HALS Scoop Brief Booklet - Year One

YEAR ONE

Once in a while, one will come across a few opportunities that will have a life changing effect on them.

This happened to me when I was fortunate enough to intern and volunteer my time at HALS Academy in New Britain, a middle school filled with some of New Britain’s most gifted and talented students.

The internship was tailored towards young minds that had an interest in writing and journalism. These students were placed in a group that was guided by the brilliant mind of Dr. Aimee Porzorski, an associate professor at CCSU in the English department. She was also aided by a couple of her students that didn’t mind coming out to volunteer their time to help out.

Where do I come into the picture? I was the layout designer for this project. We had a great oppurtunity to link up with the New Britain Herald newspaper. So, the stories that were created by the students, were placed into a newspaper layout. We were able to get two of our issues published into the paper.

It’s a great feeling seeing something you created get published and put out for the world to see. It’s a greater feeling seeing the faces of these students light up when they saw their names and stories published into the town newspaper.

It may seem like a small project to some, but it definitely made me realize how much of a huge impact design can have on the world.

2013 HALS Academy Newspaper

Graydon Parrish (b. 1970) The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy; September 11, 2011, 2002-2006 Oil on canvas, 77 x 210 in. Charles F. Smith Fund and in memory of Scott O’Brien who died in the World Trade Center, given by his family. 2006.116.

Tragedy Fuels Artist’s Vision

By Yusra Khan Hals Academy

NEW BRITAIN- The New Britain Museum of American Art is a wonderful place full of astonishing structures, paintings, and artwork. According to their website (found at nbmaa.org), “the New Britain Museum of American Art’s founding in 1903 entitles the institution to be designated the first museum of strictly American art in the country.”

As you enter the museum, you see a guard made of wax standing at the gate. At first I thought it was a real human because it was made to look so life-like. It has real looking skin, nails, and hair. But as I got closer I noticed it is a very skillfully made statue.

As you continue to move through the first floor, you’ll see a model of a room, which

gives a 3D view from a small glass portal. Near to this, as you turn right to enter the staircase, you see an amazing piece of artwork involving thousands of colorful paper cups arranged beautifully on a big wall. Closer, you see a hanging artwork that is made entirely out of crystal glass.

After that, you get to the top of the stairs, where you see rare paintings made by celebrated American artists. There are some paintings showing the city of New York in 1900 and some other structures made out of domestic junk like newspapers, toys, and old cooking utensils. One the most impressive works reveals the way in which pencil lead can take the shape of such structures as a house or a giraffe.

As you move to the left you will see what many consider to be the centerpiece of the

upstairs collection: a large mural representing the tragedy of September 11, 2001 painted by Graydon Parrish.

It represents two men in the figure of towers. Then it shows two young children holding airplanes, which represent how the twin towers were attacked by the airplanes.

There are also some people on the ground who are dead or dying. In the background, there is smoke all around.

And in the very corner, there is the Statue of Liberty, with the light of the torch still glowing. I think this is a very nice and interesting painting.

There is no doubt that the New Britain Museum of American Art is a wonderful place and everyone in the city should visit it in order to appreciate the great work. In fact, it is a cultural landmark that New Britain should take pride in.

Dressing Up The Hood

By Usman Jalil, HALS Academy Last week, my street was filled with Halloween surprises. On October 31, kids are always very happy: kids love Halloween because they generally love candy. It is really fun, but the question remains: who created Halloween? Halloween was first a tradition Europeans created hundreds of years ago. Halloween was born around the 16th century. (On buzzle.com, Nicholas Rogers explains that Halloween is not inspired from one, but many other cultural festivals.) The first official citywide Halloween celebration was Anoka, Minnesota in 1920.

My neighborhood is crazy about Halloween. One of my neighbors put up themes this year. Three years ago, my neighbors had a theme of zombies and the second year they had aliens. This year they’re having a theme inspired by the movie, MIB 3. My other neighbors wear different costumes every year. One year the wife was a tango dancer and her husband was a scarecrow.

I love Halloween because I can express my feelings and the candy but, like most kids, my sisters love Halloween because of the candy.

The Thrills Of Competition

By Kimberly Holder Callender Hals Academy

NEW B R I TA I N R e a d y, G e t s e t , G o ! Yo u have probably heard that at HALS competitions before, but what about throughout the rest of America?

A l l o v e r t h e c o u n t r y, schools host physical and academic competitions just like us. So the question is, “Which competition is better: Academic or Physical?”

Academic sports have been around long enough for “kids” to call it boring. But is it really? In the southeast, North Carolina middle school students do a Battle of the Books where they have to read a certain book

and get quizzed on it like a Quiz Bowl. And HALS artists listen to t h i s . J o h n Yo u n g M i d dle School in Indiana participates in several art contests througho u t t h e y e a r a n d p e rforms very well. Boyle County Middle School in Kentucky has participated in the MathCounts competition.

This kind of reminds y o u o f t h e D a Vi n c i Bowl, right? What do you think now about academic competition?

S i m i l a r l y, physical competitions have been here since the cavemen would run from the din o s a u r s . H e r e ’s w h e r e the fun comes. Basketball players out here, have a look at this! In North Carolina, they have Championships

for both boys and girls o n J a n u a r y 2 7 . Tr a c k and field participants, stay in your positions!

Georgia middle schools host their state Championships on April 192 0 . T h i r d l y, N o r t h l a k e Christian School in Los Angeles has 12 swimmers this year with one of their students coming in 3rd place on Sep.29. Who doesn’t love swimming? Especially indoors? Do you still think about physical competitions this awesome?

U l t i m a t e l y, I t h i n k t h a t both kinds of competitions are awesome.

HALS has been doing i t f o r y e a r s n o w. S o this is the time to tell me which sort of competition is better: Academic or Physical?

By Kimberly Holder - Callender HAls Academy NEW BRITAIN - One student athlete I interviewed from HALS is Kayla Gobar. She is a strawberry-peach! Here is just a sliver of info about her: When she says she’s an athlete she is one! She has participated in cross-country for the past two years and brought home the HALS trophy for the Girls’ Championship race! The race was held in Walnut Hill Park and the course was going across a road, around a big circle twice, up and big hill, across the road again, and to the finish line! At that race, HALS won 7 out of 10 places. HALS is tough; HALS is fierce; and HALS has got all of my cheers. GO HALS! All basketball players watch out! Kayla Gobar is going to scrape the floor with you this basketball season! I asked her why she signed up and she told me she just likes to run. Every single minute she has before soccer practice, she and her brother practice running around the neighborhood. She says it just looks fun for her. Who could blame her with all the adrenaline pumping?

Well, it’s another day at HALS Academy with their ABC’s. A: achieving academic excellence; B: Building Personal Talents; and C: Creating a Community of Caring Citizens. How will you be a Caring Citizen today?

Working Together Can Make A Difference

By Melody Rivera Hals Academy

NEW BRITAIN - The fear of crime can make anyone not want to leave their home, afraid to walk their streets or use their neighborhood parks. Not my family!

Two months after moving into our neighborhood, our neighbor ’s car was stolen right from his driveway. A few days later my parents started knocking door to door asking the residents in the neighborhood if they would be interested in starting a neighborhood block watch.

They organized a picnic, passed out fliers, and before you know it, we had 25 residents in our backyard meeting their neighbors, some for the first time. An officer from the New Britain Police Department was

present as well. Within a year, the neighborhood had meetings expressing concerns about speeders on our street, motorists who do not stop at stop signs, suspicious behavior, and break-ins.

Together with our local police, City Council Members, and our State Rep., the residents have built a community that is friendlier, safer, and a place where the neighbors both care for one another and watch out for each others’ families and property. They built a foundation in crime prevention. As a community the goal was to get their Block Watch sign up to let others know that our community is working with our local police to keep our neighborhood safe, and recently two of them were put up.

They make a difference!

I had the privilege to sit down with Police Chief James Wardwell and ask him a few questions about the importance of neighborhoods, the local police and the community members working together. He emphasized that the police cannot do their job alone. He said, “who else knows what goes on in the neighborhoods better than the residents who live there? They know when something is not right and then they call the police for help.” He reminds us that residents can work together in making their neighborhoods safe by being observant, knowing your neighbor, and get to know your local police. When you have a block watch you have a team; not only is one home looking out, but many. I also asked him

on how important is it for a community to work together and how what we do here in New Britain affect our city, state and beyond. He went on to say: “when the community works together such as the police, our city leaders, businesses and residents they come together like one large block watch. We look to see where there is a need and lend a helping hand, all departments working together.”

When we do this we are setting an example for how it should be across our state and country.

Working together can make a difference whether it is to make people feel safe where they live.

From the words spoken from Chief Wardwell, “When people come together they can accomplish GREAT things.”

If Idioms Were Real

By Julia Conant Hals Academy If it really rained cats and dogs, wouldn’t the population of cats and dogs be ten times bigger than the human population?

