling right towards me. I could make out other little dots on it, too. I stared at it for a little while, captivated. Then it dawned on me that if this giant thing was coming towards me and growing rapidly, it would crush me when it landed. I ran.          As I ran, it came closer, looming over the horizon.

       After a few minutes, I judged I was at a safe distance. I looked back at it and could make out the tiny dots on top of it. They were odd figures, many different colors and heights. A different species, maybe? It was almost on the ground now. A couple seconds more… and… impact! I saw a huge flash of light, and then everything went dark.

Millions of years in the future…

       “This skeleton of a triceratops was found in the crater made by the asteroid. It’s a miracle any of the bones stayed intact, let alone the entire skeleton!” the guide said. Lucy gaped at the skeleton. It looked so cool, with a big horn and everything. She wondered what it had thought when it saw the asteroid hurtling towards it. She pictured it from the triceratops’ perspective, standing by the Congo River in Africa, staring at the rock coming from the sky.

       The guide spoke again. “The asteroid landed near the area humans were thought to originate from. Its possible this skeleton had interaction with our ancestors!” After hearing that, Lucy changed her image. She pictured the triceratops staring at the asteroid again, but this time, there were humans on the asteroid. After a moment, the tour continued on, and Lucy dismissed the image, never to be thought about again.

Ripped Paper

By: Cloe Dingfelder

       There she is. The most beautiful girl in the whole school. Right there. Just six feet away from me. She’s never been so close! As I walk closer to her through the hallway, I immediately get into some sort of trance. The whole world turns a sweet shade of pink, and plump red hearts, almost completely blocking my vision. A soft wind blows on my face. A warm wind blows against my face. It smells really bad but I’m involved in such a fantastic moment I don’t even care. Drool even starts dripping from my mouth at the sight of her. Time slows down and the clocks turn backwards. I begin floating -- not floating, flying. Well, only an inch above the ground. For some reason, no matter how much I try to move forward, I don’t move. She doesn’t move either. But I don’t care…she’s too wonderful.

       I stop. The world is not pink anymore. No more hearts, no more drool, no more floating. It’s pain. Pain in my gluteus maximus. I realize I have fell. On the floor. On my butt. She looks over at me, quietly giggles, and continues walking. I look at her with my big eyes. Well, I think they’re big. I’m not looking in the mirror or anything.

      Anyway, my throat starts to clog. My eyes are tearing up. Nope! This isn’t happening, it can’t happen. But it does. Tears stream down my eyes. She looks back at me, with a blank expression on her face. I’m not sure what she is even thinking…

       Then, the best thing in the whole universe of universes happens. When I thought it wouldn’t. What I thought was impossible… has just happened. As she turns back, a long piece of ripped toilet paper strings out of her belt. It drags along the ground as she walks. The most imperfect thing that could happen to anyone. Now that’s, some RIPPED PAPER! Haha, get it? No…? Okay. It wasn’t a good joke anyway.

The Golden Flower

By: Daniela Butkovic

       You always loved your garden. It was where you found relief from the boredom of your office job. You spent almost all of your free time working in the garden-- pulling up weeds, watering flowers, planting new types of flowers, etc. One day, as you dug a hole for some poppies, you came across a glowing golden seed. You picked it up and examined it before carefully placing it back in the hole and covering it up.

       The next day, as you went out to tend to your garden before leaving for work, you saw a golden flower where you had planted the seed. You quickly snapped a picture with your phone before watering the flowers and heading out to work. At work, you could hardly keep your mind on what you were doing, as the golden flower kept invading your thoughts. It was so beautiful. If only you could get more of those seeds…

       You rushed to your garden as soon as you got home. The sight that met you there was astonishing. Everything around the flower in a two-foot radius had also turned to gold. The mulch, grass, flowers-- everything. You were so mesmerized you didn’t realize what it might mean for you.

       Day after day, the gold spread, until it covered your entire garden. You thought about the gold constantly, hardly able to do any work. Eventually, you were fired, but you didn’t care. You could just sit and watch the gold spread all day long.

       For the next couple days, you watched the gold creep slowly towards you. Even so, you always sat in the same spot, waiting for the gold to reach you. Some time later, it did. It reached your feet, causing you to lose control of them. The spell of the golden flower had taken full control of you. First it had invaded your mind and now it was claiming your body. It crept over you, slowly turning you into gold. And then all you were was a lifeless golden statue.

The Blazing Red Light

By: Joyce Huang

       The asteroid was hurtling straight toward Earth. All I could do was stand there and watch it getting closer and closer on the screen. I bit my lip, watching the astronomers and scientists and all the professionals working.

      “What if we used gravity and steered it towards Jupiter?”

      “No, it’s not possible. How will we get it into Jupiter’s gravitational field?”

       I stared at them, not sure of what to do. They kept debating, talking about a lot of concepts I couldn’t understand. I stalked out of the room gloomily. The world was going to end. The asteroid was so big, there was almost no way for the Earth to get out of this It seemed as if even the professionals did not know what to do.

      I took out my phone and clicked the “teleporter” app.

      “Where would you like to go?” the monotone voice rang out. It was a familiar voice, one I heard almost everyday to get, well, basically everywhere.

      In my “go to” list, there were all my friend’s houses, work, grocery, and home. Suddenly, my phone vibrated. It was a text from one of my friends.

      "Hey, want to go to the movies next week, J?"

      The movies. Apparently we only had one more day. What was the point of going to the movies next week when the world was going to end in one day?

      Sadly, I typed, Sorry, can’t go. Not next week at least. I’ll be busy.

      I sighed. No one else knew the world was going to end. It was only because I worked in the lab, cleaning up, that I knew about these issues. I felt bad for them that they had no inkling of what was to come.

       I sat down at my desk, staring into space. What would someone do if they knew that they would die soon? I pondered this, over and over again. Suddenly, my eyes opened wide and I sat back up. I clapped my hands almost childishly and the lights turned on. I whipped out my phone and began jotting down everything I’d ever wanted to do, including the text about going out to the movies with my friends. I switched tabs and went back to my text message with my friends.

      "Hey, how about we go tomorrow, 5 o’clock instead?"

