THE RAMBLER Harvey Middle School's Official Newsletter
Staff Favorites Hotseat interview with Ms. Dineen p.2 The world of eHarvey p.3-7 Impact of fashion on the environment p.7
Excerpt From
The Creature Feature By A.W. Inkwell
In my time as the school semi-professional supernatural professor, I have found many mystical apparitions, abominable beasts, and nasty oddities. I have yet to find the sources of these unnatural occurrences, but today we follow the spider to its web. We start our story with the school in a state of panic. The school is overrun with plants as tall as the ceiling, like the ones you’d see in the rainforest, protecting from the dirt floor. There are flowers with violent shades of orange and purple. None of the other kids were at the school yet, but the faculty was in chaos. Half of them had fled the school, but I stayed to take up the torch and find my way through this jungle of phenomena. The school did look like a jungle with dark creeping shadows and thick engrossing vegetation. But then the ground turned from brown to white. “What is this stuff!” I wondered. It looked like shredded paper all over the floor. I picked some up and saw that it was paper covered in writing. Some were handwritten, and some were typed. The words “ I believe,” “ in conclusion,” and “poetry” shone black off the scraps. “This looks like parts from my old English paper. This was my old English paper! What’s going on here?” Another one had Cole’s writing on it, in the same dark formal typed lettering. It was strange. I found more names of kids in the school,but I couldn’t put my finger on why they were here. Continued on Page 8
THE OFFICIAL HARVEY NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 3 //APRIL 2020
Hotseat Interview:
Ms. Dineen!
Photo by Alexa Williams Teddy Clement: Why did you decide to come to Harvey? Ms. Dineen: When I was looking for a teaching job last year I got the opportunity to join Harvey as a substitute teacher and a coach. Being in both the middle and upper school, I immediately felt like a part of this special community. When I saw that there was a middle school English position opening up I immediately applied. I am so lucky to have this amazing opportunity to work with all of you!
T: What made you want to teach? MD: Honestly, school was difficult for me when I was younger and I had to work really hard to do well in certain classes. When I was in high school, I had a teacher that was invested in my success and made things relevant and excited. From that year, I knew I wanted to be a teacher to hopefully have that kind of impact on one of my students. T: What types of books do you like? MD: I love all genres, but I would have to say my favorite is mystery. I like trying to guess what is going to happen next. T: How do you like Harvey so far? MD: I love it! It's been an amazing year so far and I am looking forward to the rest of it. T: What was your hobby growing up? MD: I always played sports growing up which kind of lead to my hobby of running, which I still love to do! I also love to cook, though I am not very good. T: What is your favorite sport? MD: My favorite sport to watch is hockey but my favorite sport to play is lacrosse T: What was your favorite class when you were in school? MD: Easy: english!
ISSUE 3 //APRIL 2020
THE OFFICIAL HARVEY NEWSLETTER
The world of eHarvey
What about pets? By Eliza Morris What's happening to pets while we are social distancing? I spoke to Dog Foster Home Coordinator Tara Rose from Pet Rescue and asked her a few questions. My family and I have been fostering dogs since last summer. This spring, the government has ordered that all non-essential businesses have to close, including Pet Rescue. I spoke to Ms. Rose while we adopted a 7 month old puppy. Eliza Morris: How many people are adopting and fostering? Tara Rose: Pet Rescue has seen 10x the number of foster applications and 3x the number of adoption applications. This makes Pet Rescue able to get more dogs from kill shelters.
Coal, Eliza Morris' newly adopted dog
E.M.: How does it benefit Pet Rescue? T.R.: By fostering a dog or cat, it allows us to lower the number of animals in our care which is helpful during this time as we limited the number of staff at our facility during the COVID crisis. Prior to the current coronavirus situation, fostering an animal allowed us more space at our facility and therefore, the ability to save more animals.
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E.M.: What is Pet Rescue doing while having to close? T.R.: We are closed to the public at this time but arrange by appointment only meetings for approved applicants, for a specific animal. While we are limiting the number of animals we take in, we will help in emergency situations. E.M.: Is there anything people can do at home to help? T.R.: Because we have few animals at this time, people at home can help by making financial contributions (every little bit helps) or sending much needed supplies to the facility. There is more info on petrescueny.org.
Ernie, Rory Santiago's duck adoptee
THE OFFICIAL HARVEY NEWSLETTER
Virtual Learning By: Annissa Khanna The Corona pandemic has swept across our nation in a way no other virus or pandemic has since the beginning of the 21st century. There have only been about nine influenza pandemics similar to COVID 19 during the last 300 years. There have been over 130,000 confirmed cases in New York state, and over 360,000 in the United States as of April 6th, 2020. As of today, our governor Cuomo states that we don’t have the right to burden each other with the irresponsibility of ourselves. There is now a 1,000 fine on those that choose to leave their homes.