If we were really hungry enough to eat a horse, wouldn’t horses be extinct by now?

If we really broke a leg every time we went on stage, wouldn’t we have broken all of our legs?

If every easy task we did was really a piece of cake, wouldn’t we have enough cake to end world hunger?

And if everyone actually kicked a bucket when they died, couldn’t we use the buckets for tombstones?

Hello iOS 7 And Its New Features! Prepping for the Win

By Elliot Jones Hals Academy

NEW BRITAIN - If you want to learn more about the iPhone/iPod, this article is for you. It describes some of the features of the new update, iOS 7. This system supports the recent iPod 5th generation, as well as the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5c and 5S. Some of the best features are Control Center and AirDrop. Control Center is just a swipe up and you have access to the music you were just playing, a flashlight, calculator, bluetooth, airplane mode, wifi, do not disturb, iPhone/iPod brightness control, timer and camera. AirDrop allows you to share files with people close to you. Instead of taking the time to email

them, just open up AirDrop and hit send. Another thing is Notification Center. With iOS 6, with a swipe down from the top of your screen, you could drop down recent notifications, weather and stocks. One of the best Notification Center updates

“Siri is your pocket dictionary, she is your timer, and she is your map.”

in iOS 7 is Today. Today tells you about if it is someone’s birthday, if you’ll need an umbrella, or if there will be a lot of traffic.

One of iPhone 4S and above’s best features is Siri.

Siri is your pocket dictionary, she is your timer, and

she is your map. You just hold down the home button and you can ask her any question, to play any music, and even what you want her to call you. She gets most of her ratings of places from Yelp, an app and website that gives you ratings and brief overviews of places. If there is something that she doesn’t know, she searches the web. She can, surprisingly, be funny sometimes. One of the updates that makes Siri better is her ability to access Twitter. If you want to post something on Twitter or check recent tweets, she can do that for you. All you have to do is allow her to access your Twitter account. You can access iOS 7 via settings>general>software update. Then hit download and install.

Hello iPhone 5C - Varied Colors Set It Apart

By Maja Peszko Hals Academy NEW BRITAIN - If you are a parent with teenagers or a teen, then the iPhone 5C is the perfect phone for you. The iPhone 5C: “For the colorful.” With already nine million models sold just after three days the launch of the new iPhones, the 5C and 5S have set a new record for Apple. From five colors and six cases to choose from, you will be able to express your feelings and reveal personality through them.

Additionally, the iPhone 5C includes the A6 chip.

The A6 chip does everything fast with long battery life. Now you can browse, talk, play, watch, and listen at unexpected speeds without having to worry about battery life. The 8MP iSight camera allows you to take sharp, stunning photos with high-resolution thanks to features like

a sophisticated five-element lens with 8 megapixels. With the new FaceTime HD camera, you can make calls knowing your camera has larger pixels and an improved backside illumination sensor.

The illumination sensor gives the camera-increased sensitivity in low light. You can also make your FaceTime calls with clearer sound than ever.

Furthermore, the greatest feature of the iPhone 5C: iOS7. iOS7 will make you new iPhone look more alive with new features that make the most technology inside (see side bar). The new iPhone comes with reinvented built-in apps such as Phone, Calendar, and Mail that will make your life much easier. Apple apps on the App Store such as iPhoto and iMovie will let you look deeper into your iPhone; in the App Store, there are over 900,000

apps to choose from. The App Store has everything that you can think of. From Candy Crush to Twitter, you can experience anything in the App Store and many apps are free.

In addition, with iCloud you can have everything you need anywhere you need it. Access all of your content in any of your Apple products. And the new Activation Lock feature of Find my iPhone makes it harder to anyone who’s not you to use or sell your device. Lastly, the iPhone 5C has the fastest LTE wireless and more coverage then ever. It has up to 13 LTE bands. iPhone users can now experience fast download and upload speeds in more places around the world. The iPhone 5C is now available in green, blue, yellow, pink, and white. Starting at just $99 for 16 GB and $199 for 32 GB, it will make a perfect gift for you or your teen.

Idalis Rodriguez Hals Academy NEW BRITAIN - On October 10 I interviewed Mr. Richard PE / Health teacher of Hals Academy. These are my questions and his answers.

Idalis: Mr. Richard you make us students jog 5-10 minutes, why?

Mr. Richard: To prepare for the mile run on the Connecticut Fitness Test Idalis: How does that help us?

Mr. Richard: It improves your cardiovascular endurance.

Idalis: Do you think you should make us jog longer?

Why or why not?

Mr. Richard: Yes, to make you stronger.

Idalis: Do you have a strong feeling that Hals Academy might win the Cross Country Run? Mr. Richard: Yes

Q&A

Idalis: What makes you think that?

Mr. Richard: The students at Hals Academy work very hard and are well prepared.

We also have a lot of students participating in the race.

Idalis: Do you think students will learn from this?

Mr. Richard: They will learn that hard work and dedication can result in success.

Idalis: Give me something you have learned from the students.

Mr. Richard: Each student has their own running style.

Idalis: Would you like to give some advice for the people who want to try out for the Cross Country Run? Mr. Richard: Don’t expect to have instant success. It will take a lot of hard work before you see results. But if you’re willing to put forth the effort at the end of the day you will be satisfied.

Candies Lost

By Kiernan Foster Hals Academy

NEW BRITAIN - Do you remember two years ago, when the Nor’easter hit, in October? It was Halloween weekend, which we all enjoyed last week. During Nor’easter Alfred, your power probably went out, and for several days you may have been cold and ver y bored. You may have lost your house and had it rebuilt. Then the next year comes Hurricane Sandy.

Winds were up to 115 mph, and when it made landfall near C onnecticut, it had winds around 90 mph. Once again, we lost power, and in some extreme cases, houses to an October storm. Will

the storms follow fall tradition and come again to C onnecticut? If they are on their way, then you should prepare. S ome ways to prepare are: •Gather non-perishable food and water •Store f lashlights, candles and sources of light •S ecure light items so that they do not get blown away •Keep pets inside •C over your windows •Have a generator •Stay inside •Bring in outside furniture •It looks like we made it through the month of October without any unprecedented storms.

But what will November bring?

Kids Get A Boot Out Of Playing

By Kayla Gobar Hals Academy

NEW BRITAIN “Goal!” screms the youth-14 New Britain Soccer Team. They all high five each other as they score the winning goal. “Great job team, we won the tournament of the season,” exclaimed their coach. If you’d like to join the excitement, then check out the soccer team with its headquarters in New Britain.

Soccer is a fun, athletic sport that demands a lot of physical activity. You can sign up in a variety of different groups starting as young as 3 to 4 years old. The New Britain Youth Soccer League (nbysl.com) is all about having fun with your teammates and learning

ATTENTION STUDENTS OF

HALS ACADEMY !!!

Photo Credit: Kayla Gobar

to connect with others on your team. I personally am on the Youth 14 Soccer Team named the Eagles, and we all contribute together at practices and games. In addition, at our games we all try to win together as a team and that’s what soccer is all about: teamwork.

Soccer is one of the many sports often played by children and adults; soccer is a great oppor-

tunity to join in if you have nothing to do. Furthermore, an important key idea our New Britain Soccer League focuses on is responsibility. In soccer it is not just about having fun; it is also about being responsible.

We all have to commit to what we have to do, and try our best. Why don’t you get up and try out?

One thing is for certain: you’ll get a kick out of it!

Problems with Teen Pregnancy

By Raymoni Long Hals Academy NEW BRITAIN - Did you teach your teens the basics? Nowadays, the #1 rule for teens is to teach them about using safety if they ever mated with someone, but did you even bother to teach them not to do it at all? The parents in New Britain CT need to improve their parenting skills by teaching their teens not to have sex.

From 2005-2006, New Britain’s teen birth increased from 146 per 1,000 to 177 per 1,000 people. Compared to the other states in Connecticut, “New Britain is among the highest rate of teen pregnancy,” (teenpregnancy.org). This site also states how “New Britain is a Connecticut community that would greatly benefit from efforts to reduce teen pregnancy and adolescent childbearing.”

Did you know that becoming pregnant as a teen can have all negative effects on your personal health, your

children, and even the society? For example, teens that become pregnant are “statistically less likely to continue their education through high school and college,” according to youthline.us. Also, teens that become pregnant increase their health risks dramatically—risks which include “disorders such as anemia, hypertension, obesity, and

STDs.” All of these disorders can lead to the removal of energy in a teen’s body, heightened blood pressure, obesity, and such diseases as HIV/ AIDS and genital herpes.

In addition, you don’t only affect your personal health as a pregnant teen, but you can affect your child as well. Children born from pregnant teens will have a great-

er risk of developing such health problems as low birth weight. According to youthline.us and health. gov, “Low birth weight can lead to blindness, deafness, respiratory problems, as well as mental illness, and even death.” So, when you make a sudden decision to become a pregnant teen, you are also threatening your next generation.