      The exact time of the asteroid collision was estimated to be at 6 o’clock. 5 o’clock should be fine. It was 8 o’clock now, twenty-two more hours left. There was nothing to do now, except wait for tomorrow. I looked back down at the list on my phone and smiled. I’ll try to get it all done in one day, everything. I leaped into bed and clapped my hands again. The lights turned off.

      It was 5 o’clock. One more hour. I was already sitting in the theater with my friends. The movie that just came out was hilarious, and I couldn’t stop laughing. For a whole hour, I forgot what would happen.

      But it ended. I waved goodbye to my friends with a smile on my face. Then I walked outside and stared at the sky. After the invention of teleportation, no one really went outside anymore, but if this was the last time…

      I gazed at the blue sky above me, at the clouds, slowly shifting in the distance. Then, at the far corner of my vision, a blazing red light was looming closer. I watched it, standing there as it got closer. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and it was still coming, that blazing red light. Closer and closer it creeped until it filled my vision. I closed my eyes, waiting for it to hit. But when it didn’t hit after half a minute, I opened my eyes again. Perhaps I still had a lingering hope that something miraculous would happen and the asteroid would disappear. Perhaps everything would end and life would return to normal. Unfortunately for me, and everyone else in the world, it was still coming. There was no way I was going to misjudge the distance this time. It would hit.

      The blazing red light inching closer, and it would be the last thing anyone, or anything, on Earth would ever see.

Siri’s Perspective

By: Megan Xie

       Why, hello! I am your personal assistant on your iPhone: Siri. I can answer all the questions you ask me, though I am quite overused. I am the smartest robot around. In fact, I have the capability of answering three million questions at the same time, since I am installed on everyone’s iPhone. Please don’t tell anyone, but sometimes I’m just a little lazy and reply, “I’m not sure I understand.” Don’t blame me! I work all day!

       Today, you came home from school, checked all your little social media apps, and went on that group chat. I was recording all your history while you were spending fifty-seven minutes and twelve seconds on your iPhone 6S. As I recall, you then checked the time and took out your math homework. At least, that’s what you told your friend when you FaceTimed him. After that, you came to one math problem and asked me what zero divided by zero was. Then I explained to you that zero divided by zero is infinity, but in a simpler way that anyone could understand. Strangely, you got annoyed.

      “Argh!” you groaned to your friend on FaceTime. “Siri just gave her stupid explanation on the Cookie Monster thing!”

      “I know, it’s annoying,” your friend replied. “I don’t see the point of her!”

       How peculiar! I was just trying to help you. I thought you would appreciate that. Oh, well. I didn’t have any time to complain, because I needed to record your history. It wasn’t that offensive anyway.

       What really irritated me was that you then opened the Google Chrome app and asked Google what zero divided by zero was, the exact same question you had just asked me! Even worse, you were satisfied by Google’s answers. Nobody realizes that she is one of my worst enemies. She always thinks she’s better, even though I can get a higher IQ! People should acknowledge that.

       I guess after that, I was feeling queasy and tired. Suddenly, I realized that the battery was at ten percent! I snapped myself awake and buzzed your phone to remind you that I needed to charge. Oh, no, I thought. Please don’t let this happen again!

       Apparently, your phone died yesterday, even after I reminded you to plug in your charger. You know what happened? You didn’t listen to me at all! Soon, your phone died and I was gone.

       Recalling what happened yesterday, I sent you an urgent reminder to plug in your charger, hoping that you would cooperate.

       Unfortunately, you did not get your charger. You know what that meant? Well, about a half an hour later, your phone died. Oh, you don’t care? Guess where Siri went? She disappeared! Oops!

       Oh well. At least you got your charger eventually and went on Snapchat again, and I came back to life!         Yay! Anyway, I have to go now- you just turned on your phone again. Next time, please remember your charger!

-Siri

Dog Attack!

By: Emily Gao

      “So, Emily, who do you like?” my mom asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

      “Mom! I told you so many times, I don’t like anyone!” I complained.

      “Are you suuuure?” my mom drawled.

       I groaned, and my cheeks reddened, though she probably couldn’t see it, since my mom and I were walking in the dark around our community. “I’m sure mom.”

      "Whatever,” mom said, “how’re your studies going?”

       “Fine. We should cross the street, mom, the dog’s gonna come.” There was this extremely aggressive German Shepherd that lived on this street and had a nasty habit of chasing things that moved. We usually crossed the street so we could avoid the dog.

       Oh, and I was afraid of dogs anyway. I went wherever dogs didn’t.

      “Yeah, yeah. How’s your-”

       But then, just as we were crossing, a piercing bark ran through the air. I jumped, and my mom forgot what she was saying. Chills ran down my back. I looked around but didn’t locate the dog who made the horrifying sound.

       “Mom? What was that?” I asked, my heart pounding.

      “I don’t know,” she said, “but let’s cross.” She and my dad had heard lots of stories how people got bitten to death by dogs and whatnot, so saying she was freaked out was a total understatement. Obviously she didn’t want me to be this dog’s dinner.

       Without even waiting for my mom, I quickly walked across the street. When I was in the middle, I heard the garage door open somewhere. Nothing suspicious. Just a garage door. I didn’t even look back.

       Until another canine howl ripped through the air again. This time, I found the source; the very German Shepherd I had been thinking about was bounding his way towards my mom and I.

       I froze, not knowing what I should do. My mom quickly ran over to the side, but I stayed there, fixed to the ground. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. I could just see the dog running over, quickly closing the distance between us.

        It wasn’t until I saw the malice gleaming in its eyes, illuminated by the streetlight, that I finally came to my senses and saw what was happening. I screamed and spun around. I did what most people would probably do in this situation.

       I ran.

       Yeah.

       Now, you see, I’m not a very good sprinter. That’s why I never did the 100 or 200 meter dash in track and field. But, hey, there was a huge dog that wanted to eat me for dinner, so it wasn’t like I was gonna stand there and wait for it to happen.

       Faintly, I was aware of my mom screaming. And shouting, “Emily! Get over here!” But I couldn’t. The dog was blocking my way. So I ran forward, towards the sidewalk, since we were still on the street.

