Advice For Incoming High Schoolers

It is the time of the year when students are beginning to prepare for the next phase in their lives. It is the time when we reflect on our past endeavors and start to focus on new ones. The transition from eighth grade to high school can be an exciting but scary change. The older we get, the less we rely on our parents, and the more we begin to become our own person but this new found power also comes with responsibilities. Although at this stage in our lives, we are probably more than ready to ship off to college and leave our adolescent years in the dust, but it is important that we embrace the present and enjoy it as much as possible.  Here is a list of things to remember as you embark on the journey of high school:

1.       Remember to keep up your grades: although it easy to slack off, always keep in mind that college is important and the choices that you make in high school determine your future

2.       Make the most of your experience- there is a lot to do during your time in high school, try to participate in as much as possible and take advantage of awesome opportunities

3.       Get involved- there are many clubs and activities to join in such as student council, key club, and JSA that not only look good on resumes but are super fun and informative as well

4.       Stay organized- you will get a taste of being responsible for yourself and your things. Teachers are not as lenient if your organization skills are not up to par, so it is important to keep track of your work and make sure you turn it on time. Also, take advantage of renweb!

8th Grade Grad Night, by Tori

     Grad night at Busch Gardens was one of the best nights I’ve had, and it’s safe to say the rest of our school’s group was in agreement. Grad Nite at Busch Gardens is, simply put, keeping the park open only to local 8th graders from 7:00pm to midnight, which was more fun than I’d expected.
With many 8th graders from local private and public schools arriving, it was sure to be crowded. And it sure looked crowded inside, kids cramming up the paths, apart from the Timbuktu area and some outlying paths that led to the entrance. However, lines for rides such as Kumba, Montu, and Gwazi were far shorter than a normal weekend day, and went by quickly. Notice I didn’t included Sheikra in that list. We headed over there fairly soon after getting to the park, our school not late on arrival at all, and the line was 45 minutes, in the blazing sun. We just ditched that ride altogether, it wasn’t worth the wait. So, my two friends and I spent a good bit of our time in Timbuktu, where Cheetah Chase (or rather, Sand Serpent, but honestly, no one calls it that) and Scorpion are located, following our teacher’s advice that it would be the least crowded part of the park. It was a great time to just hang out with friends, and maybe socialize with new people. It was all fine and dandy, but one thing just set me off.
Now if we know anything about amusement parks, most people with any sense would attend a park in Florida, in May, in a t-shirt and shorts, or perhaps a tank-top. Not to mention, park rides don’t normally win the hygiene award every year. The so-called dress code enforced by Busch Gardens required pants or jeans and collared shirts, or for ladies a blouse or dress if so preferred. Dresses? Really? To many kids rescue, bermuda-length shorts were announced as appropriate, but those nice shirts can get stuffy. So imagine our thoughts when every, and I truly mean every, kid that wasn’t from Academy at the Lakes is waltzing around in everything under the sun that wasn’t part of the dress code. Yes, they were sporting t-shirts, tank tops, bikini tops (I kid you not), baggy pants in need of belts, short denim shorts, shorter sofies, and even shorter shorts. I even saw shiny silver tight pants straight from the 60s. I was miffed that we had been preached to that if our shirt had no collar we’d be kicked out, right when three girls in scanty bikini tops pranced by me, sweltering in the heat. Why bother making a dress code if it won’t be enforced? Although this was irritating, I did not let it ruin my night.
So, yes, I truly enjoyed Grad Night, and would relive it again in a heartbeat.

"Five Things You Must See in Paris" by Kelley

There are so many things and sites to see when you are in Paris, but so little time to see them all. The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Seine River are just a few of the most popular places for tourists to visit while in Paris. 

      #1 The Eiffel Tower is huge and it is 1,063 feet tall. There are usually huge lines to go up to the top of the tower. You also have to pay to go up the tower. IT costs even more money to go to the very top of the tower, but it is worth it. 

#2 The Louvre is a giant museum with many paintings and sculptures. Probably the most famous is The Mona Lisa. There is a completely different room where they have the Mona Lisa hung up a wall behind glass. There are security guards that try to push you away after you have taken your picture to let others take their pictures. The room is insanely packed with people and it’s hard to get a good picture.

           #3  Notre Dame is a huge church and is really pretty. It has beautiful architecture on the inside and outside. You can also climb up to the very top and look out off the roof.

          #4  The Seine River is a huge river and it flows right between the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre museum. You can also take boat tours throughout the day. It is a lot of fun.

             #5  The Palace of Versailles is a beautiful palace, but you have to travel outside the city to see it. It has a gold iron gate and the Hall of Mirrors is absolutely beautiful.

  

International Momentary Fund Head Pending Sexual Assault Charges

On May 16^th, 2011 IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a French national, sexually assaulted a maid in his New York City hotel suite. He will also be charged with attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment. The IMF and its officials have immunity and it is just a matter of time before the IMF says they will defend him and will get him advocated of all pending charges. In case you did not know the International Monetary Fund is and international, intergovernmental organization that is responsible for over seeing the exchange rates of each of its member countries, they also regulate and controls the loans and interest rates between member countries and its main goal is to help and stabilize third world countries.