Finally, you can have a negative effect on your society. For example, according to informationsociety.us and youthline.us, “34% of all females get pregnant when they are teenagers, so this can cost our society billions each year. About 40,000,000 dollars are spent by the federal government alone to help these families.”

Given the overwhelming statistics, a message to all teens is to stop having sex! It doesn’t make you any cooler. Besides, you’re a teenager anyway, and you only get to be one throughout your entire life. You should stay in a teen’s place and wait until you’re a little bit older where you won’t have to worry about all these problems and you can have as many children as you want.

2014 HALS Academy Newspaper

Talk of the Town: An Interview with Mayor Erin Stewart

By Melody Rivera Hals Academy New Britain - There’s a new buzz in town, but it is not our new Mascot. It’s all about our newly elected young mayor.

Erin Stewart stands before us with a different kind of leadership, a fresh and youthful outlook on how she will make New Britain a better place. For starters she says it’s about the people of New Britain, not about her. She wants to work together as one to make a difference. It doesn’t matter what political side you are on or whether one issue is more important to you than another. She will work hard and side by side with everyone. She has said recently, “I was elected for what I had pledged to do for New Britain and will not go back on my promises. One of which was giving us the children schools that we can be take pride in.”

When I sat down with Mayor Erin Stewart earlier this month, I asked her some questions that the readers of the HALS SCOOP would like to know. Below are excerpts from our conversation.

Melody Rivera: What do you love about New Britain?

Erin Stewart: The people.

The people are New Britain’s treasure. We have a very diverse city and that is what makes us unique. Where else can you get pierogis on Broad St. and a few blocks down get a meat empanada?

MR: Why did you want to be Mayor of New Britain?

ES: Since college I’ve been working for a State Senator, I would take calls and listen to people’s concerns. I tried to help them with their concerns and refer them to the right places for help. This experience taught me I wanted to make government more people friendly not have the people afraid of it.

MR: Any changes to our School District?

ES: To cancel school? No homework! Just kidding! As we all know the Mayor does not have much to do with school policy. However, I can make suggestions about how much money the schools may need. One thought is to bring the City and the School Board’s Finance Departments together so they can work side by side to achieve the same goal, which is to improve our schools.

Melody Rivera interviews with New Britain Mayor Erin E. Stewart.

Photo Credit: Melony Rivera

MR: How has it been going so far?

seem to know how to go about it.

ES: It’s organized chaos!

MR: What do you say to people who think you are too young?

In explaining what she meant by this, Mayor Stewart said she has to prioritize first, meaning that she has to meet with all Department heads in the City to see where everything stands. There are many of them: The Police, and Fire Dept. as well as Public Works, and meeting with committees on future projects. This is just the beginning.

MR: So young and to hold such an important position!

How does it feel?

ES: It is a lot of pressure, but also interesting. We have staff members who have been around for a while who see their Mayor so young and unique in a way. They don’t

ES: Give me a chance, and I will prove you wrong!

MR: How do you distinguish yourself from your dad (former Mayor Timothy Stewart)?

ES: Although my dad and I have the same interests, he is more sensitive while I am a bit tougher. I am as much like my dad as I am like my mom but she does not get enough credit.”

MR: How has your education in New Britain Schools as well as CCSU prepared you for Civic Service?

ES: There are things that

you learn through our school systems like diversity, culture, and people skills. These are things that a textbook cannot teach but our great city has.

I also had the opportunity of many internships while I was at CCSU that helped me prepare for my role. There are many opportunities in New Britain that people do not take advantage of.

MR: What advice do you have for our young people in New Britain?

ES: Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t because you can! Growing up in New Britain you get criticized because, in other people’s eyes, you are not well off. Be proud of where you come from and always follow through on what you start.

Nelson Mandela:

A Man Who Changed History

By: Sarah Belal Hals Academy

NEW BRITAIN- Nelson Mandela struggled against the apartheid system of discrimination. Nelson Mandela’s goal was to put an end to Africa’s w h i t e ruled government.

While he was young, Mandela was a lawyer and political activist who fought on behalf of blacks for political and essential freedoms. He went to prison

in 1964 for over 25 years because he was perceived as a threat to the government. Cities, such as New York, protested for Nelson to be released from prison, and some protesters were arrested.

They made a boycott for South Africa until the apartheid was prohibited Mandela was freed from prison in 1990, and became a global symbol of unequal human rights. He declared peace with South Africa’s whites, but only if

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner”— Nelson Mandela

blacks received all the rights a white person has. Four years later, a democratic election was held, and blacks finally were able to vote. Nelson Mandela was voted as the first black president of South Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, after succeeding in peacefully abolishing the apartheid system in South Africa and beginning Democracy. The way Nelson Mandela created peace in South Africa also points the way to a peaceful solution to other systems of injustice around the world. He changed history—not only in South Africa, but also throughout the world.

Syed Ali and Ellie Lewicki Star in The Prince and the Pauper

By Eliot Jones Hals Academy

NEW BRITAIN - On Saturday, November 23rd I attended a performance of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper staged by the Cultural Arts Program in conjunction with the CCSU Theatre Department.

Although it was first published in 1882, The Prince and the Pauper still resonates today in its message that you cannot judge a person by the way they look. Featuring a prince who is confused as a pauper and a pauper confused as a prince, The Prince and the Pauper asks: Is it possible to know someone based on character alone?

The play included performances by local elementary school children from grades three to six. Ellie Lewic-

ki and Syed Ali, both sixth graders at HALS Academy, performed in the starring roles. I was able to interview Syed. Here is what he said: Eliot Jones: What did you like the most about the experience?

Syed Ali: What I liked the most about this experience is that I got to be able to work with other kids who are extremely happy to see you and they are willing to be responsible for their part in this play and I truly think they did a great job.

EJ: What was the best part about the role you played?

SA: The best part about my role is probably my costume but it was acting as a prince because you can only imagine because YOLO.

EJ: How did you get involved in this production?

SA: Well I was just in Honors Chorus with Mr. Hebert and found out I had gotten a solo so I was absolutely happy and then Mrs.Clerkin walked in with Callie Russell the director and they were looking for people for the play and so no one had volunteered so I raised my hand.

EJ: What was it like working with college students?

SA: Well it wasn’t very different from my everyday life because my brother also named Syed and my sister Mahnoor are also in college and we are close but Callie, Robin, Thom, Adam, Trisha, Gary, Jamie, and Benny, are really nice and amazing and inspiring people.

My Dad, The Detective

By Julia Conant Hals Academy

NEW BRITAIN - Let me just start off by saying that my dad isn’t actually a detective.

Although he might as well have been one last month when the unthinkable happened. I had come home from school one day to find that we had been robbed. My mom’s TV, my brother’s laptop, my brother’s Xbox (and all of his games), his golden pocket watch that he’s had since he was a baby, and my iPod were all gone. I was shocked; I never thought that something like this could happen to my family, but it did.

We had a police officer come to our house to check it out, but that wasn’t enough for my dad.

He went door to door asking our neighbors if they had seen anything suspicious. It turned out that our neighbors that live across the street from us had surveillance cameras in their yard— with one of them pointed directly at our house. They watched it with my dad and eventually saw a boy who couldn’t have been older than eighteen walking into our backyard, then coming out ten minutes later with a bag.

About twenty minutes after watching the surveillance video, my dad saw him; the guy who robbed us had been just walking on our street with a girl his age, and a younger girl, no older than six or seven. My dad confronted them and asked them their names and addresses. While they didn’t give him their names or where they lived, they did give, curiously, a phone number.

We called the police again, and the police called the number.

The guy wouldn’t cooperate with the policeman, even while knowing that my dad wasn’t planning to press charges. Our neighbors came to see what was happening, and it turns

out that a lot of them had been robbed in the past month. I used to think that I live in one of the safe neighborhoods, but now I know that’s not the case.

It is scary to think that something like that can happen in even the safest parts of the city.

The police ended up going to the robber’s apartment, but it was too late. They had already sold all of our stuff.

The police did arrest him for breaking and entering, stealing, and home invasion (since my older brother had been in the house sleeping at the time).

It’s nice to know that I can always count on my dad to help make things better. Even though the items stolen weren’t particularly his, he was still determined to get them back for us. And that means a lot.

MEET THE

STAFF!

Contributors: Sarah Belal Julia Conant Kiernan Foster Kayla Gobar Kimberly Holder-Callender Eliot Jones Yusra Khan Raymoni Long Maja Peszco Melody Rivera Idalis Rodriguez Designer: Dale Darden Community Central Liaison: Hannah Hurwitz CCSU Faculty Advisor: Aimee Pozorski Hals Academy 2014

Review Of Life Logging Tools

By Eliot Jones Hals Academy

NEW BRITAIN - Today, electronics are present in almost everything we do. One of the ways we use these electronics is to track our lives. There are many ways to do this.