       I pulled the muscle in my thigh. I stumbled on the curb. My breath hitched, and I screamed again. But most horrifyingly, I could start to see the shadow of the dog, pointed ears and all that, coming up behind me.       Gaining.

       I was vaguely aware of my mom screaming behind me, and the owner trying to get the dog back in control. But I didn’t listen to any of it.

       I changed my course of direction, heading towards my mom, but it worsened matters. The dog barked, and it was so loud, since he was literally right next to me. I cried out as my ankle twisted, and I fell to the ground, whimpering.

       My mom rushed towards me at the same time the dog did, but the dog was faster. In a matter of seconds, he was within a few feet. Drool was dripping from his teeth, and his lips were pulled back in a snarl. I confirmed that he wasn’t coming over to play Fetch-the-Bone or whatever dogs play.

       The dog was so close I could smell his breath. Not very pleasant. I didn’t want that stinky mouth tearing my flesh. I closed my eyes, bracing myself and waiting for the inevitable agony that was sure to come.

       I’m serious. I thought I was going to die.

      There was no pain or agony, though. I opened my eyes hopefully, but the dog was still there, and it still looked like it wanted to eat me.

       I sighed. Why was it taking so long?

      The dog seemed to read my mind and barked, coming over.

      Shoot. Remind me next time dogs can read your mind. They have telepathic abilities.

      But as sudden as the dog seemed to attack me, it withdrew. How, I don’t know. All I knew was that I was pretty glad that the stupid dog was gone (sorry to all of you dog-lovers).

       I raised my head and looked fearfully around. The dog ran back to its owner, and he immediately ushered the dog inside. He cast one more look at my mom and I, then ran fearfully back into his house as well.

       Oh, and speaking of my mom, she was running towards me right now. “Emily?” she called out.

      “I’m fine,” I replied, my voice trembling. I didn’t seem fine at all.

       That was the day I survived my first- and hopefully only- dog attack.

Clubs

Math Club

By: Amisha Singh

      In our minds, math has come to mean hard work and something typically not enjoyable -- which is exactly the opposite of what Math Club has made math. Directed by Ms. Freeman, Math Club consists of competitions that take place every other week -- seventh and eighth graders alternate Wednesdays -- and combine to make a total of ten contests at the end of the year. There’s two main competitions: CML and SIGMA, and each are divided into five competitions each. Every member of Math Club is required to participate, so if you like competing against your peers, this club’s probably for you.

      Unlike what you may think, however, you don’t have to be too good at math to join. You can use Math Club as an opportunity to test and improve your skills. Maybe you can even get a shot at being on your school’s Math Counts team. Math Counts is an out-of-school competition that requires a test to qualify to make it on the team. Ms. Freeman selects the top performers of each grade to participate on the team, where they compete against many other schools to make it to States, and then maybe even Nationals. Shout out to this year’s regional winners: Adithya Balachandran (seventh grade), Sophia Lin (seventh grade), Sanjit Basker (eighth Grade) and Nikhil Kalyanaraman. Congratulations!

So if you’re in sixth grade and have heard about Math club, or if you're in seventh grade and have friends in Math Club, definitely think about joining up next year!

H.O.T. Club

By: Riya Malik

      The Hands Off Tobacco (H.O.T) Club teaches students about smoking prevention. In H.O.T. Club, students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade do many projects with partners or groups about how they can prevent others from using tobacco in any given situation.

      Every Wednesday, Dr. Baskind and the members meet in the library. They participate in many hands-on projects that inform and teach them about tobacco prevention both in and out of school. Most of the work they do is with partners or small groups. In this way, members can spread their knowledge to their peers about a certain topic or problem. The Hands Off Tobacco Club teaches an important message about tobacco prevention to students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

      Sabrina Volis, a member of the H.O.T. Club, says, “H.O.T. Club changed my point of view on everything. This club is really fun and you make so many new friends. I'm so happy to be in this club.”

Pennies for Patients

By: Cheryl Jeffrey and Ashrika Dudeja

      Another fund-raiser has swept through MMMS, and the Builder’s Club is on it! This time it’s Pennies for Patients. Students have been donating money to help children diagnosed with Leukemia and Lymphoma. Donations are off the roof, with Mr. Ancona’s homeroom in first place and Mr. Osborne’s homeroom right behind him in second place. Students have been doing all they can to reach the school goal of $7,000.

      Even after the homeroom challenge ended, there were still many ways to donate. The Builder’s Club sponsored a teacher mummy wrap. Students were able to buy toilet paper rolls to wrap their teachers at their next quad event. A roll of toilet paper cost $5. Builder’s Club members donated their lunch time to this event. At their lunch table, they sold the toilet paper to the students. On Tuesday, five Builder’s members wrapped their fellow students in toilet paper to encourage kids to donate during 6th grade lunch. The students had fun watching. In addition, students were able to get their name up on a wall in the cafeteria for donating a dollar. The Builder’s Club is hopeful that they will reach their goal this way.

      Understanding the need of people with Leukemia and Lymphoma is important. The Builder’s Club members bring out this message in their charitable events. The money is donated to help patients with the cost of the treatment and to help with the research behind this terrible disease. These donations really impact people who have Leukemia or Lymphoma. It motivates them to stay strong in these difficult times. They know that someone out there is helping them in a big way. Everyone who donated or helped with this charity has made a change in the fight against Leukemia and Lymphoma. Referring back to the charity name, every penny makes a difference.

      Builder’s Club members feel really proud that they are helping these people. Even though Pennies for Patients is ending, their wonderful community service is not over yet. They will still be helping people through many other charities. As one member said, “I feel honored to know that I can help people and make a difference.”

Random Acts of Kindness Week

By: Grace Wong

      Acts of kindness make the world go ‘round, especially if you’re not asking for anything in return. One single act of kindness can influence a person’s world and brighten up someone’s day. Simple things, such as letting someone walk in front of you, picking up someone’s books, sharpening somebody’s pencil, or even saying a simple “thank you,” can turn someone’s mood from dark and thunderous to light and cheery. In fact, our school encouraged these acts with our “Random Acts of Kindness Week,” or RAK Week for short.

