"The Terrorist Bombing in Moscow," by Kelley

The Terrorist Bombing in Moscow’s Airport

            On January 26, a terrible bombing happened in Moscow’s Domodedovo airport. Officials believe that it was set off by a suicide bomber in the arrivals hall. As of January 24^th, thirty-five people have been reported dead and 100 people have been reported injured. Two of the people announced dead were Britons. This bombing occurred at Russia’s most used airport. There is lots of footage showing smoke and dead bodies everywhere. They believe that the equal amount of TNT would be seven kg in the bomb. That’s fifteen pounds! Russian TV's Vesti news program tells that the suicide bomber yelled, “I’ll kill you all” before lighting the bomb.

            Russia’s President, Dmitry Mendvedev, had extra security all across the capital and promised that whoever was behind this, would be hunted down and penalized. There was also mention of the Dagestan Region subway stop bombing in Russia’s capital. Two female suicide bombers were the cause of this bombing. They killed forty people and injured even more than eighty people.

            Since the explosion, all departing flights have  been canceled and all arriving flights have changed destinations to Moscow's Sheremetevo airport. Russian police are looking for three people associated with the bombing. The British Prime Minister states that, “We should never allow the terrorists to win”.

Source:

                                                        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12268662

"An Interview with Ms. Nadow," by Talia

1. What is your favorite movie?

“I hate this question because there are so many good movies out there. My favorite kid movie is either Elf, The Polar Express, or Despicable Me. My favorite overall movie is probably Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly, but I also like Secondhand Lions, The Fifth Element, and Moulin Rouge. And The Young Victoria."

2. What is your favorite television show?

“Castle."

3. What is your favorite holiday?

"Halloween… no, Christmas…no… Superbowl Sunday…no, Halloween.”

4. What is your favorite electronic device?

“iPhone.”

 5. What is your favorite store?

“The L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, Maine.”

6. What is your favorite part about teaching?

“My fluffy ducklings.” [Her students.]

7.  What is your favorite memory of teaching?

“Poetry Camp every year.”

8. What is the funniest thing a student has ever done or said in your class?

“Probably the day Max started undressing in the middle of class because he didn’t know that we don’t really do that in America in front of other people."

9. What college did you attend?

“Simmons College in Boston.”

10. What was your favorite subject as a kid?

“Lunch. And then band, chorus, Art, English, French, and that’s all.”

(Artwork by Tori)

"Cholera alert reaches Venezuela via Dominican Republic"- By James

“More than 20 Venezuelans have contracted cholera after visiting the Dominican Republic, the Venezuelan health ministry has said.”

            The infected were taken to a local hospital in Caracas and are kept in quarantine. The patients had gone to the Dominican Republic for a wedding celebration. Cholera had reached the Dominican Republic last November. A number of people living in Venezuela might also have Cholera.

"The people must remain calm because all those infected had attended a family gathering in the Dominican Republic," said Venezuelan Health Minister Eugenia Sader. She also said that Venezuela had sufficient medical supplies to treat the Cholera.

The Dominican Republic had reported 286 cases of Cholera. I Haiti, almost 200,000 people have been infected since October. The aid agency said that the infection is slowly down.

Cholera is a bacterial disease spread by contaminated drinking water or food, but is treatable with oral or intravenous re-hydration and antibiotics.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12292666

  

Softball in the Olympics by Talia

Softball and baseball were voted out of the Olympics as of 2012. The vote surprised even longtime International Olympic Committee members. Softball joined the Olympic games in 1996. Softball is a sport now played by all of the world. The sport has belonged to the USA since it joined the Olympics. The American softball team has won three of the four available gold medals. The International Olympic Committee considered replacing the sport with one from a waiting list of five: Squash, Rugby, Karate, Golf, and Roller Sports. Karate and Squash were nominated but shot down. Softball along with baseball, are the first sports cut from the Olympics since polo which was cut in 1936. The USA softball team broke eighteen records, some previously set by their own players. These records were:

--- Most Doubles: 11- USA (2004)
Previous was 10-Australia (1996)

--- Most Triples: 4- USA (2004)
Previous was 2- Japan (1996)

--- Most Runs Batted In: 46- USA (2004)
Previous was 32- USA (1996)

--- Most Runs Scored: 51- USA (2004)
Previous was 41- USA (1996)

--- Fewest Runs Allowed: 1- USA (2004
Previous was 7- Australia, China and USA (2000)

--- Most Stolen Bases: 8- USA (2004)
Previous was 7- Japan (2000)