One way is a Fitbit. The Fitbit is a step-tracker.

It tracks how many steps you take in a day. There are multiple Fitbit kinds.

There is the Fitbit Flex, Force, Zip, and the Fitbit One. The Fitbit one is like a chip you put in your pocket. It tracks how many steps you take and it lets you compete with your friends.

The Flex is almost exactly like the Fitbit One, except for the fact that it is smaller, lighter and it is a wristband. A few

features that are in the One are not in the Flex, so if you want to combine those two life-trackers you can use the Fitbit Force. The Fitbit force combines all the features of both chips and puts them into one easy wristband. The Fitbit Zip is the last version I’m going to talk about. The Zip is a belt clip that you attach and it does the same things as the other Fitbits.

Another way to track your life is by using Runkeeper.

Runkeeper is an app that lets you keep track of your runs and lets you share them.

It gives you your pace, distance and overall time. Then, it lets you share your stats with your friends via FaceBook, Twitter, and more.

A slightly more general

way to keep track of your life is through the m7 chip in the recent iPhone 5s. It’s designed to measure your motion data from the accelerometer.

One useful feature of the m7 chip is the fact that it syncs with any fitness app so you have the information in two places.

One way to track your life electronically is by using an app called Everyday. Everyday is an app that reminds you to take a photo of yourself every day with your phone. It also lets you know when you have enough pictures to make a movie. This movie helps you see how you’ve grown and aged. You can also share your photos on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and many other social networks.

iPad Air: “The Power of Lightness”

By Maja Peszko Hals Academy NEW BRITAIN - The new iPad Air has an all-new design. It is impossibly light, weighing only one pound and being 28% lighter, 20% thinner, and having 24% less volume than the previous generation iPad. But what makes the new iPad truly amazing is the fact that it can hold so much power and capability in one pound. You can do even more than before, while having to carry less. In addition, the iPad Air features the new Apple-designed A7 chip that brings 64-bit desktop-class architecture to it.

That means up to twice the CPU speed and graphics performance in everything you do. The A7 chip allows apps to run twice as fast.

The M7 coprocessor measures motion from your iPad Air by pulling data from he accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. Your apps can now give you a better experience based on the movement of your iPad Air. Also, the iPad Air gives the same 10-hour battery life as before. That’s because the A7 chip is also more efficient.

The iPad Air also has up to two times faster wi-fi and up to 300 Mbps. There are more LTE bands than ever before. iPad Air with wi-fi plus cellular lets you connect to the internet even if you’re away from a wi-fi signal. iPad Air supports even more cellular data networks around the world.

Furthermore, the iPad Air comes with built-in apps such

as: Safari, Mail, iBooks. Photos, Maps, FaceTime, Newsstand, Messages, iTunes, Siri, Contacts, and Game Center. And now iPhone, iMovie, Garage Band, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are free with the iPad Air. The iPad Air also includes iCloud. iCloud keeps all of your content synced across all of your devices automatically. Most importantly, the iPad Air comes with Retina display. With a 9.7 display, 2048x1536 resolution, and 3.1 million pixels, you won’t be able to take your eyes off of it.

Lastly, the iPad Air comes with iSight Camera that takes 5 MP photos. It is truly amazing! The iPad air comes in two colors: Space Grey and Silver.

Another application, Saga, is a life-logging diary of sorts. You can add notes and photos to track your life story and you can track where you’ve been and what you do. Like Saga, Day One is a digital journal on your device. You can take and save photos, but it also does more: it gives you inspirational messages to motivate you to write and it lets you share with your friends.

There are many ways to life log via electronics. These are only some of the ways you can life log with apps, wristbands and chips.

Just remember: with the holiday season upon us, there should be a lot of logs in your life logging journal!

An Interview with Ellie

By Kiernan Foster Hals Academy

Kiernan Foster: Ellie, you were in CCSU’s First Stages production of The Prince and the Pauper, correct?

Ellie Lewicki: Yes. KF: What part did you play?

EL: The Pauper KF: What was your favorite scene?

EL: When my father died and I had to fall to the floor crying.

KF: Have you had any prior acting experience?

EL: No. KF: Would you like to be an actor when you grow up?

EL: No, I’d like to be a social worker.

In Memoriam

By Kim ber ly Holder - Callendar & Idalis Rodriguez Hals Academ y

NEW BRITAIN - Everybody has heard of Mrs. Richard’s passing on November 1st 2013. The whole school raised a total of $700 for him and his family in order to support them through this difficult time.

A few weeks after Nancy Richard’s death, HALS Academy came to the conclusion that it would be best to help Mr. Richard and his family, especially since the holidays are right around the corner.

On Friday November 8th, HALS hosted a dress down day and the people who dressed down had to pay 2 dollars or more. This was a smart thing to do because a lot of students

dressed down. Thanks to students at HALS Academy the school raised an astonishing 700 dollars. HALS students also memorialized Mrs. Richard with a Light One Little Candle book drive. With love and support from all students, teachers, and staff the Richard family will get through fine.

The HALS students have done their best to help Mr. Richard since first hearing about his wife’s illness. Last year, we made cards to cheer her and we didn’t give him much trouble to double his stress because we couldn’t imagine how to carry that burden.

Mr. Richard, please know that HALS loves you. We will continue to support you as long as you need.

HAS SOCIAL NETWORKING Pakistan: The Land of Spice RUINED OUR SOCIETY?

CAN THE ADVANTAGES TO SOCIAL NETWORKS ALSO BE HARMFUL?

By Raymoni Long Hals Academy NEW BRITAIN - Do you allow your children to communicate on social networks such as Facebook or Twitter? Well if you do, I suggest that you make them delete their accounts right away.

Why do I say this? Well, now that more people have access to sites such as Facebook, many crimes such as fraud, phishing, scams, and cyber bullying are also occurring.

First, let’s start off with cyber bullying, which has been the main problem for children in recent years. According to infographics.com, 92.6% of cyber bullying occurs on Facebook, 23.8% occurs on Twitter, 17.7% occurs on MySpace, and 15.2% occurs on Instant Messenger.

Why does this happen? Well, some parents are oblivious to what sites their children visit, therefore making it difficult for them to communicate their feelings with each other.

Because of this, we have huge problems such as teen suicide.

According to CNN.com, in Winter Haven, Florida on October 16th, 2013 a 12 year old girl named Rebecca committed suicide because two others, including a 14 year-old girl, were bullying her on the internet. According to the website: “Authorities said the 14-year-old girl was Rebecca’s chief tormenter, and the girl posted a taunting message Saturday on the Internet about what had happened.’

‘Yes IK [I Know] I bullied

REBECCA and she killed her self but IDGAF,” the Facebook post read. Grady Judd, sheriff of Polk County, Florida, said the online vernacular meant ‘I don’t give a (expletive).”

This most likely would not have led this far if Facebook wasn’t the way in which Rebecca’s bully got to her. Physical bullying would have been bad, but Rebecca could’ve told an adult to keep a close eye on her; with cyber bullying, there are not as many ways to control it. This should just lead you to realize how social networks can be harmful.

Besides cyber bullying, we have another crime that occurs daily on social networking sites: phishing. Phishing is when hackers attack a website and introduce malware and viruses that can harm your computer and access your personal information. According to allspammedup.com, in the second half of 2011, there were 83,083 unique phishing domains worldwide. This site also states that, “200 of them were considered top level domains according to the Global Phishing Survey. In the same time period, 520 existing domains (like financial institutions and social networking sites) were targeted for phishing attacks.

The top 20 targets accounted for 78% of all attacks.”

You might ask, how does this relate to social networking sites being harmful? Well, if social networks weren’t susceptible to phishing, then you would have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, they are—so if they are being attacked by phishers and you go on the site, then your computer has a higher chance of getting viruses and malware.

Even personal data can be recorded. In conclusion, just be extra careful when it comes to social networking sites.

They can lead you to danger.

By Yusra Khan Hals Academy New Britain - Salam! This is how we say “hello” in Pakistan. Do you want to know more about my country?

Let’s start from the foundation of Pakistani food. Pakistani food is mostly spicy and it has an amazing taste. One of the dishes is called “biryani.” It is made up of rice, chicken, potatoes, and spice.

It is very delicious and my favorite. It tastes really good with soda.

Another traditional dish is called “chicken karahi.” As you can tell by the name, it is made up of chicken.

It also includes tomatoes, spice, and chilies. This is also very tasty. We eat it with a kind of flat bread called “roti.” Here’s how you make it: Mix water, flour, and yeast together and make dough. Then flatten it with a rolling pin and bake it or cook it in a round pan on a stove.

A delicious plate of Chicken Karahi Photo by: Red Rose Potters Bar

Now, let’s talk about some Pakistani desserts. A very special dessert is called “sheer.” It is made out of string-like noodles. You boil the strings until they are soft, then you add sugar and milk. It is sort of like cereal, but fancier.