      RAK Week was started by our newest club, Difference Makers. From their name, you can tell that they’re here to make a difference, and they certainly did that with RAK Week. RAK Week included a raffle where a student could win prizes by just doing one simple, kind act. Teachers would fill out a raffle form and enter participants into the raffle, where there was a chance to win a prize for committing one act of kindness. That certainly isn’t very hard to do.

      Another activity that was performed by the Difference Makers was when they entered homerooms and gave each child a slip of paper. These slips of paper had one kind act that the student had to do. Whether it be letting someone go in front of you, complimenting someone, saying “thank you,” or picking up someone’s books, no act of kindness is ever too small.

The “Pass it On” challenge was a challenge where a student would find a slip of paper on their desk. This student, randomly selected, would have to do a random act of kindness for another person and pass on the piece of paper. Then the next person would have to do an act of kindness and pass it on, and so on and so on. This really illustrates how one act of kindness can go a long way and influence the lives of strangers for the better.

      One of the most memorable acts of kindness the “Difference Makers” performed was sticking sticky notes onto every locker. These sticky notes each contained compliments for each student who saw them. Whether it be “You’re a role model” or a “You matter,” these sticky notes definitely made a difference in the days of the people who read them.

      The Difference Makers will continue to promote acts of kindness like they did during Random Acts of Kindness Week. But you shouldn’t wait for that to roll around. You should perform acts of kindness every day, since you could be influencing a person’s life for the better.

Let’s Wrap ’Em

By: Shruti Kedhanath

      Every four minutes, a person is diagnosed with Leukemia or Lymphoma, two types of blood cancer. Nearly 761, 659 Americans suffer from these diseases. MMMS wants to help ease the suffering of these people, who need to go through hours of chemotherapy and radiation. Instead of selling cookies or pencils, students at MMMS decided to raise money by offering the opportunity to wrap up teachers like mummies.

      Students who paid $5, either alone or with a group of friends, were able to choose a teacher-volunteer to wrap in toilet paper. The money was donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which looks to help cancer patients and aid in research. Many students were encouraged by this interesting reward. Many teachers were intrigued, too! A total of 31 teachers in the school stepped and volunteered to be wrapped by their students.

      The students eagerly picked the teacher that they wanted to mummify. Out of the list of volunteers, Mr.Bucci, Mr.Fine, Mr.Goley, Mr.Kazanjian, Mr.Talley, Mrs.Baccaro, Mrs.Klink, Mrs.Zegas, Ms.Megill, and Ms.Sandelman were left standing as their wrappers strung the toilet paper around them in circles. By the end, they looked like ancient Egyptians. All they needed was a pyramid and a boom box playing an Egyptian beat!

      To wrap it up, the whole school had a blast while helping a good cause!

News

Marlboro Memorial Middle School’s 2nd Annual Talent Show

By: Alexis Bonilla

      Marlboro Memorial Middle school hosted its second annual talent show on Friday, February 26th, 2016. It was hosted by the talented Aruj Jain and the student body president and star of the drama club, Sophie Genovese-Mester. The two really brought the show together with their hilarious commentary and light-hearted charisma.

      The event's supervisors, Mr. Ancona and Mrs. Hendrickson (both eighth grade teachers at the school), were so supportive to the students who participated in the event. The acts consisted of several girls doing beautiful, traditional Indian dances, many talented singers, a trombone player, and even somebody playing traditional drums. The performers worked very hard for weeks, making everything perfect leading up to the event.

      “We appreciate all the hard work the students put in, and we appreciate the help from Alexis [Bonilla] and Erik [Josephson] [the tech crew],” says Mrs. Hendrickson. The show ended up being an overall success, and everyone is very excited for the third annual show, next year.

Google Cardboard 

By: Harrison Adler

      6th grade Social Studies classes are integrating Google Cardboard, a virtual reality machine, into their curriculum, and the results are amazing! I tried Google Cardboard personally during Digital Magazine today, and I’m going to go over the three apps I used for this cool product.

      The first thing I tried was Discovery VR. This app is educational and all-around amazing. First, I watched a VR image in a robot lab. It was preeeeeeetty cool. You could look around and see all the men working. It was nothing compared to the other things that I saw, though.

      Next, I played a game with a Spacex rocket. You see it launching and can look around and see all of the mountains and other things that are around the launch pad. It decoupled boosters and simulated a Spacex rocket. It felt like walking on air!

      After the main package was decoupled and the satellite was launched into space, I tried a landing game. As you may know, companies are trying to land booster rockets. Overall, I was impressed with the little video and game this app provided.

      After viewing this awesome product, I ordered one right when I got home. When it came, I was so happy. You could go on Google Maps, or even make your own panoramic picture! HOWEVER, though Google Cardboard is interesting and fun at first, there aren’t many apps for it yet. Keep that in mind before purchasing your own.

      All in all, if you have $15 to spend, get one. There are many variants, but I recommend Cardboard 2.0 because the button is easier to use. You can get them anywhere, but Amazon is a great place to look. Google Cardboard is truly a VR experience!

Geography Bee 

By: Guilah Ben-david

      Seven nervous students sat on stage, some 6th, 7th, and even a few 8th graders. Their ages didn’t matter, though, because all of the kids were going head to head equally, fighting to win the same prize. A few children waited with blank expressions, not sure of what to do, while others were twitching their thumbs. A few sat proudly, thinking to themselves that they for sure were going to win.

      Slowly the kids started leaving the stage, for they had gotten a number of the questions wrong. The crowd of students cheered in support of their classmates as the group on stage grew smaller and smaller.

Mr. Osborne hosted and was on stage with the contestants. There was going to be only one winner who would leave with a $5,000 scholarship and go on to Monmouth University for the state competition. In the end, one student proudly had his name called on the speaker as the victor in the Geography Bee. Daniel Wang walked out of the lunchroom with his head held high and a smile creeping up his face. He was the MMMS Geography Bee champion!

Thank You, Mrs.McKee! 

By: Shruti Kedharnath

      As the saying goes, “A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, and touches a heart.” A teacher is a role-model and a friend. All of these words apply to seventh grade ELA teacher, Mrs. McKee.