--- Most Shutouts: 8- USA (2004)
Previous was 5- USA & China (2000)

--- Most Stolen Bases: 5- USA, Natasha Watley (2004)
Previous was 3, Jackie Smith, N. Z. (2000)

--- Most Consecutive Victories: 9- USA (2004)
Previous was 8, Japan (2000)

--- Highest Team Batting average: .343 USA (2004)

Previous was .296- USA (1996)

--- Highest Slugging %: .559 USA (2004)
Previous was .465- JAPAN (1996)

--- Most Hits: 73 USA (2004)
Previous was 70- USA (1996)

--- Lowest Earned Run Average: 0.12 USA (2004)
Previous was 0.25- USA (2000)

--- Batting Average: Lisa Fernandez .545 USA, (2004)
Previous was .524 (Chika Kodama, Japan (1996)

--- Most Home Runs: 5, Crystl Bustos USA (2004)
Previous was 4, Haruka Saito, Japan (1996) & Peta Edebone, Australia (2000) 

--- Most Runs Batted In: Crystl Bustos, 10 (2004
Previous was 9, Shelia Cornell, USA (1996)

--- Most Runs Scored: 9, Crystl Bustos, 9 (2004)  Tied
Chanfung Zhang, China (’96)

--- Most Wins: 9 – USA (2004)
Previous was 8 – USA (1996) & JAPAN (2000)

The USA Olympic softball team won a silver medal in the 2008 Olympics which was the last game of softball to be played in the Olympics. Both softball, and baseball are eligible to reapply for the 2016 Olympic Games. The loss of the sport affects our USA team in many ways. The Olympic Committee no longer founds the teams, which is hundreds of thousands of dollars lost. The team can no longer travel as ofter nor practice as often. The players can no longer make a living from playing on the national team. They have to have a normal job and play softball on the side. Now, the plan to save money is to condense its activities to about two months in the summer. A two time Olympian stated: “The money isn’t there and it’s not as easy to stick around with it not being an Olympian sport.” the same woman also said: “These women on this team, we have lives, we have to make a living. We have to pay rent and eat, and so I think that’s a big part of it.”. That sums up what is happening to the team without its Olympic involvement.

Sources:

• http://www.usasoftball.com/folders.asp?uid=153
• http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/8504326/
• http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2005-07-08-baseball-softball-dropped_x.htm
• http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=5399291

"Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World", By:Ellen

Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World is a quirky romantic comedy directed by Edgar Wright and is based on a graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. The film is about a 22 year old, bass-guitar playing, guy from Toronto, named Scott Pilgrim. When Scott meets the woman of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, he instantly tries to win her over. Unfortunately for Scott, he soon realizes that in order for him and Ramona to have a chance of being together, he must conquer her seven evil exes. Through out the movie, a wide variety of Ramona’s evil exes pop up at unexpected times and places, and he must defeat them all.

            What made the movie so eccentric was the art direction. The visuals were set up to make the movie have a comic book feel. There were screen divides, thought bubbles, plenty of sound effects, and even onomatopoeias that fly across the screen while the action was happening in the foreground. There was a lot of creative thinking into the artistic direction as well as subtle nods to the fans of the original Scott Pilgrim comics.

            The cast in the film was spectacular as well. The protagonist, Scott Pilgrim, was played by Michael Cera. His offbeat personality adds to the all around quirkiness to the film. Ramona Flowers, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is Scott’s mysteriously witty love interest and Wallace Wells, played by Kieran Culkin, is Scott’s sassy roommate.

            The script was superb. There are many subtle jokes that you will never catch if you just watch it once. This is one movie you can see over and over again and notice something new.

            This unusually funny coming of age story is very clever, there is something for everyone, there’s action, comedy and romance. I would give it 3 out of five paw prints.

(Artwork by Tori)

"The Facebook Comic," by Tori.

An Interview with Mrs. Carr by Talia

Interview: Mrs. Carr

      What inspired you to become a teacher?
I always really liked history and I wanted to help kids like history as much as I do.

2.   What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas

3.   What is or was your favorite cartoon?
I liked My Little Ponies™ when I was a kid.

4.   What is your project that one of your classes does?
I really liked the iMovie project we did in Model UN  this year.

5.   What is the funniest thing a kid has done in your class?
When Shubh wrote about Kentucky Fried Chicken™ on his test as the cause of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

6.   What is the best season? Why?
Summer, because I like to be outside and I like to go to the beach.

7.   What do you enjoy most about being a teacher?
I like when kids find something we talk about in class interesting.

8.   What is your favorite topic to teach? Why?
The Renaissance, because the politics are fascinating and the artwork is beautiful.