Other desserts are “kheer,” “falouda,” “gulab jammun,” and “kulfi.”

These are only some dishes. There are many more dishes than that!

And if you are a chili lover, you should really try some Pakistani food. If you don’t know anyone who knows how to make Pakistani food, then you can always go to a Pakistani restaurant! Here are some nice Pakistani restaurants in CT. One of them is called ‘Roti Boti, and it is located at103 N Broad St in Meriden.

Another one is called ‘Desi Zaiqa,’ and it is located at 384 Windsor Avenue in Windsor. I hope you are able to find time to taste this delicious food during the holiday season!

HALS Academy Shoots for the Stars

By Kayla Gobar Hals Academy

New Britain - Hey HALS! The basketball season has finally arrived.

Basketball is a fun, competitive sport, and a great way to be active.

Just recently, HALS formed both girls’ and boys’ teams. Our school basketball teams are practicing after school in order to prepare for the competitions ahead.

Soon our teams will be traveling to play against other district middle schools in New Britain. There is a pos-

sibility that we will also compete against different towns.

This year ’s basketball season continues to get better because Principal Clerkin’s fundraising efforts brought in enough money to buy new team uniforms. It is like a dawn to a new era! In years past, both girls’ and boys’ teams shared basketball jerseys. But now everyone will have his or her own team uniform.

Besides our teams, the rest of the students at HALS need to jump into the basketball spirit and shoot for the stars: Attend our games to cheer us on. Go HALS!

HALS Has Talent!

2014 HALS Academy Newspaper Issue No. 3

By Julia Conant HALS Academy

On January 30th, HALS Academy hosted their 2nd annual talent show. A wide variety of acts were showcased such as Irish step dancing, rapping, and playing classical piano. The students/audience had a lot of positive comments about the performances, and these are what some of them said:

“I liked the sparkly outfits!”

– Tatiana Hin, 9 Years

“The singing was better than the original.” – Samantha Burke, Grade 8

The students and staff worked very hard on this talent show, whether they were onstage performing, or offstage working the spotlight and selling refreshments to help raise money for the school. I always enjoy attending these kinds of school events, and even though I won’t be attending this school next year, I still hope I’m invited to the next HALS Academy talent show.

“The performers were amazingly brave and nice.”– Makayla Foster, Grade 8

Julia Conant is an 8th grader at HALSAcademy, and wants to write young adult literature when she grows up. Her other interests include astrology and psychic abilities.

“I think it was pretty good.” – Phiron Hin Jr., Grade 8

HALS Students performing on stage.

Photo By: Mrs Brodowicz, HALS Academy Art Department.

Photos By : Julia Conant, 8th grader at HALS Academy

St. Valentine’s Day

By Julia Conant HALS Academy

New Britain - What is Valentine’s Day really about?

Chocolate? Cards? Candy?

Well, maybe. But that’s not how it all started. The most famous legend about the holiday is the one about Saint Valentine. Back in the year 269 AD, Saint Valentine was

a priest in Rome. He performed secret marriages to soldiers who were forbidden to get married because of an edict by Emperor Claudius the Second. Claudius had decided that young soldiers shouldn’t be married because it is a distraction. Once Emperor Claudius found out about what Saint Valentine was doing, they imprisoned

him, and then he was eventually killed. But he has not been forgotten, since we still celebrate a holiday in his name.

Julia Conant is an 8th grader at HALS Academy, and wants to write young adult literature when she grows up.

Her other interests include astrology and psychic abilities.

HALS Home Games

The following is a schedule of upcoming HOME games at HALS Academy.

Wednesday, February 26 at 3:15 DiLoreto @ HALS Academy Wednesday, March 26 at 3:15 Slade @ HALS Academy Wednesday, April 2 at 3:15 DiLoreto @ HALS Academy Games consist of two, fifteen-minute halves.

The girls’ games are played first, with the boy’s game to follow.

Editorial: Animals Need Our Help!

By Yusra Khan HALS Academy New Britain - Nature is beautiful, and we all need to work together to maintain it. Some endangered animals are at risk of being extinct, so we need to get together and help them to save their species.

Endangered animals are those animals whose population is reducing and they are going to become extinct or vanish soon. Animals become endangered because some people hunt them for their fur, body parts, and meat. They can also become endangered by environmental changes like pollution, poisoning, or destruction of their habitat. But we can save these

animals with your help!

Here are some ways to help these animals from becoming extinct: 1. Visit a nearby national park or nature preserve and ask them to adopt animals and make a little zoo.

2. Encourage your friends and family who live on a farm or who own large tracts of land to keep patches of bush as wildlife habitats and to leave old trees standing, especially those with hollows suitable for nesting.

3. Recycle, reduce, and reuse to avoid pollution for animals.

Some animals that are the most endangered are Siberian Tigers, American

Bison, and Killer Whales.

Siberian Tigers are the world’s largest cats. They live primarily in Eastern Russia’s birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. There are an estimated 400 to 500 Siberian Tigers living in the wild, and recent studies suggest that these numbers are stable even though their northern climate is harsher than those of other tigers.

As you can see, Siberian Tigers are nearly extinct, but they can also still be saved with your help. Plus, you will want your children to be able to see the tigers when they grow up.

Yusra Khan is in 8th grade at HALS Academy.

She likes cooking and baking, wants to be a medical doctor in future, and loves both art and summer!

The Secret Museum

By Sarah Belal HALS Academy

New Britain - The Secret Museum, better known as the Local History Room, has a massive amount of information on New Britain and its history.

The “museum” has New Britain’s high school yearbooks dating back to 1904. These yearbooks state nicknames for the students and features pictures in black and white.

The Local History Room also contains information on many well-known people who graduated from New Britain high school including Abraham A. Ribicoff. He was a Connecticut Democratic Party politician. He served in the United States Congress, was Connecticut’s 80th Governor, and was President John F. Kennedy’s Secretary

of Health, Education, and Welfare. He graduated from New Britain high school in 1928.

The New Britain Herald has been around for over a hundred years, and the Local History Room has many microfilms covering the paper’s history.

They have ads that range from buying a new suit for $1 to buying a new Buick car for $500.

The New Britain Herald from the past also recorded deaths, auctions, and properties for sale like today, and had an abundance of articles on personal advice such as one entitled the “Great Cough Remedy.”

Further, the Local History Room even has local directories for the streets in New Britain in the mid 1900s. You can just search for your street and house number and find out

who lived in your house before you! There is information on how streets got their names, such as Stanley Street, which is named after Frederick Stanley who founded Stanley Black & Decker; he is also the namesake for Stanley Quarter Park.

You can learn more about your school, your street, your home, and maybe even your family at the Local History Room on the second floor of the New Britain Public Library. The hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am to 2pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2pm to 4pm. On Fridays and Saturdays you can visit by appointment with Ms. Watson.

Sarah Belal is in 7th grade at HALS Academy. She enjoys tennis, guitar, and reading.

Super Buffet

Exposed!

By Raymoni Long HALS Academy

New Britain - Lots of people love going to the Super Buffet on Myrtle Street, but now they can’t. Is it because of bankruptcy or was something not paid for?

No: Super Buffet is closed because they are suspected of serving cat meat and rat bones as a substitute for chicken.

According to Yelp.com (a restaurant review site), this buffet was shut down on December 23rd, 2013 (it hasn’t been reopened) when a

young girl choked on her food. Her parents rushed her to the hospital where the doctor found that what made the girl choke was in fact a rat bone. Health inspectors found pots of rat bones and skinned cats in the kitchen. As of this reporting, information is still being withheld and might not be released for several weeks. Just remember folks: you can’t always trust what you eat.

Raymoni Long is an 8th grader at HALS Academy.

She enjoys drawing, writing both non-fiction and fiction, and playing sports.

Knockout Game: Rising Threat or Urban Myth?

By Idalis Rodriguez HALS Academy New Britain - In Borough Park, Brooklyn, strangers assaulted a young man. Multiple attacks were reported in the same location, such as the attack of a 24-yearold man who was cornered by three strangers and was punched by a fourth. Parents of high school students are worried about their children’s safety. In 2012, a student passing down the alleyway knocked James Addlespurger, a high school teacher, to the ground. The police say the assault was not part of any game. Police commander Eric Holmes says it was just a random act of violence.

In New Jersey, teenagers described similar knockouts.

They did not say it was a game. Police spokesman, Bob McHugh, said there was not one single knockout reported in Jersey City. Police Chief Anthony P. says there is no trend in the Knockout Game. Police are unsure if these attacks are raising threats or just an Urban Myth.

Idalis Rodriquez is at 6th grader at HALS Academy.

She enjoys writing, reading, video games, and playing tennis.