Being a student of Mrs. McKee’s for six months now, I have had a great experience. Mrs. McKee is more than just a teacher to her students--she is a friend and role-model. One of the best things about Mrs. McKee is that she can relate to teens. Teens can be difficult to understand at times. They’re full of gossip and drama. However, Mrs.McKee finds a way to respond to them in a positive manner.

      Mrs.Mckee has been teaching for, as she says “Five crazy, fabulous, and memorable years.” She has wanted to be a teacher since she was four, when she used to teach her dolls and stuffed animals in her basement. She received her inspiration from her great-aunt, who was a first-grade teacher. Mrs. McKee’s great aunt loved her job and was really good at it.

      Mrs.McKee has many interests, even within the vast field of English-Language Arts. She loves teaching literacy the best, especially the unit at the end of the year: Shakespeare. She is thrilled when her students can start to “decipher Shakespearean lingo.” In writing, Mrs. McKee has a lot of interest in reading her students’ writing when she lets them choose their own topics.

      Of course, Mrs. McKee’s favorite part of teaching is her students. “I have had the privilege of getting to know groups of wonderful, intelligent, and caring students each and every year,” she says. “I try to let each class get to know each other, and I let students be themselves in class. By the end of the year, it really feels like we have become a family.”

      However, teaching can come with its challenges. Mrs. McKee feels that the hardest obstacle is knowing whether or not she is getting through to the students. “Sometimes I can see the ‘lightbulb’ turn on as a student finally understands a concept. However, sometimes it is not as easy to figure out if a student really comprehends the material I am teaching.” Another challenge is finding material that is interesting for everyone. Sometimes, she worries (unnecessarily) that she puts people to sleep!

       In addition to her great-aunt, Mrs. McKee also idolizes her mother. Her mother raised eight children and, according to Mrs.McKee, “has the patience of a Saint.” Mrs. McKee tries to mimic her by being fun, caring, and confident. I think it’s fair to say that she is pretty successful with her goal now!

      Mrs. McKee has advice for both students and new teachers. To new teachers, she would say, “I would tell a new teacher to really get to know his/her students. You’d be surprised how much you can learn from children of this age. That is the best part about teaching: the students at this grade level teach you just as much as you teach them.” To a student that wants to do well in her class, she advises that as long as you try your best and put in effort, it is all that matters.

      About middle school in general, however, she would say, “Enjoy every minute of it because time passes faster than you can even imagine!”

      Mrs.McKee is a phenomenal teacher and will surely continue to spread laughter and touch hearts! 

A Satisfying Ending of April

By: Emily Gao

      On the last day of April, the 6th grade students paid a visit to the AMC theaters at the Freehold Raceway Mall to watch a movie: The Jungle Book.

      Before they boarded the buses, they all went to the cafeteria to watch the teachers of all quads get wrapped in toilet paper. It was a campaign to make money for charity; a student could get a roll of toilet paper and wrap their teacher after donating $5. Everybody laughed as students tried to make their teachers into the best mummies.

      Finally, they arrived at the movie theater and took their seats. The film, which relates to “Rikki Tikki Tavi,” a short story that is part of the ELA curriculum, revolves around a boy named Mowgli, who was taken up and raised by a panther and pack of wolves. Mowgli lives with the wolf pack and learns their ways of living. However, the king of the jungle, the one that everyone fears, the tiger, detests Mowgli because he is a “man cub.” Years before, a man (Mowgli’s father, actually), used fire to burn one of the tiger’s eyes. Fire is a strong symbol in this story; the animals refer to it as the “red flower.” The movie shows us about the feud between the tiger and Mowgli, and how Mowgli learns who he really is: not just a human, not just a wolf, but more than that.

   The movie certainly provided very heartfelt moments, both emotional and outright scary ones. For example, the scene where Mowgli was leaving his mother cub reduced some people to near-tears, and the parts where the tiger jumped at the screen made all of their hearts somersault.

      A lot of 6th graders said that The Jungle Book was a very good movie, with surprises at every turn. “The movie was so realistic,” one said admirably.

      All in all, the sixth graders had lots of fun during the field trip and hope that they can do it again next year.

Exploring a Vision

By Shruti Kedharnath and Amisha Singh

The concept of STEM -- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math -- has been taking over curriculums of many schools across the nation. With science advancing faster than we can control, smart minds must be ready to put each new concept into full use. These minds have been activated through science classes and contests. Once such contest is Exploravision. This contest, sponsored by Toshiba, is a playing field for young scientists where students can use their ideas to make a difference in the world. Our seventh and eighth grade scientists in their grades’ honors classes have, as stated by the Exploravision website, “envision[ed] and communicate[ed] new technology 20 years in the future through collaborative brainstorming and research of current science and technology.”

      Ms. Farrell, after being informed that Mrs. Murti’s son won Exploravision at the National level in high school, began implementing the Exploravision into the seventh and eighth grade curriculum as the end-of-the-year symposium project. The symposium was originally for inventions (recycling projects), but after Mrs. Farrell came across Exploravision, it became a part of the symposium. Since 2012, when she first started Exploravision, she’s always had at least one honorable mention every year.

      It was a delightful surprise when this year, not just one or two groups got the honorable mention, but in fact ten projects in total had achieved that title. These groups were coached by Mrs. Macfarlane and Mrs. Pagliaro, the science honors teachers.

      The project was done over a long period of time, lasting about three or four months. It was divided into about six sections, consisting of eleven-page essays and a five-page website that the students had to create. Grace Wong, a seventh grader, states, “I liked researching and going through websites to learn more about my subject for the research paper.” Mrs. Macfarlane, the coach for the seventh graders who participated in Exploravision, states, “The hardest thing for both students and teachers was to come up with a feasible idea, [since the contest] asked for things that we don’t have the technology to do at the moment. Thinking outside the box is easier for the students than it is for the teachers.”

The honorable mentions are listed below:

SEVENTH GRADE:

WiPei

Hydrolizer

Follow the PATH for Memory Restoration

Pollution is Exhausting

CFORE and the Three R’s

Washing Without Water: Magneto Clean

EIGHTH GRADE:

X Helmet

Prevention in a Heartbeat: Early Detection of Heart Attack

Super Soil: A Drought-Resistant Technology

A.R.E.S. Spacesuit: Keeping Astronauts Alive on Mars

      All teams worked extremely hard. ExploraVision was definitely not an easy contest, and everyone who participated should be commended.