Thus, students and teachers are being forced to go completely virtual, as in teach and participate in classes online. This digital world is a new experience to not only teachers across the world, but students as well. Classes are set in a different environment for each individual student and teacher, within their own homes. This promotes a new learning experience for everyone due to the new online perspective of teaching and of learning as well.
Due to all the excess screen time, teachers are encouraging and aware that students need to focus on their well-being. They remind students that it is important to take some time to go outside and spend time with loved ones, as well as read and exercise to build beneficial habits during this time.
It is so important for students and teachers to look on the bright side during this epidemic. Take some time to go outside for a run, instead of playing video games all day long. Instead of binge watching Netflix, go read or set up a virtual dinner with family and friends.
Show your gratitude, and help each other. We are all experiencing the hardships of this pandemic in different ways within our own virtual and non-virtual lives. Tell someone how much you appreciate them and remind others about the importance of taking precautions and staying healthy. Remind family and those you care deeply about to wash their hands, take precaution when receiving mail, and remind smokers and ex-smokers to stay away from any other self-destructive actions that could affect especially your lungs now. Practice social distancing and stay healthy.
Your physical and emotional state is very important right now, and this will all come to an end soon.
Please take care of yourselves and stay safe.
ISSUE 3 //APRIL 2020
THE OFFICIAL HARVEY NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 3 //APRIL 2020
Finding "New Horizons" By Gillian Klares This is it. A very important day. You have waited so long for this day. whatever it has in store for you, it will be perfect. But then a global pandemic comes along and ruins everything. I'm pretty sure that has happened to many of us over the course of this sudden stay-at-home spring trimester. What if there was a way to unwind and ing escape, a way to hang out with friends, and a way to have those long awaited events? Well, Nintendo couldn't have picked a better time to release their new game Animal Crossing New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch. New Horizons is a game where you take a deserted island and make your own little town. You meet different animals on the way with their own unique personalities. You can connect to other players online and visit their islands. This allows you to meet new people or connect to friends. The game also allows you to do fun activities together like fishing or bug catching. You can even host events like parties. One example of this is a famous youtuber who is planning her wedding in Animal Crossing after her real wedding was cancelled because of the quarantine. She is taking her friends' online personas and inviting them all to her island to be a part of the event. She is even creating cute little outfits for each of them. It is not the same as a real-life wedding, but it is still a way to celebrate with family and friends. In this time of isolation you can feel less lonely, be creative in how you construct your little town, and reschedule life events you may have missed out on. I am amazed by how much this game can do to keep people connected.
Annissa’s Juice Cleanse makes two servings
MATT’S FAMOUS BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE
Ingredients
MAKES ONE SERVING 1 cup kale
INGREDIENTS 1 cup spinach ½ a lemon, squeezed or lemon juice 1 cup liquid of your choice ½ cup fruit of your choice
½ CUP OF RAW OATMEAL 1 WHOLE BANANA 1 CUP OF MILK
DIRECTIONS Directions Put all ingredients in a blender For a thinner juice, blend more, for thicker juice, blend less Pour in glass and drink up! Makes 2 servings
PUT OATMEAL IN BLENDER AND BLEND ADD CUT UP BANANA THEN MILK BLEND ALL TOGETHER FOR 1 MIN 30 SECONDS POUR AND ENJOY!
ISSUE 3 //APRIL 2020
THE OFFICIAL HARVEY NEWSLETTER
Watching Sports By Matthew Egelberg Covid-19 a respiratory virus has affected over 400,000 citizens of the United States including sports stars, actors, singers, and models. All of the sports leagues have canceled games. However, some NHL sports teams have found solutions to keep their fans watching through these hard times.In the NHL teams like the New York Islanders are playing recorded games from October and November. For example, the Islanders are rewinding games every day the week of 3/23 and every week coming up with no NHL. The network that streams the New York Islanders is called MSG. MSG streams with the New Jersey Devils, and the New York Rangers, but the only team that is replaying games is the Islanders. If you want to watch the games, download the MSG Go app on your Smartphone.Even fans of other NHL teams can watch the games. This streaming network is made for all NHL fans who are missing out on game play. Hopefully, more NHL teams will make decisions to stream their teams’ games.