9.   Do you believe in magic?
No.

10.      Do you like teaching 7^th or 8^th grade better? Why?

I like them both, but I have favorite topics in each grade. I like Renaissance in the 7^th grade and World War II in 8^th grade.

An Interview with Ms. Buckman by Talia

Interview: Ms. Buckman

1. Why did you decide to become a teacher?
I decided to become a teacher because I really wanted to make a difference in the lives of children.

2. Who is the biggest inspiration in your life?
Probably my father to tell you the truth.

3. Why did you choose to major in science?

Because I’ve always been fascinated by science in general, and particularly with any of the life sciences and with chemistry.

4.   What is the most original science fair project you’ve ever seen?

It was using calcium oxide as a potential clean energy source. It was conducted by Shane Fitzgerald. It was probably the most original one.

5.   What is your favorite day of the week? Why?

Friday. The reason it is my favorite day of the week is because I get to talk to my boyfriend as long as I want to. I don’t have to go to bed at a particular time.

6.   Where do you want to travel?

Scotland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, any of the Scandinavian countries, Nova Scotia, Morocco, Australia, lots of places.

7.   What is your favorite children’s book?

The Giving Tree for sure. And any Sheil Silverstine.

8.   What is your favorite type of music? Why?

Well let’s see. It’s a tie actually. It’s a tie between rock, all rock and pop and country. I also like a lot of classical music and a lot of jazz music. There’s not much music that I don’t like.

9.   What is your favorite play this school has put on?

Oliver because my daughter is the lead.

10.                     What is your favorite animal? Why?

Turtles and the reason are because there are so many different species. And their behaviors intrigue me.

(Picture by Tori.)

Secretariat, a Movie Review by Talia

Secretariat the movie is a drama directed by Randall Wallace, and written by Mike Rich and William Nack. It is about a housewife named Penny Chenery Tweedy. As a child, she was the only one of her siblings to develop her father’s love for horses and horse racing. Before her father dies, he tells Penny, “Let him run his race.” he is of course speaking of Secretariat, her father would never sell that horse. When her father dies, her husband and her brother want her to sell her father’s breeding farm, but her father would never sell it. It had been losing money steadily but her father wouldn’t sell it. It is almost the time for the prestigious coin toss that will decide who gets what foal from the famous short distance champion, Bold Ruler. This foal is one that could save the farm. So while her brother, and her husband try to convince her to just sell it, she decides to study up on the bloodlines of the stallion, and the mare. When it is time for the coin toss, Penny Chenery Tweedy looses the coin toss, but gets Secretariat. She ends up getting Lucien who is a slightly insane French-Canadian trainer. Under him, Secretariat lost his first race, but it was because Secretariat was bumped coming out of the Gate.  As Secretariat gets better, the stakes get higher. There is another horse that is coming out strong called Sham. He and Secretariat race against each other. Who will win? Watch the movie to find out!

"Homecoming Week", By: Ellen

     
    Homecoming week is the one week each school year that students can wear whatever zany, creative outfits they want pertaining to the theme of the day. Friday was Decades day. Students wore attire representing the culture from the 1920’s to the 1990’s. Monday was Pajama day. Students came to school dressed in their most comfortable PJs and slippers. Tuesday was twin day.  All over campus, there were twins, triplets, and even some quadruplets. Wednesday was celebrity day. The students used their creativity and dressed as their favorite celebrities and pop culture icons. Thursday was blue and white day. Students showed their wildcat spirit by wearing blue and white clothing. Blue and white day also corresponded with our homecoming pep rally and the annual founder’s day ceremony. Students gathered in the gym as we reflected on the history of Academy at the Lakes. There were five teachers who were acknowledged for achieving the commemorative ten year medals. Mrs. Stein, Ms. Pisicante, Senor Legon, Mrs. Aucoin, and Señora Estrella were recognized during the ceremony. That Friday night, the football team played in their homecoming game. The Academy community really showed their support as the team portrayed great sportsmanship and brought their academy wildcat pride to the field. On Saturday night, the upper division had their annual homecoming dance in the gym. The gym was decorated beautifully. There was an array of lights and backdrops that completely transformed the gymnasium. Homecoming week was a great success. Both students and faculty showed their wildcat pride and support!

Tori's Cartoons, "Skiing Methods."