Consumer Electronics Show

Maja Peszko HALS Academy

New Britain - Have you ever heard of the Consumer Electronics Show? Well, every January, there is an annual Consumer Electronics Show held to let the world know about all new gadgets coming out in 2014. The annual show is held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and is not open to the public. This year, the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) was surprisingly light. This occurred because companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Samsung now prefer to announce chief products at their own events, leaving CES with less major news than in past shows.

However, quite a few interesting things were revealed.

Many television producers are still giving up on the dream of selling every household in America a 3D TV. As they are giving up, many others have moved on to the next standard for high-definition entertainment. 4K displays and cameras were flourished at CES with Sony, LG, and Samsung all displaying their own “Ultra HD” sets. Pixel density is the name of the games in 4K entertainment, with one TV containing four times the pixels of a current 1080p HDTV. However, don’t worry about upgrading yet from your current setup. The selection of the 4K content is still quite limited and should take a few years to grow into a worthy inventory.

Furthermore, video games have never really been the

focus of the Consumer Electronics Show, with most creators choosing to hold their big reveals for the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.

But that didn’t stop Sony from using their presence to reveal new details about their previously announced cloud gaming system at the show.

Called PlayStation Now, it will deliver PS1, PS2, and PS3 titles to numerous PlayStation and Sony platforms.

The tiles will run on servers at Sony HQ and stream to your device of choice. PlayStation Now will enter a public testing course starting this summer.

Valve was the other major gaming player present at the CES. They introduced their first line of “Steam Machines,” which is a series of Linux-based

New Chromebooks: Take a Look!

By Kiernan Foster HALS Academy New Britain - As a New Britain resident, you may have heard of New Britain school district’s newest edition: a classroom set of Chromebooks in each school. I know at my school, we are really psyched. Even the teachers are excited about them. When asked if he liked them, our media specialist, Mr. Greene said: “I think they are light, good-looking and sleek. I think the concept of Chromebooks is going to be a bit hit.”

Principal Clerkin likes them as well, explaining: “After the students receive training, the Chromebooks will be just enough here at HALS.” Some features of the new Chromebooks include: Google login and

apps, USB ports and up to four hours of battery power, and an HD camera.

This laptop sounds pretty expensive. One cart of 30 Chromebooks to each New Britain school: That adds up! Where did all of the money come from? The answer is with a grant that pays for both textbooks and technology, and with the technology funds we were able to purchase Chromebooks.

Another question you might ask is: “Why Chromebooks? Why not Dells or Macs?” The answer is that Chromebooks are a lot cheaper. “Our MIS department head, Jeff Prokoff, chose them for the same reasons; everything is stored on the cloud so it doesn’t take up space on the school drive,” Mr. Green explains.

At HALS, we also have a Nook cart, but both Principal Clerkin and Mr. Green prefer the Chromebooks over the Nooks. “We do have a Nook cart – it is supposed to be for math, but I would eventually like to have 170 for the whole school to use for e-books. For me, technology is only good if it is in the students’ hands,” says Principal Clerkin, and Mr. Green agrees. “Chromebooks all the way,” he has said. “A nook is more of a personal device—an e-reader. We should have access to e-books all in good time.”

Kiernan Foster is an 8th grader at HALS Academy.

In her free time, she likes to swim, read, and play on her Nook. Her favorite subject is math and she likes to laugh.

gaming PCs designed to hook up to a TV. Valve collaborated with an assortment of highend PC producers to produce the hardware. The existence of the Steam Machine is based on Valve’s greatest goal of restoring their gaming service.

Valve now has at over 65 million world users from Microsoft’s Windows platform, which was a smart move, considering Microsoft’s personal stake in the gaming area.

Lastly, the biggest mobile news at CES was a plan declared by the nation’s fourth-largest cellular carrier to promote competition. T-Mobile will now pay for your early termination fee when you switch to their network from Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T and trade in your current device. The news

comes as a happy change in the wireless space, which many times leaves customers stuck in long contracts as they wait for a chance to change providers.

But by efficiently removing the risk of early termination fees, T-Mobile has made switching over a much less expensive process. Therefore, the competition now has huge motivation to keep actual customers glad.

In conclusion, those were some of the things revealed in the 2014 annual Consumer Electronics Show held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Maja Peszko is a 7th grader at HALS Academy.

She enjoys reading, playing the clarinet and violin, and swimming competitively.

The Leonardo da Vinci Bowl: Math Competition Named after a Genius Eliot K Jones HALS Academy Among all of the stress of NWEA testing, select middle school students in the district competed for the opportunity to participate in the district-wide da Vinci Bowl, scheduled for Wednesday, February 26 at Slade Middle School. Every year, students compete in the da Vinci bowl named after the genius, Leonardo da Vinci, who lived during the Renaissance and was multi-talented as a mathematician, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, inventor, and anatomist. At HALS Academy, fifteen students –five students from the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades—participated in pre-test to determine which one student from each grade will compete on the 26th. Stay tuned for the names of the participants! And attend if you can in order to support your New Britain classmates.

Eliot Jones is a 6th grader at HALS Academy in New Britain.

He likes soccer, saxophone, language arts, and technology.

HALS Academy

A Basketball Interview with

Gabriella Roy (captain) & Dominika Mis (co-captain)

By Kayla Gobar HALS Academy

K.G.: What motivated you to join basketball?

D.M.: I started playing in elementary school and continued in middle school. I liked the crowd cheering me on and everyone doing their best.

D.M.: I like being around the team aura, and building friendships with my teammates.

G.R.: I like being around my friends and having a good time.

inspired me with her successes; she’s my role model as a professional player.

K.G.: Do you wish to continue basketball in the future?

K.G.: Do you have any favorite professional teams or players?

D.M.: Yes, as a winter sport but I don’t see myself playing in college and practicing 24-7.

G.R.: Both my parents motivated me because when they were younger they used to play, and they brought me to the park to shoot around when I was younger.

D.M.: My favorite player is Lebron James who plays for the Miami Heat. I like him as a professional athlete overall because he inspires me with his motivation to play.

G.R.: Yes, because I like seeing other professionals travel around the world and interacting with people. I also like being around my friends and enjoying the games.

K.G.: What’s your favorite part about basketball?

G.R.: My favorite player is Maya Moore. She went to UConn and

Basketball Roster 2013 - 2014

Boys

Girls

David Rybczyk Kevin Susz Christian Rivera Jarell Moore Cheyonne Blackstock Tim Carrier Nick Makuch Pedro Garcia Robert Zapor Bannik Murratti

Kayla Gobar Gabriella Roy Domonika Mis Maya Mlynarska Jazmine Iverson Gwendolyn Strong Maniela Khamounejhad Edina Hamidovic Sarah Crabtree Natalia Sokolowskii

New Britain Has Seoul!

A Restaurant Review

By Melody Rivera HALS Academy

New Britain - New Britain has Seoul: New Britain-Seoul BBQ and Sushi that is. The new and only Korean Restaurant in New Britain who recently held their grand opening on December 20, 2013 at 593 Hartford Rd. It’s a place where the environment is great, the staff is hospitable, and the cuisine is delicious and unique. I was pleasantly surprised in trying the new food. For first timers we decided to get the BBQ Combination B which serves 4 and consists of Galbi (marinated short ribs); Bulgogi (marinated thin slices of beef); and Soon Tofu, a spicy tofu stew that comes in a boiling clay pot full of tofu and seafood, which includes mussels, shrimp and clams. This is a savory and delicious treat. It also includes a steamed egg casserole and a kimchee pancake which is made out of flour, eggs and leeks served with savory chili sauces. This was just the beginning: then came out 14 banchan (side dishes), which are traditionally served with all Korean meals.

Our table filled quickly with the banchan that consisted with kimchee, cucumbers, salad, eggplant rice and unique dishes like crunchy dried anchovies and shrimps: a surprisingly delectable full of flavor side dishes. As our server cooked our beef on their built in grill in the center of the table, I enjoyed tasting new things for the first time.

Seoul is not only known for their beef and banchan; they also offer other great Korean dishes such as beautiful salads and sushi rolls. They have an abundance of choices that melt in your mouth and with exotic names like the Pink Lady Roll and the Oasis roll.

The experience that I enjoyed the most at Seoul was how the Korean food (the banchan) is brought out in small dishes cut up in bite size pieces for all to share together. I feel this Korean tradition brings the people who are dining with you together. Overall it was a great dining experience with an appreciation in trying something new and different.

Visit their website http://seoulbbqsushi.com

A friendly restaurant for families and friends.

Staff and servers willing to teach you about the Korean Cuisine and aim to exceed your dining expectations.

Average lunch prices are $10.00 - $15.00 Dinner $16.00 - $25.00

All Major Credit Cards Accepted.

Wheelchair accessible.

Hours of operation are Lunch: Mon.- Fri. 11 AM-3 PM Dinner: Mon.-Sun. 11 AM-10 PM I highly recommend that you, your family and friends try this new addition to New Britain. You won’t be disappointed. If a 13 yr. old can appreciate fine dining, then I’m sure you can too.