Sources:

<http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-15/justice/new.york.imf.questioning_1_dominique-strauss-kahn-imf-diplomatic-immunity?_s=PM:CRIME>

<http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm>

"Doc Rivers To Have Surgery"- By James

May 17, 2011

"Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers has returned to Boston from his Orlando, Fla., home to undergo surgery on Tuesday for a non-cancerous growth on his throat, a league source said."

Rivers would not able to speak for two weeks after the surgery. Rivers signed a five years extension with the Celtics. In Mid-October, Rivers underwent a biopsy to determine if the lesions found in his throat were cancerous. After the tests, the results came out negative.

"I'm going to be around for a little while, it looks like," Rivers said in October. "I'm sure that disappoints everyone."

Rivers had been undergoing annual examinations of his throat and vocal cords because of the stress placed on those areas by his professions.

"Jim O'Brien suggested it two or three years ago and said every coach should do it," said Rivers, who has been spreading the word himself. "I'm glad I did it. I think most coaches should because we yell and use our throat a lot. It makes you more susceptible."

ESPN
   

"Five Stars for the HP dv5 Laptop" by Kelley

           HP’s dv5 laptop is a very good laptop. It is a very nice and lightweight laptop for students, or other people always on the go. The laptop has a 14.5 inch screen and there are so many different brightness settings which can affect your battery life. The maximum battery life that the dv5 laptop has is six hours and fifteen minutes. The battery life of most laptops will naturally decrease over time and usage. If you always keep your laptop plugged in and never let the battery die, its potential battery life will decrease tremendously.

            The HP dv5 laptop has a 500 GB hard drive which holds a lot of documents and pictures. It also has an Intel Core i3 processor inside. It also has the amazing Windows 7. Windows 7 is amazing and the way the desktop is set up is so much better than Windows Vista or Windows XP.  When you first turn on your computer, you can choose to sign up for automatic updates which is nice because your computer will not constantly bug you to update. It updates by itself. The computer is a great value for the price. 

"Heat Say Celtics Trio Their Inspiration"- By James

May 11, 2011

"MIAMI -- On the eve of an elimination game that could potentially oust the Boston Celtics from the postseason, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade cited the reigning Eastern Conference champions as an inspiration for joining forces in Miami."

Boston has ejected James from the NBA playoffs two of the previous three seasons. James' last game in a Cleveland uniform came in Boston on May 13, 2010, when his Cavaliers bowed out to Boston in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Heat pushed the Celtics to the brink of elimination with a 98-90 overtime win in Boston on Monday. Miami now leads the best of seven series of 3-1. They have a chance to close out the Celtics at American Airlines Arena in Game 5.

"Teams with a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series have lost the series just eight times in 199 series. Even though the Heat are now heavy favorites to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, they insist they aren't looking ahead."


Source

"Busuu.com" by Kelley

           Have you ever wanted to learn another language but never had enough time or not known where classes are offered. Well, there is a website that will teach you how to speak almost any language for free! It is called Busuu.com. Busuu.com allows you to select the language that you already speak and a level that suits you; either native or advanced. Then you have to choose which language you would like to speak. You can learn just about any language you want. There are also a few different learning levels to choose from; beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

            The way that Busuu.com teaches the languages is very unique. First, it shows you the order of the lessons that you will be learning. It starts off with how to welcome someone and how to say your name and your age. Then it starts to teach you how to say where you are from, describe people and things, and personal pronouns. Then it goes on to teach you how to say which language you speak and ask if someone speaks a certain language. The first way that Busuu.com shows you the vocabulary is with a picture and the definition. Then when the exam comes, it shows you the pictures and you have to choose the one with the right definition. Then you have to match the sentences with the correct translations. The last part of the test is a typing section. It says the words, and then you must type them with the correct spellings. It makes it easier to learn the language, and the best part is that you can learn it at your own pace. 

Water For Elephants Review

            Friday, the film adaptation of the novel Water for Elephants hit theaters.  After reading the book a while ago, I have been eagerly awaiting to see how it would be portrayed onto the silver screen. The film stars Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, and Hal Holbrook. The movie begins with Jacob Jankowski as an old man reflecting on his voyage with a depression era traveling circus. He flashes back to his college self. While Jacob is taking his final veterinary exam at Cornell, he gets life altering news which causes him to carelessly jump onto a random passing train. Unknowing that jumping onto that train would change his life forever. He soon finds out that he has joined a traveling circus and quickly becomes one of the circus hands. He begins to fall for the circus’ star attraction Marlena who happens to be August, the ring leader’s wife. Tension starts to build as Marlena and Jacob start to fall in love and we learn that August is an angry lunatic.

            What really stood out to me in the film was the cinematography. They really personified the scenery and atmosphere of a depression era traveling circus and it was obvious that attention to detail was greatly considered. The book focused more on the growing plot rather than the details of the setting. Surprisingly the acting was a little flat. I was disappointed with Reese Witherspoon’s insipid performance as the caring Marlena as it was not noteworthy. I though Robert Pattinson played Jacob Jankowski awkwardly well. As far as the romance between them goes, I felt it was a bit rushed and unbelievable. It did not gradually grow into a love affair as it did in the novel. What really kept me watching was Christoph Waltz’s performance. He plays the schizophrenic “bad guy” exceptionally well. So well in fact, you feel obligated to root against him.

            Over all I thought the movie was a good adaptation of the book. It was not drawn out, but it stayed exciting throughout especially with the help of a few scenes that were added for dramatic affect. It did the book justice and was entertaining to watch.