"Baseball's Hall of Fame"- By James

Baseball’s Hall of Fame

          Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were elected into the baseball’s Hall of Fame. Alomar was picked on 90 percent of the ballot on his second try. On his first try, Alomar fell short on the 75 percent votes needed to be inducted to the Hall of Fame. During Alomar’s 17 years in the major league, he batted .300 with 210 home runs and 1,134 RBIs. He also had a career average of .318 in 58 post seasons games. He won a record of 10 Gold Gloves at second base and was a 12-time All-Star.

          Bert Blyleven was picked 79.9 of the ballots. He had won 285 games and ranked fifth for throwing strikeouts. This was his 14^th time on the ballot and his stats had improved over the years. He was well known for throwing curveballs almost every game. He was in second place in votes, behind Roberto Alomar.

          Some people like Mark McGwire and Jeff Bagwell made a poor performance on the vote count. They scored the lowest which is under 50 percent. “Guys cheated. They cheated to themselves and their teammates. Baseball is meant to be played cleaned” said a BBWAA member (Baseball Writers' Association of America).

Source: ESPN, http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof11/news/story?id=5991808

"Mexico arrests Zetas drugs cartel suspect" By James

Mexico arrests Zetas drugs cartel suspect: Flavio MendezJanuary 18, 2011

            “The Mexican police arrested a suspect leader and founding member of the notorious Zetas drugs gang.”

            Flavio Mendez Santiago is thirty-five years old and was arrested on the southern state of Oaxaca. He was a former soldier and was accused of controlling the traffic of drugs and illegal immigrants in Mexico. There was a $1.2 million dollars reward for information leading to his arrest. He was classified as the thirty-seven most dangerous criminals in Mexico. Mendez was known as “El Amarillo” or “The Yellow One” and was arrested Monday night outside Oaxaca City with his illegal body guard. Mendez is accused that he joined the Gulf Cartel in 1993 and was to serve as a body guard for the cartel leader, Osiel Cardenas Guillen, before splitting to found the rival Zetas organization.

          The Zetas are one of Mexico’s feared drug cartels. They gained a reputation for extreme violence as they fought to take over the other cartels. Also they are known for smuggling South American cocaine and other drugs to the United States. They have made a huge profit by smuggling migrants from South and Central America to the United States. The Mexican defense ministry describes the gang as “the most formidable death squad to have worked for organized crime in Mexican history".

Source: BBC News
             http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12220885

  

"The Top Five News Events of 2010," by Kelley.

The year 2010 was a very eventful year. Of all of the things that happened last year, five main things come to mind. The BP Oil Spill was probably one of the most talked about events of the year. The tragic oil spill lasted for a full eighty-six days. That’s almost three months! Another horrible event was when the Chilean Miners got stuck in the mines underground. They were trapped underground for 69 days. A mine unexpectedly collapsed in Chile leaving nowhere for all 33 miners to go. Another tragic event was the earthquake in Haiti. It destroyed almost everything, and left lots of people homeless. The people living in Haiti lost everything in one day. They are still trying to rebuild everything and get back on their feet. The election of Florida’s governor was also very significant. Rick Scott unexpectedly defeated Alex Sink. Rick Scott spent almost seventy-five million dollars on his campaign. Alex Sink did some things wrong during her campaign, which hurt her chances alike. For example, she answered a helpful text message in an important debate where cell phones were prohibited. Another event that comes to my mind when I think of 2010 is the volcano eruption near the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier in Iceland. When the eruption happened in April, lava shot up a hundred meters and this caused lots of flights to be canceled. The last eruption in this area was in 1821.

Sources:

-http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100906112348AAcgaYq
-http://www.phongpo.com/search/how+long+were+the+chilean+miners+trapped
-http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2010/1103/Florida-governor-election-results-Republican-Rick-Scott-prevails-in-tight-race
-http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8578576.stm

"Golf Angles", By: Ellen

In the game of golf, the angle or “loft” of the club is a vital factor for hitting the perfect shot. Each club has a different loft angle which affects the outcome of the shot. The loft of a golf club is the angle that is formed when the club face lies respectively to the ground. The higher the measurement of angle of the club, the higher trajectory the ball will have and the shorter distance the ball will travel. Luckily, each club is also assigned a specific name, or a number usually ranging from 3 to 9. Much like the angle of the club face, the higher the number, the shorter the trajectory and distance the ball will go. The United States Golf Association has established a set standard for each of the angles and their corresponding numbers. There are different types of golf clubs as well. Wedges and irons are usually made of iron and are solid where as woods and drivers have bigger heads, are hollow, and go further than irons.  For an example, a pitching wedge can range from 47-53 degrees. A pitching wedge has a higher loft, therefore it used around the green to get the ball up in the air. A five iron ranges from 28-32 degrees and is typically used in the fairway. A driver has the lowest angle measurement of 8 - 13 degrees; it is used to hit a long powerful shot because the distance and trajectory is the largest. The angles may range for each player individually according to their comfort. Fortunately, the technology that is available now is extremely advanced and this can be easily done. The club loft is extremely important in golf. It is the main ingredient in the formula to create the perfect shot.