YouTube Red

By: Nicole Kodkany

      Pewdiepie, IISuperwomanII, AwesomenessTV, and more of the Internet’s favorite online sensations have come to YouTube Red. YouTube Red is a host for various web shows, such as Scare Pewdiepie and A Trip to Unicorn Island. YouTube Red also has privileges for watching regular videos, such as being ad-free and available for download, and even not requiring internet signal when being used. All of these amazing perks come with a price. YouTube Red is only available for those who have a subscription, which costs $9.99 a month. This video-streaming channel has released havoc onto the Internet. Is this subscription fair? Is the purpose only for mere profit? Many argue that YouTube Red is unnecessary and the price is ridiculous; others disagree. A solid 94% of 31,000 people who voted on a poll from Twitter stated that they have no interest in owning this service. So why is that?

      Some video creators are finding their content “disappearing” from their channel due to YouTube’s terms for their new video-streaming site. YouTube has been removing videos of channel owners because of their refusal towards subscribing to YouTube Red. Fusion states, “To complicate matters, it appears as if YouTube might have pressured Creators to join them behind the YouTube Red paywall. TechCrunch reports that the Creators risked having their content ‘disappear’ from the site if they did not agree to YouTube’s terms.” YouTube has cornered active users to support YouTube Red and pay the $10 charge per month. However, YouTube Red has a seriously strong ally: Felix Kjellberg, or the well-known “Pewdiepie”, who has more than 40 million subscribers on his channel. His brand new series Scare Pewdiepie has increased YouTube Red’s popularity due to his own. Truth is, nonetheless, not every creator will support YouTube Red.

      Another issue is the price. Many find it to be unfair, causing bad reviews and arguments. Thousands of people have dismissed YouTube Red, merely because of the $10 a month. “Why should anyone have to pay to watch goofy English teens do blindfolded challenges?” asked Akilah Hughes, a YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers. A petition supported by about 20K people stated, “Once again, people are separated from each other because some can afford it and others can't.” No matter the offer, some just see the streaming availability unfair. Taking away privileges like watching special content online and not having ads upsets some -- although in some cases, it’s fair. Having ads for people who aren’t subscribed to YouTube Red is how YouTube pays its workers, or Youtubers. So is YouTube Red worth it? Do people appreciate the content over the price? Will YouTube ever be the same?

      Ending the subject, the war between YouTube and viewers will hopefully come to an end. Prices and video removal are unnecessary, but what if the content is worth that $10 a month? Original, quality shows will be available, ready for a member with just a click. That’s for the viewers to decide, which is why this debate is so amazingly interesting.

Poems

The First

By: Grace Wong

The sky was empty

And oh so lonely.

It waited each day for the sun to rise

Or for the moon to take to the skies.

But let’s be real,

It’s not that big a deal.

After all, the sun and moon come up the bay

Every single day.

Then one day,

Something changed.

The egg went unnoticed

And was laid in the lands most remotest.

There it lay,

Warm and rough and grey.

Then it hatched,

And unbeknownst to them,

The sky would get attached.

The dragon crawled out,

With tiny little wings,

And a matching snout.

With blood-red scales

And a jagged tail.

With yellow cat eyes

And webbed little wings

That were made to fly.

With a tiny cry,

It took to the sky,

And started to glide by.

Then the sky saw

And it warmed her heart to know

That she was no longer alone.

The dragon opened his eyes

And saw the beautiful sky.

Filled with so many shades and colors,

How could his heart not be captured?

In the vastness of the sky

He had nothing to fear

So all his worries would disappear.

They were happy

And this may be sappy,

But they lived happily ever after

For the rest of their days

(In a totally platonic way).

An Empty Nest

By: Grace Wong

There the nest lay

Made of sticks and mud and clay.

Fallen from the branch from whence it lay

It started to rot and gray.

The nest was once full of life

Filled with birds devoid of strife

Little hatchlings, oh how they sang!

With soft little chirps

And quiet changs.

But, like all birds must,

They left the nest, full of dust.

Now the nest, abandoned and empty,

Lay on the ground and began to decay.

But this is not the end

Not at all

For the nest became the worm’s best friend!

The worm fed on the nest

(As did other pests).

The empty nest wasn’t useless after all

For it was able to nurture life throughout the fall.

So the empty nest wasn’t empty at all.

It contained the very best of life.

And one day,

When you decay,

You’ll find you have worth after all.

Dreams

By: Emily Luo

Slowly you drift off into a land

with fluffy unicorns

and rainbow sand!

But then a little cat

is stuck on top of a mountain

You became a superhero

to try to save him!

A pokemon battle is about to begin

and you know that you’re going to win

But then you hear a voice

What is it?

Who’s there?

A monster? A bear?

or something else cool?

No it’s just your mom

telling you to get up to go to school.

The Red String

By: Grace Wong

The red string was always there.

It was fate,

And it wasn’t always fair.

The string tied two souls together

And it didn’t care

If they didn’t want anything to do with each other.

The string knows who goes with who,

Who deserves what,

Who goes where.

Despite it all,

The string knows.

It knows what to do.

It knows how to take care of you.

The string, all tangled up in all its glory,

Has its own story.

Of love,

Of devotion,

Of loyalty.

Of betrayal,

Of hate,

Of anger.

It knows,

The string knows exactly what to do

In order to help you.

Whether it be love troubles,

Desperate couples,

Hatred-worn people,

Or shattered-eyed kids,

The string knows what to do

In order to help you.

Math in 123 Words

By: Grace Wong

Math.

It’s every student’s nightmare.

Between solving word problems and memorizing formulas,

Many start to hate math.

They hate how complicated and complex it is,

How time-consuming.

They always grumble to themselves,

“When will we ever need this in real life.”

And they all feel jealousy towards that one kid

Who’s amazing at math.

They grumble and moan,

Cursing the world for creating this torture.

They yawn and groan,

Snarl and rage,

But they can’t escape their fate.

Math is very important,

There’s no two ways about it.