Seoul B.B.Q. & Sushi waitress Patricia (Hyunji Ju.) poses for a photo.

Photo by Melody Rivera

Kamsahamnida (“Thank you”) to Manager James Kim and staff for their hospitality and inviting service.

Melody Rivera is an 8th grader at HALS Academy. She enjoys cooking, writer about interesting topics, playing the violin, and simply helping others.

Photos By Melody Rivera

2014 HALS Academy Newspaper Issue No. 4

HELPING HANDS - REBUILDING TOGETHER NEW BRITAIN and some of our city churches.

MR: Where do you get your volunteers from?

JF: Many of our volunteers come from our local churches,businesses and local residents that want to lend a helping hand.

MR: Can anyone volunteer?

JF: Yes, anyone who is 14 yrs and older.

Who want to volunteer their skills or time to the organization.

MR: What are some of the rewards a volunteer may take back with them at the end of the day?

JF: What our volunteers take back with them are the big hugs and the happy tears.

MR: What kind of assistance does Rebuilding Together give homeowners?

JF: Some of the assistance given is yard work, carpentry,plumbing, painting,weather stripping, lock repair, trash removal, landscaping and many more.

Michael Vincente (here in yellow) is leading a crew to rebuild the deck of New Britain Resident Giuseppa Avella.

Photo Credit: Melody Rivera

By Melody Rivera HALS Academy I dedicate this article in Memory Of Sam Sohn who was a volunteer of this annual event for the past eight years.

Spring has Sprung! It is time for Spring cleaning and sprucing up. It is also the time for Rebuilding Together New Britain which takes place on the last Saturday of April. This year it will be on April 26, 2014.

Rebuilding Together New Britain previously called Christmas in April was established in 1992. It is a nonprofit organization that helps lowincome homeowners specifically senior citizens,disabled and families with children with homes that are in need of repair that they are unable to do themselves due to physical or financial

limitations.

I had the privilege to sit down for a conversation with the newly appointed Executive Director Jennifer Fortin and ask her some questions about Rebuilding Together New Britain.

MR: What is the goal of Rebuilding Together New Britain?

JF: Our goal and focus is on safety, security, and for the residents to feel comfortable in their homes.

MR: Who can apply for the program?

JF: Anyone can apply. who own and live in their home, reside in New Britain, and meet financial eligibility and other guidelines. An application would need to be completed.

MR: Is there anything else you would like to share?

JF: There is so many people of need of help. Helping those people will not only make them feel good, but yourself as well.

THIS IS A COMMUNITY-WIDE EFFORT:

NEIGHBOR HELPING NEIGHBOR

MR: Ms. Fortin how many homes have been repaired since this program began?

JF: I’m happy to say that as of date we have assisted in repairing 535 homes.

For more information, please visit their website www.rebuildingtogethernb.org, or contact them at:

MR: What kind of organizations or sponsors are involved in Rebuilding Together?

JF: The City of New Britain,Stanley Black & Decker,TD and Webster Bank,

REBUILDING TOGETHER NEW BRITAIN, INC. 200 Myrtle Street New Britain, CT 06053 Phone: (860) 832-4389

New Britain Resident Giuseppa Avella.

Photo Credit: Melody Rivera

WRITERS

Lyla Alvarez Sarah Belal Kimberly Holder Calldendar Julia Conant Aiden Falla Kiernan Foster Kayla Gobar Eliot Jones Yursa Khan Maja Peszko Aimee Pozorski Melody Rivera

1

THE HALS SCOOP BREAKING NEWS UPDATE ON The Fault In Our Stars

By Maja Peszko HALS Academy

Have you heard of the book that Entertainment Weekly is calling “Luminous”: The #1 New York Times bestseller entitled, The Fault In Our Stars? If you haven’t, now you will. The Fault in Our Stars is a young adult novel described as “Green’s best and most ambitious novel to date” and published in January 2012. Time Magazine has reviewed it as “a good example of why so many adult readers are turning to young-adult literature for the pleasures and consolations they used to get from conventional literary fiction.”

The novel tells the story of a teenagedgirl named Hazel Grace Lancaster who is battling cancer. She is forced by her parents to attend a Cancer Kid Support Group, where she meets and eventually falls in love with seventeen-year-old

Augustus Waters. “Gus” is an exbasketball player, an amputee and cancer survivor. Their epic love story will change the way you view life.

After reading it, I was speechless and learned that it is important to cherish every moment of life. School Library Journal (SLJ) is referring to it as “An achingly beautiful story.” The Fault In Our Stars has becomevvvv so popular that in January 2012, a division of 20th Century Fox optioned the rights to adapt the novel into a feature film. Josh Boone signed on to direct a year later, in February 2013. Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen are producing the film.

This best-seller is now going to be a movie, appearing in theaters June 6th, 2014. In the film, Shailene Woodley will star as Hazel and Ansel Elgort as Augustus.

Remember, read the book before watching the movie in June!

By Julia Conant HALS Academy

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Local HALS Academy student Kaylee Levesque learned how to fly on March 20, 2014. And she revealed the secret of how she did it.

“The trick is to stand outside in the brightest clothes you have, to get the sky’s attention,” says Kaylee. “Then once the sky is paying attention, you need to make the loudest birdlike noises possible, to channel the energy of a bird. After about five minutes of that, you should develop a bird’s ability to fly. Now you must run down the street, flapping your arms and shouting ‘I CAN FLY’ over and over again. Eventually you will get swept up by the wind and the next thing you know you’re flying!”

SUPER BUFFET Raymoni Long HALS Academy I originally reported in a recent story for the HALS Scoop that the New Britain Super Buffet on Myrtle Street was shut down for serving rat meat and cat bones. The information I originally collected from a disreputable source is untrue, and it turns out that the Super Buffet closed because of poor sales.

Fortunately, you do not have to worry about what you have eaten.

As a writer, I apologize and should have checked the credibility of my sources. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about anything and can still continue to eat at the Super Buffet if and when it reopens.

The Man, The Holiday, The Legend Signs of the Zodiac

By Lyla Alvarez HALS Academy People around the world celebrate one certain day in March: St. Patrick’s Day! Many celebrate, but does everyone understand it? Saint Patrick’s Day has a lot more behind it than most people think. Saint Patrick’s real name was actually Maewyn Succat and he was born in Roman Britain, not Ireland. He was captured by pirates at the age of 16 and enslaved in Ireland for six years! He worked as a shepherd during that time until it is claimed that a voice spoke to him and told him to go home at the age of 22. After the voice spoke to him, he ran away to port and set sail to Britain! More problems surfaced when Maewyn was once again captured for 60 days in France.

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During this tough times his faith did not falter and he saw a vision

telling him to go back home. After these visions and voices Maewyn began an intense time of religious study. He had a major impact on Ireland. A pope there renamed him “Patritious” when he became a bishop and he did over 100,00 baptisms. He made sure there were over 300 churches and countless numbers of priests and nuns but he also had some hardships. Patritious refused money, was beaten repeatedly, and faced execution.

By Julia Conant HALS Academy

This was all worth it though because in the end Patritious, or Patrick, became the patron Saint of Ireland, revered as early as the 7th century. Saint Patrick is believed to have died on March 17th (Saint Patrick’s Day) and was buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, Ireland. Today, in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a solemn and holy day for all of the Catholic Church.

Gemini (May 22-June 21): “Ugh, I don’t have time for this!”

What each Zodiac sign would say after having their pants fall down in public.

Aries (March 21-April 20): “Why did this happen to me of all people?”

Taurus (April 21-May 21): “Can they just stay down? I’m too lazy to pull them back up.”

Cancer (June 22-July 23): “I’m never going to be able to show my face in this country again.”

Leo (July 24-August 23): “At least no one important saw that. Wait, is that the president?”

Virgo (August 24-September 23): “Well it’s a good thing I didn’t wear my unicorn underwear today.”

Libra (September 24-October 23): “No no no no no no no no no no no no!”

Scorpio (October 24-November 12): “I hope everybody enjoyed the view!”

Sagittarius (November 23-December 22): “Darn! My belt was right on my bed.

Why didn’t I take it?!”

Capricorn (December 23-January 20): “If anyone needs me I’ll be crying in my room for 5 hours.”

Aquarius (January 21-February 22): “ So it’s a good thing I did those squats.”

Pisces (February 23-March 20): “OMG OMG OMG NO ONE LOOK AT ME OMG OMG OMG!!!”

THE HALS SCOOP

Drama Queens and Kings of HALS

By Yusra Khan HALS Academy

play. Here is a short interview with Kayla Gobar, a member in the Drama Club:

HALS Academy is not just about books and studying. It is also about fun!

A great example of fun at HALS Academy is our Drama Club!