(Artwork by Tori)

"The History of the Florida State Fair" by Kelley

The History of The Florida State Fair

            The Florida State Fair is a very big event in Florida. It comes to town every year in February at the Florida State Fairgrounds. It is one of the most popular festivals. The fair has been going on since 1904. The only few years that it hasn’t come to town was during World War II. The current size of the fairground is 355 acres. There is no wonder it seems so big when you’re walking around there.

            There are so many amazing things to do there! One of my favorite things to do there is the huge yellow gunny-sack slide! It’s so much fun and it has been the highlight of the fair for me since I was little. Another one of my favorite rides is the flying swing ride. It’s so cool to be up that high! I also really enjoy the miniature bungee jump on the trampoline. It costs a little extra but it’s totally worth it. My favorite part is doing a lot of back flips. Another great part of the fair is the food. There are so many different things to eat and they even have stuff like cotton candy.

The fair is such a great way to start off every year and is super fun!

Sources

http://www.floridastatefair.com/fair-history

"An Interview with Brad Englund" by Kelley

Interview with Brad Englund

1. What was your favorite part of high school at Academy?
 My favorite part was playing soccer because of the experiences and going out and playing    with friends.

2. What was the college application process like?
Essays were difficult, all of the time deadlines were very hard to keep up with and it was very stressful.

3. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently, if anything?
 I would have taken more AP classes to have more credits to transfer into college.

4. What confirmed your choice in going to Georgia Tech?
 It is the top engineering schools, it just felt right, and I like the people there.

5. What is your favorite thing about Georgia Tech?
Football games. They are a great time and a lot of fun, before, during, and after the games.

6. How do you think Georgia Tech compares with other colleges?
There is a bigger emphasis on math and science there and is the top engineering school in the U.S. Also, everyone is smart there so there is more competition.

7. When you decided to go to Georgia Tech, did you think that you would have lots of snow to play in?
No, not much, if any. Especially not during Atlanta’s snow records.

8. What is dorm-life like?
It’s a lot of fun. We do a lot of activities together like sledding and football games.

9. What is the best part about being on your own and taking care of yourself?
Being able to do what I want, when I want without living up to others’ demands or expectations.

10. Do you have any advice for other students going through the college process?
That they should apply to a lot of schools early. When you are trying to decide, you must pick the one that will make you happiest and best prepare you for your future.

"High School Trip to New York City", By: Ellen

On November 18^th, after much anticipation, the high school went on our extended trip to New York City. We gathered at the airport at 5 AM to set out on our voyage. When we arrived, we put on our many layers of clothing as we embraced the chilly weather. The first stop on our tour of the Big Apple was the Brooklyn Museum. We saw many exhibits with a wide variety of themes and cultures.  Then we headed across the bridge into the city and got a great tour of New York University. We loaded up into the buses and drove through Times Square. After we took in all of the hustle and bustle, we enjoyed a great dinner at Bubba Gump in the heart of Times Square. Once our bellies were full, we went to Madison Square Gardens for a basketball game between Pittsburg and Maryland. Once the game was over, we braced the cold once more and ascended to the top of the empire state building. We snapped many pictures as we enjoyed the night skyline view. The next morning we loaded onto the bus and had a tour of central park and upper Manhattan. We strolled through central park and had a few hours to shop in FAO Schawartz, Abercrombie and Fitch, Trump Towers and Tiffany and Co. Then we went to the newly built Poptart world. Once we tried every Poptart flavor created, we went ice skating in Bryant Park. That night we went to an acting workshop. We could choose from three classes: stage combat, improvisation, or an audition. We also sat in on a question and answer session with Krysta Rodriguez who plays Wednesday Addams in the new Broadway musical The Adams Family alongside Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, which we had the pleasure to see after the workshop. On the final morning of our trip we rode the ferry and explored Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. On our final trip to the city, we practiced our bargaining skills as we shopped on Canal Street. Our trip to New York was incredible. We got to experience so much in a short amount of time. It was a blast and something we will remember forever.