...& Keeping Active During Quarantine By Rory Santiago During the COVID-19 Pandemic, social distancing doesn’t have to mean staying inside all day. Take these trying times as an opportunity to get outside, and to take a plunge into new hobbies. Adrenaline hunters, like myself, have been indulging in many of the virtual workout options available. One of the workouts most popular are Zoom yoga sessions. Amanda Guzzo is a two hundred hour trained yoga instructor, and she says the pandemic has heightened the popularity of yoga, stating, “I’ve seen a lot of new students over the past few weeks. Some are showing up looking for a sense of peace and calm. Others are showing up out of boredom. Whatever is bringing them to their mats, I’m happy to have them there. I’ve seen them regularly returning more importantly, and I think that speaks to how powerful the practice is. It’s helping them navigate these unfamiliar waters, and they’re looking for more”. So it’s safe to say that many people are turning to a calm and peaceful workout during these unpredictable times. Nowadays, you can go on Instagram or Facebook, and you can find live yoga classes being offered for free. Many yoga studios have upped their online presence, so the public can have something fun to do. Yoga can be done inside, or on your front lawn, but all of it can be done within social distance - a reason why it’s so popular. Another quarantivity gaining popularity is hiking. The extremely popular hiking attraction, Tea Town Ossining, has been overly crowded lately. Hiking is a great way to exercise and to spot wildlife. I know that I’ve been taking advantage of hiking lately. I usually go with my mom, because of social distancing from friends. We’ve spotted lots of cool animals lately, such as egrets and beavers. Tea Town Ossining has several trails that have difficulty rates from easy to aggressive. Whatever works for you, most hiking trails in Northern Westchester have it available. Getting outside during quarantine is a great way to make outdoor memories you don’t want to miss. During stressful points in time, it’s very important to try and be the least isolated you can. It’s already hard to be socially distant from friends and family. Setting goals during quarantine helps to stay motivated while indoors. I know many people who’ve done one hundred burpees a day, or play a board game every night with their family. A quarantine goal doesn’t have to be something crazy, it can be something small to make you happy. Consistent activities that can be done outdoors or in your own home is a wonderful source of enjoyment. From arts and crafts, to hiking, staying busy is key. Remember to stay productive and positive. During unpredictable times as such, our society has to find new ways to adjust the quarantine lifestyle.
Eliza Morris and her sister out for a hike
THE OFFICIAL HARVEY NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 3 //APRIL 2020
THE OFFICIAL HARVEY NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 3 //APRIL 2020
The Impact Of Fashion By Ellie Florin
Environmental awareness is becoming a larger and larger issue in the world. People are beginning to think about how their actions can affect our planet, like flying overseas, driving to and from different places, disposing of plastic items. But when talking about fast fashion, people rarely know how their clothes are affecting the environment. Fashion production actually makes up 10% of carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes bodies of water. Because these impacts are so rarely talked about, companies continue to produce products that are killing the environment, and we, as consumers, continue to buy them. That shirt you’re wearing - do you know how much water was used to make that? How much oil? How much fuel expended to ship it? It actually takes 2,700 liters - 713 gallons - to make one basic T-shirt that’s enough water to last somebody two years worth of washing, cooking, and drinking. In addition to this, on average, people bought 60% more garments in 2014 than they did in 2000, so imagine how much water is being used for every pound of clothing; how much oil. The environmental footprint of one single shirt is so much deeper than any of us would have thought. And all of this continues to contribute to our growing environmental crises, such as deforestation and oil, plastic, and water waste. Clothing production has more than doubled since 2000, meaning so has our amount of waste. 85% of this waste ends up in the dump - the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothing is burned or dumped in a landfill every second. This should spark change, yet it continues to happen.
Fashion production alone makes up 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. The climate change crisis will inevitably worsen if things continue to go on like this. So the question is - is it too late to change things? As Raizy Akrongold, a fellow eighth grader at the Harvey Middle School says, “I think plastic makes up a lot of the climate change issue, and everyone is guilty of using plastic bottles, and I feel like if we all just cut down on our use of plastic and starting reusing, we could do a lot of good and make a big change.” Although plastic only makes up a part of our current environmental crises, cutting down on it could make a big difference. Matt Rankin agreed with Raizy, and was very surprised when I told him about how clothing contributed to the environment negatively. “I wish people were more informed about this, because if I had known all of this, I would have changed how I thought about clothes before it got this bad.” It’s not too late to change things. Informing people is the first step in fixing, or at least improving, our current environmental state. By cutting down on the clothes we buy and paying heed to the plastic and water we waste, we take the first steps towards positive change.