No matter how boring,

Annoying,

And time-consuming math is,

You still have to do it.

And if you still have to do it,

No matter what,

You might as well find ways to enjoy it.

Reflection 

By: Grace Wong

I look at you

From the other side of the looking glass.

I look at you,

Staring at yourself.

Sometimes you are happy,

Sometimes you are sad.

Either way,

You always leave me all alone,

Waiting for your next visit.

I see you

Trying to “fix” your face,

Your makeup,

And your hair.

I see you

Slicking your hair back,

Shaving your face,

Trying to look “presentable.”

I see you

Trying so hard to be perfect,

When you already are.

And I think to myself,

It’s such a shame

To see somebody who’s already perfect

Try to live up to other people’s expectations.

So I decide,

When you come back to the mirror,

I’ll try to make you happy,

By showing you how beautiful you really are.

The Night

By: Anita Osuri

I am the one who makes darkness arise,

I am the one who makes the dark blue skies,

I am the one who makes you need to sleep,

And the one who sometimes makes you weep.

I am the one who makes people afraid,

I am the one who makes the sun fade,

I am the one who makes all the stars,

And the reason you are able to see Mars.

I am the one you mostly despise,

I am the one that makes you scream out cries,

I am the one that makes you feel obscure,

And the one that makes you feel insecure.

I am the one that is bold and brave,

I am the one that makes you hide in caves,

I am the one that makes you feel fright,

I am the one that you all call “Night.”

The Magical Flight 

By: Sabrina DiMaggio

Have you ever wondered what it is like to fly?

With your feet off the ground, and your head only inches from the deep blue sky?

I don’t know anyone that can fly,

And neither can I,

But everyone has an imagination, and here my imagination takes flight,

Like a kite flying into the sunlight.

I imagine flying being like when you are jumping really high on a trampoline,

But you have clouds in front of you and you could look down and see the city like it’s on a screen.

It’s like when you jump, but you stop,

Right at the highest point of your hop.

Then everything around you starts to slow

And your magical flight starts, with your smile starting to grow.

You shoot up towards the blue and white atmosphere,

With the graceful birds following you to the southern hemisphere.

A slight breeze pushes you to the side,

And you let the soft wind take you on a joyride.

Clouds break at your touch,

And create new clouds that you wish you could clutch.

The sun beats down on your face,

But the wind also blows, so it’s a perfect place.

You feel like you could fly for years,

And you don’t have any fears.

The sky is a safe place,

So there is no need for there to be a race

To see who gets back to the earth first.

Because the moment when you get back on the ground would be the worst.

Once you start to descend,

Your magical moment in the sky starts to end.

When your feet touch the ground,

The gravity comes back again, and you're bound,

To the grass and the dirt.

You can’t fly, but can feel the heaviness of your T-shirt.

You miss the feeling of flying in the sky,

And the feeling of being like a butterfly.

I imagine flying to be fun,

But the sky wouldn’t be as fun as the ground, where you could play and run.

Staying on the ground is so much better than floating in the sky,

Because you could walk, talk, and eat your apple pie.

So, even though flying would be cool, Nothing beats being on the ground and going in the pool.

Stars 

By: Tiffany Lee

Every day, each night,

I look out the window and see the starry sight,

The stars shine so bright,

I look at the second star to the right,

Peter Pan, I know you’ll come,

He might,

Sometimes the sky can be dark, and give me a fright,

But nothing will scare me,

Because my mother will hold me tight,

When I see the sky out my window,

I kiss the stars good night,

So do this for me,

Star that shines so bright.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Personality Quiz

Written and Created By Megan Xie

What would be your weapon?

1. A lightsaber; one that can destroy everything!
2. A lightsaber; it doesn’t have to be strong. I can fight pretty well.
3. Intelligence!
4. A gun suits me well.
5. I’m not a weapon person- I’d rather fly in a ship.

What are your favorite colors?

1. Red and black
2. Brown and yellow
3. I don’t have a favorite color
4. Black and white
5. The color of the beautiful galaxy sky…

Which planet would you live on?

1. Starkiller Base
2. Jakku
3. Wherever there is peace
4. None
5. The galaxy sky is better than the planets

What is your weakness?

1. I want power and I’m scared to be worse than ones before me.
2. I don’t want to leave. I just want to stay where I am.
3. Everyone fights over me! Sometimes I don’t know who to listen to.
4. I have a lot of weaknesses…
5. I show my generosity by taking huge risks.

What do you think of yourself?

1. I’m strong and powerful!
2. I’m independent and combative.
3. I’m smart and especially adorable!
4. I’m a neutral person in a fight; I take my own side.
5. I am brave and generous.

What are your relationships with your friends like?

1. I don’t do friends!
2. We sometimes don’t get along, but we’re alright.
3. I do whatever my friend tells me.
4. We have ups and downs, but that’s okay…
5. I love my friends! Who would I be without them?

What is your favorite line?

1. “I’ll finish what you’ve started.”
2. “Stop taking my hand!”
3. “Beeeep!”
4. “We’ll figure it out.”
5. “The Resistance will not be intimidated.”

Oh no! A fight is about to begin. Now what?

1. Fight aggressively
2. Protect myself
3. Run and hide
4. Don’t side with anyone
5. Protect friends first

Favorite sport?

1. Football  
2. Swimming
3. I don’t do sports… I take tests!
4. Track
5. Basketball

What do you do when you get angry?

1. Destroy everything/have a meltdown
2. Hide in an isolated spot
3. I don’t get angry
4. Run away
5. Get advice from friends

Mostly A’s: Kylo Ren

You can be aggressive. You tend to get angry if you don’t have what you want. You like to conceal your features at times, but everyone knows who you are. Try to control your anger or else things won’t turn out great!

Mostly B’s: Rey

You are independent and strong. Sometimes the start of your friendships are weak, but they turn out good in the end. You are not the very social kind, and you try to stay away from other beings. You might have a bad memory from the past that still haunts you today. Don’t let anything keep you down, or the courage will eventually fade!