Yusra Khan (Y.K.): What motivated you to join the Drama Club?

Kayla Gobar (K.G.): I was motivated to join the Drama Club because it’s fun and energetic. In addition, I like acting and doing plays.

Drama Club is a great way to gain experience for students who love to act. Drama Club meets once a week on Thursdays. In Drama Club, we usually do some exercises and play some games to warm up in the beginning. After that, we rehearse for our play. The play that we are doing this year is A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. It’s an amazing play and everyone in the club loves it!

The most exciting part about the play is that all the club members are going to get their own costumes! Each student will get a costume exactly like their role in the

Y.K.: What is the best part about the Drama Club?

K.G.: The best part about Drama Club is that I get to have fun, laugh and learn with my friends.

Y.K.: Do you like the play that we are doing this year?

K.G.: Yes, I love Midsummer Night’s Dream! I like all the characters and different roles that they play. All the characters get their own fun parts and have their own time to shine! I think it’s the perfect play to do.

Fishing – A Hobby for The Whole Family

By Melody Rivera HALS Academy

lucky—the fish in the lake. (I personally like to catch and release.)

I’ve learned when writing an article or story you need a hook. Well, I literally need a hook for this story. A fishing hook that is. Spring is here and one thing I always look forward to about Spring is the Annual Fishing Derby held by The New Britain Parks and Rec at Martha Hart Park. Fishing is an activity that does not get much credit. What makes it so interesting? It is an activity that the whole family can participate in and enjoy.

Fishing is also an in-expensive hobby You don’t have to pay very much to buy fishing equipment. You will find that you are able to find a pole for a few dollars, while investing in a tackle box for a few dollars more. People can just dig up worms they find outside, often the best way to obtain worms, and the cheapest.

Fishing is also a lot more than just a hook and line! It’s an experience that when you surround yourself around water, allow you to relax, talk about things that you would probably not take time to talk about because one is so busy. But you can still enjoy catching a fish! It’s a great bonding time without the distractions of phones and technology.

Surrounding yourself in nature is known to reduce stress. Enjoying the fresh air and the beauty that surrounds ponds and lakes. The sounds of nature can benefit anyone. It is a hobby that requires a focused mind, which one can achieve in the silence of a pond or lake. It is you, the hook and line—and, if you’re

Of course, as the hobby progresses, the person can get into quite a bit of money depending if they prefer lures over worms or more expensive poles. But, for those that are just starting out it is one of the most inexpensive hobbies. Compare this with other hobbies such as restoring classic cars that cost thousands of dollars.

Overall, fishing is an inexpensive hobby that does not require that the person have any skills except patience.

For those that enjoy spending time with their families, fishing is a perfect hobby to take up to have fun, make memories and have lots of laughs.

This spring, our city’s Annual Fishing Derby took place on April 12, 2014. For more information, visit the New Britain Parks and Rec website at nbparksnrec.org.

Adventures with Mr. Peabody Tragedy Strikes Washington

By Kimberly Holder-Callendar HALS Academy “Sherman?” “Sherman!”

You guessed it: Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) has become the “dogfather” of comedies!

For people who haven’t seen it yet, the movie is about an adopted boy (Sherman) and a dog (Mr. Peabody) who save the universe and travel through a time machine called “The Wayback.”

If you haven’t seen the movie, you should. It is a funny way to learn about history. For example, the movie takes

place during such various settings as The Renaissance, The French Revolution, The Trojan War, and Egypt. Also: Who doesn’t love a good laugh?

This movie has lines that make you say to yourself, “Good one!” Some puns include: “If you think we’re going to leave you here, you’re completely in de-Nile”; “I’m a Giza”; and “Don’t taser me bro.”

Overall, however, the movie is about how much people would go through to help each other.

So, if you haven’t watched the film yet, go out and see it. Or buy it on Blu-Ray or DVD when it is re-released. It is totally worth it!

By Sarah Belal HALS Academy

beginning of April, there were still about 30 reports of people missing.

Families mourn as they wait for new information on their loved ones. “I’m done, I can’t do this anymore,” said Irene Kuntz from the death of her sister.

At least 29 people have died following a mudslide the stuck Washington on March 22, 2014. Others continued to wait at the Oso Fire Department and had hope that their family members and friends were still alive as long as two weeks after the tragedy. Volunteers prepared their search for the missing people. Twenty-nine people have been found dead, but as recently as the

Officials continue to debate whether the effects of the mudslide should continue to be monitored. It may have been caused by a micro-earthquake, as a similar catastrophe related to this kind of phenomena happened in 2006. Rescuers are clawing through the mudslide, and more bodies are being found. Eight more survivors were found following a search long after the slide had taken place. President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration stating that the U.S. government would assist with food supplies and local relief efforts.

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THE HALS SCOOP

HALS Takes History Awards

By Kiernan Foster & Kayla Gobar all over Connecticut. They competed for the top two places, which would HALS Academy

World War II Veterans saluting during the Iwo Jim Memorial Ceremony Photo Credit: Eliot Jones

Interview With WWII Veterans

By Eliot Jones & Aiden Falla HALS Academy On February 23rd 2014, we visited the Iwo Jima memorial ceremony for World War Two Veterans. WWII began in 1939 and ended in 1945. During the war the battle of Iwo Jima took place from February 19th to March 26th 1945 at the Volcanic Island, south of Tokyo.

We were able to interview two men who served and fought in that battle, Joseph Roman and Stanley Daborwski. This is the interview: Aiden and Eliot (A+E): When were you born?

Stanley Daborwski (SD): September 20th, 1924.

A+E: How old were you when you enlisted for our country?

SD: 18.

A+E: What branch of service were you in?

SD: Navy and Marine Corps.

A+E: What was the hardest thing about going to war?

SD: Trying to survive.

A+E: What was the hardest part of your job?

SD: Seeing all of my friends getting killed.

Next we interviewed Joseph Roman, who was served during the entirety of the Iwo Jima battle.

A+E: When were you born?

Joseph Roman (JR): April 3rd, 1923.

A+E: What branch of service did you serve in?

JR: The United States Marine Corps.

A+E: Did you have to do a lot of training before going to war?

JR: The usual training.

A+E: What was the hardest part of going to war?

JR: Leaving your family, leaving the country and going overseas.

After the ceremony, we interviewed the organizer for the event, Marianne Mihalyo.

A+E: What makes being at this Memorial Ceremony special to you?

Marianne Mihalyo (MM): the Iwo Jima survivors built this monument.

A+E: Why is it important to keep memorials like the Iwo Jima Memorial alive?

MM: Because of the effort and significance put into this monument.

A+E: Is there anything else that would be helpful to us in writing about you and this ceremony?

MM: We always want to remember February 23rd as the day the flag was raised and we want people to remember what they went through.

That is what we were able to gather from our veterans at the memorial. Our country would not be what it is today without them.

On Saturday, March 8th, a group of HALS students went to the National History Day contest to compete against students in the Hartford district for the top three places in these categories: Paper, exhibit, performance, website, and documentary. HALS took home several places including those for group websites and exhibits. The group of winners was able to advance to the state competition held at CCSU on April 26th.

allow them to advance to the national competition. Despite the size of the group that went, only one group remained: Kayla Gobar and Kiernan Foster won Second Place in the group exhibit category. They will advance to the national competition in Maryland later this spring.

Not everyone at HALS Academy competed in NHD. Many HALS students elected to participate in the annual Multi-cultural night, held this year on March 28th. Here students On Saturday, April 26th the HALS can present their wonderful projects winners went to CCSU to compete without the nerve-wracking experience against other history students from of being judged and placed.

A Note from Our Leader!

Dear Readers of HALS Scoop!

By Aimee Pozorski During the 2013-2014 academic year, I had the opportunity to work with the talented staff of this emergent newspaper. We thank you for reading us and have high hopes for a successful program next fall. We learned some tough lessons this year about the importance of fact checking and discerning the credibility of sources; and while we received more scrutiny than we anticipated with our third issue, we have nonetheless emerged stronger for it: pleased with the size of our reading audience and more aware of the ethics of reporting.

I would like to thank and to congratulate the graduating seniors who worked so hard on the Scoop this year: Julia Conant, Kiernan Foster, Kayla Gobar, Yusra Khan, Raymoni Long and Melody Rivera. Without their leadership, we never would have gotten this project off the ground. I would also like to thank Dale Darden and Zenab Elzein, two CCSU students who have committed their time and talents to this paper from the beginning.

Have a wonderful summer and thank you for your support.

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Thank You to all of those who have helped me along this path.

Students Lyla Alvarez • Sarah Belal • Kimberly Holder Calldendar •Julia Conant • Aiden Falla Kiernan Foster • Kayla Gobar • Usman Jalil • Eliot Jones Yursa Khan Raymoni Long • Maja Peszko • Melody Rivera

staff Aimee Pozorski • Hannah Hurwitz • Leona Clerkin