THE OFFICIAL HARVEY NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 3 //APRIL 2020
Creature Feature continued from page 1 I finally found the end of the trail of torn-up paper. The last small scrap of paper was taped to the door of the common room. “ Why is it always this room?” I asked. I saw two words on the paper that linked all the chains together. Mrs. Alexander. It all made sense. She had always been interested in the strange goings-on at the school and every fantastical event had climaxed in her room. I knew this couldn’t go on. I would be in the upper school next year, with no way to help middle school students. No, this mystery needed to end now. I opened the door to find a Narnia-esque world. I thought the school looked different, but this was something completely extraordinary. The room wasn’t a room anymore, but an expanse of wilderness, stretching as far as I could see. There was no way to tell that this had once been a classroom. Thick green plants sprouted from the soft mossy carpet. The table had become a great pool of caliginous water, dark and oily with a fine mist coming from it. It reminded me of a cauldron. In the back of the room, there was a magnificent stone wall with an interesting engraving of beasts and plants. In the middle of it all shone words edged in gold. “ I left you one last riddle. What is a world you can hold in the palm of your hand but will last longer than you can?” I’d known the answer since the first time I learned to read-- “It’s a book!” As in the Thousand and One Nights, the wall opened to reveal a magnificent cave, filled with books. One book lay open on a rock pedestal. The Monster Mysterium: A humans’ guide to mystical monsters. You don’t say. The riddle was simple, but it explained everything...sort of. The book must have created the monsters and released them into our world and turned the room into a rainforest wonderland. How it all happened and what sorcery Ms. A must have used to create this, we may never know. Just as I finished figuring it all out, the book began to grow very hot, with little curls of smoke coming off it. I jumped behind a jagged piece of rock as a massive creature slipped out of the book’s pages. From what I could see it looked like a giant chicken, but then it sent an arrow of fire right at my hiding place. “Why is it always a Cockatrice?” I needed to end this now, so I threw my shoe at the other end of the cave. Because...logic. But the noise turned the creature’s head and it rushed away to revile, and most likely devour, whatever had made the sound. I ran as fast as I could and picked up the book. It was still warm. I realized I had no idea how to fix any of this, but it was better to try than to just be eaten. I tried to close the book, but the pages seemed to be made of concrete, very heavy concrete. The book slipped from my hands and fell to the floor. Thunk. That was loud enough for the flamethrower bird to come back to the mouth of the cave where I was standing. I had no choice, since I was surely about to be eaten. “Well, I might as well get some exercise before I die.” I picked up the inordinately heavy book and ran as I had never run before. I made It back to the pool when I saw something in the water. Old books, moldering under the water. So I did something that I never thought I would do--throw a book away. I tossed it as hard as I could, and as it hit the water, it shut with a snap that rattled the room. As it sank into the depths, the Cockatrice came out of the cave, but it had changed. It was serene, walking slowly until it reached the water’s edge. And as its clawed feet slipped into the water, it sank with its book. From all four corners of the jungle came creatures. A white ghost, a goblin-like beast in festive attire, a Scottish sea monster, and a hairy monkey man led them all into the depths of the puddle. With every monster that entered, the pool and the jungle got smaller until the last creature, a tiny pixie, floated down. They left nothing but the classroom, whole and spotless. I don’t think anyone will believe me. I mean, after everything I’ve told you, why should you? As for me, I'm going off to find adventures elsewhere. But if you ever find a lost mystical creature please return it to the common room. Unless, of course, you would like another adventure.
THE OFFICIAL HARVEY NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 3 //APRIL 2020
Dear unlikely few students who have read this letter, Hello. I'm Cole Hamlin, the editor of the Harvey Middle School's newspaper and the person writing this article. To begin, I will write random names of students in place of a hook, as it will likely be far more effective in causing this to be read: Avery, Lucien, Bailey, Talya, Hudson, Nick, and Meaghan. That probably got your attention. Now, shall we? I'm Cole, and I've been writing for publications since sixth grade, editing since the beginning of seventh, and now, in my final year, am dictating. poorly. To summarize, it's been quite an adventure, but like all adventures, mine as your supreme leader with no power must come to an end, and as such, we have arrived at a critical point: the finale. Which just so happens to involve us locking ourselves in our homes and waiting for a virus to die out. A truly grand finale if I do say so myself. And so I thank you, dear reader, for supporting my diabolical megalomania all the way, from humble beginnings to unconsidered ends. It truly has been kind of fun. Without you, my mind may rest just a touch more sanely, and for that I thank you, Once more, Cole Hamlin.
RAMBLER STAFF -Advisor: Mrs. Moser -Editors: Cole Hamlin and Annissa Khanna -News Staff: Cole Hamlin, Annissa Khanna, Alexa Williams, Eva Veneable, Rory Santiago, Eliza Morris, Matthew Egelberg, Ted Cement, Ellie Florin, Gillian Klares, Bailey Gans -Photography Staff: Eliza Morris, Annissa Khanna Special Thanks To: Dr. Byrne, Mrs. Lombardi,, Dr. Metz,, Annissa Khanna, Ms. Dineen, Mr. Knauer, and Mrs. Alexander, former Rambler head