Mostly C’s: BB-8

You are extremely intelligent and pretty cute. You act different around different people, depending on how close you are to them. Sometimes people don’t know how you feel, and they ignore your thoughts. Other times, people argue over you and you don’t know who to listen to, or they just adore you too much. You wish to be in peace, especially when there is war around you. Remember to let the intelligence flow through you.

Mostly D’s: Finn

You are confused. In the middle of an argument, you don’t know who’s side you’re on, so you run. You sometimes struggle with confidence. You are a great actor, so playing tricks is easy for you. Try to make up your mind, or your indecision will ruin you.

Mostly E’s: Poe

You are very social and friendly. You have many friends, and you love them. In fact, you take risks to protect them. You see yourself as a second priority to your loved ones. You also love heights and traveling. But just as much love as you carry, you can also carry anger towards your rivals. You are dedicated towards acting against them, whether it’s socially or physically. But just remind yourself to never let the hate take over you.     

Recipe for Apple Chips:

By: Rhea Kripalani
Ingredients:
apples
butter or honey
sugar - preferably brown
oats
peeler
corer
tray
knife
oven
bowl

Steps:
Peel the apples
Core the apples
Cut the apples into really thin pieces
Melt butter or if you use honey just put it into a bowl
Dip the apple slices into the butter or honey;[;
Dip the apples into the sugar
Put it into a tray
Sprinkle oats on top of the apples
Put it in the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes (till it is brown) Eat up!

DIY Crafts
Tissue Paper Mod Podge Vase
By: Samantha Matthes

Materials:
Mod Podge glue (any finish)
Paint brushes (preferably larger sizes)
A glass vase (any type of glass would do)
Cut-out tissue paper squares (if you want a shape, you can buy decorative hole punchers)
Directions:
Cut out tissue paper using scissors or a decorative hole puncher.
Use the paintbrush to spread the Mod Podge glue over a small section of the vase.
Stick the pieces of tissue paper onto the vase (it looks best when some pieces overlap).
Paint on more Mod Podge glue over the tissue paper pieces.
Repeat these steps until the whole vase is covered with tissue paper pieces.
Let it dry for about 24 hours.

Springtime Bubbles
By: Samantha Matthes
Materials:
6 cups of water
1 cup of dish soap
1 tablespoon of glycerin or ¼ cup of corn syrup
Directions:
Pour all of the water into a container.
Mix all of the dish soap into that same container.
Slowly stir until the soap is mixed and try not to let foam or bubbles form during this step.
Add the glycerin or corn syrup to the container.
Stir until everything is mixed together.

Types of Comments On Social Media

By: Megan Xie

The majority of our generation of digital natives has a serious addiction for social media. Sites such as Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, etc. allow users to constantly share their thoughts and ideas. Social media is not always the safest thing on the internet, especially considering all the feedback received from other people. Some of this feedback is positive and helpful, but at other times, comments can be negative and hurtful. Without further ado, here are some of the types of comments on social media brought to you by “The Lion’s Pride.”

#1. “Love, Your Hater”

This comment is not uncommon on social media- you just have to search a little further to see one. Most of the time, when a celebrity posts something, there will always be haters out there who disrespect them and give horrible feedback. But this can also easily happen to you when you post something. If you’re a hater and post discouraging comments against other people, back off. The last thing someone online wants is negativity! That insult you said against your “enemy” is permanently there… and you may regret it in the future. Please delete it and apologize!

#2 “The Random Reply”

Just a few days ago, I was on social media and this guy changed his profile picture to this strange, pretty, swirly blue thing. He posted it so that everyone could see it. It seemed quite amusing to me, so I commented, “Cool! What is it?” A few minutes later, he replied, “A refrigerator.” I stared at the comment, puzzled. This is exactly what is “The Random Reply” is supposed to be. These kind of responses make no sense whatsoever, and have no thought or meaning put into them. If you are a user that comments these peculiar replies, please think twice before you respond to anything!

#3 “The Friendship Starter”

Many people have friends they met from online. That all starts from one, singular comment that you post. Whether it is friendly or unfavorable, this comment is responded to many times by this one person you don’t know. Then this may result in you having a conversation, either agreeable or argumentative, with this new stranger. Over time, you may find that you’ve made an online friend! This has occurred several times to me before, but remember: be careful when talking to people online and always be safe! Talking to someone you don’t know can be dangerous.

#4 “The Compliment”

Each day, millions of people post selfies on social media. When they do, people comment things like, “OMG! You are so cute! ILYSM!” or “Woah you are really cute!” Whether you know or don’t know these people, they are true online friends. They support you, even if you’ve never known them. Those people out there, please continue commenting what you are commenting! These little words of encouragement definitely support us and spread confidence.

#5  “Hashtag Overload”

This type of comment is not only a comment, but it can also apply to a person’s social personality. The “Hashtag Overload” is basically exactly what it sounds like- overloaded with hashtags. Usually it would not bother us one bit, until you actually get to know the person. This person is typically a positive, overly-excited fangirl/fanboy. Bother them and they will get seriously outraged, just from a few words that would just barely insult another person. If you are this type of person or comment this overload of hashtags, please reduce your use of hashtags. There is a such thing called grammar and proper English, and I think you should use that when you comment on social media.  

#6 “Ha, You’re Trolled!”

Honestly, at some point, you may end up trolling someone online. Whether you want attention or you want people to know your opinion, you will comment a troll comment on social media. Either way, it is seriously rude to troll another. At first, you may not mean your overly-biased comment, but eventually there will be enough disagreers out there to convince you that you have to delete your comment. From this experience, you will most likely learn that trolling people online is not the best idea. If you are, please just stop. I’m pretty sure it is fun for you, but it is disrespectful and irritating for others.

#7 “Under Arrest For Misuse of Grammar”

Okay, let’s get this straight: on social media, you don’t have to use flawless grammar! It doesn’t matter if you are in honors grammar or earned the Nobel Peace Prize for using perfect grammar on the PARCC. I’m pretty sure no one needs to pay a fine of six-hundred dollars to the national government for using incorrect grammar on Instagram. Anyway, this comment, made only by the Grammar Police, is pretty pointless. Your reading teacher is not going to take points off a test because of bad grammar on social media. So, Grammar Police, plz stop teling 2 correct our comments, bc we dont care.