Crosman Chronicles - Fall 2015

FALL 2015

T H E

H AV E R F O R D

S C H O O L

ALWAYS FREE

CROSMAN CHRONICLES What’s On the Mind of Haver-Fords

by Henri Waché (Form I)

I interviewed six members of the Haverford School Community and asked them these three questions. Of the six people, here are the most interesting responses.

Question #1: What do Question #2: What are Question #3: If you g r e a t e s t found 20 dollars what you think the biggest t h e problem facing the challenges for you in would you do with it?

Middle School?

Tyler Seward said, “ I’d world today is?

Mr. Suter said, “shared Ty l e r R i p p i e s a i d , put it in my pocket and resources and radical “ m a i n t a i n i n g g o o d keep it.” religions.” Patrick Botin grades, I guess, and B r a m S c h o r k s a i d , said, “overpopulation spending your time “well, I’d pocket it!” and littering. In 100 w i s e l y . ” G e o r d y Mr. Suter said “I’d give years, America is going Holmes said, “ I have a it to Ms. G for some t o t u r n i n t o a lot of challenges but ... candy.” wasteland unless we people don’t smile stop it now.” enough in the hallway.”

Hotel Transylvania 2

by Quinn Luong (page 6)

THE SR-71 AIRCRAFT

by Bennett Twitmyer (page 5)

IS PC GAMING THE FUTURE?

by Lleyton Winslow (page 2)

Science & Technology

Is PC Gaming the Future?

by Lleyton Winslow (form II)

In the past few years, consoles have dominated gaming, but recently PCs have been on the rise. With games like Counter Strike, or League of Legends, the full experience can only be had on a PC. So will this new “PC Master Race” completely take over gaming?

I say no. In the 1980s, companies like Atari almost made gaming (primarily console) obsolete, by releasing unfinished, broken, and just overall terrible games to the market for its mediocre hardware.

But with Nintendo’s introduction of the NES console IN 1983, it almost single-handedly pulled the gaming industry out of the ditch Atari dug all the companies in. During this time, MS DOS existed in parallel. MS DOS was a computer operating system that contained excellent software and pixels for its time. If gamers weren’t playing on Atari systems, they were most likely on their own computers playing MS DOS games.

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

The Xbox One’s Operating System, compared to that of Windows 8.1

But what Nintendo’s NES system did was evolve console gaming, taking gamers away from their desktop computers. So that’s what I think that consoles will do again. Evolve. Not maybe Nintendo’s, but Microsoft. Microsoft has slowly been fusing the consoles and PCs together. Especially with the release of Windows 10 and the Xbox One gaming streaming app. Microsoft’s Xbox systems operating systems (OS) are based off of the Windows 8 and 10 OS’s, which are used by PCs and Tablets. So to conclude, no: PCs are not gaming’s future, because console evolution will once again save gaming.

The MS-DOS Operating System, developed by Microsoft in the mid 1980’s. The name MSDOS is an acronym for “Microsoft Disk Operating System.” The OS was very popular until the early 1990’s when other, more advanced OS’s were created.

How Do Jellyfish Sting?

by Strawberry Science (Form II) Most people who are reading this have been to the beach and have gone swimming in the ocean. Most likely, if you have been in the water, you or someone else you know has encountered a jellyfish. Hopefully not painfully, but if you have you know the confusion when you run into a floating pink ZipLoc bag and then explode with pain.

How can a creature so fragile cause so much pain so quickly?

The process of firing a nematocyst Cells in the jellyfish are designed to protect itself from predators that would eat or destroy it. Those cells, called nematocysts, are like coiled up harpoons that fire as soon as an electrical signal is sensed. From the time you touch a jellyfish to when the nematocysts fire is about .01 seconds. The time it takes your body to process the electrical signal from is about .25 seconds -- leaving about .24 seconds to escape the A Box Jellyfish micro harpoon. Once it pierces your skin, venom is released, making your skin redden or have other effects depending on the type of jellyfish.

The most venomous is the Box Jellyfish, with 500,000 nematocysts per tentacle! Jellyfish usually stay fairly far off shore; just don’t get tangled up in one, you’ll be safe!

Special thanks to Destin from SmarterEveryDay for making a video showing nematocysts firing in slow motion. You can check it out on his Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/ destinws2.

A microscopic image of a nematocyst

Strawberry Fact: The little hard things on the outside of strawberries aren’t seeds at all, they’re actually their own fruit, called achene, which have their own seeds!

Trains, Planes, & Automobiles The Ford Focus RS

by Evan Brabson (Form II) In recent years, vehicles made by the Ford Motor Company have been sporty and fun to drive, including the Focus ST, with 250 horsepower. Now Ford wants to improve on that powerhouse with the Ford Focus RS to compete with the Volkswagen Golf R and the Subaru Impreza WRX STI. While the RS is a hatchback, it also “RS” stands for Race Sedan. The RS has a spoiler, a mean-looking grille, and a lot of power. The 2.3L I4 Ecoboost engine has an amazing 350 horsepower and 350 foot pounds of torque, 4-wheel drive and 6-speed manual transmission.

There might be mixed opinions on the interior of the Focus RS. For someone who will buy it as a daily driver, t h e y m i g h t fi n d t h e b o l s t e r e d R e c a r o s e a t s uncomfortable. For someone who will take this car to a racetrack, or just drive like a nut around town, they might appreciate the huge bolsters. The bolsters are there to help hold you and the passengers in place.

Ford’s Sync 3 system is finally going mainstream, replacing the horrible MyFord Touch system, which was slow, with buttons too close together. Sync 3 has a quicker responding touch screen and bigger buttons that are spread out and easy to read. MyFord Touch could have been the tipping point for buyers of this car to not buy it. Sync 3 should bring in more buyers.

Here comes the bad part; the price. The basic Focus starts at $17,225. Keep in mind that includes almost nothing more than what is required for a car. The Ford Focus RS, however, starts at $35,730. This is the most expensive of the Focus lineup, even more expensive than the Focus Electric. It sounds like a lot for a hatchback, but this is a Race Sedan at the end of the day and not for the faint of heart.

The SR-71 “Blackbird”

by Bennett Twitmyer (Form II) The SR-71 is one of the most successful and fastest air breathing planes ever made. It was developed and produced by Lockheed Martin and entered into service in 1964. It was retired in 1999 due to the expense, the age of the airframe, and cost of the JP-7 jet fuel. JP-7 was developed by the military to fuel the SR-71. It is one of the most acidic fuels ever made, so it needed special containment the was very expensive to produce. The SR-71 was also designed without any efficiency in mind, therefore it was very expensive to fly.

Speculation as to what the SR-72 might look like when it released by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.

When it was retired, the US then lacked a designated spy plane. Although a replacement hasn’t yet been created, some more information has been leaked on other aircraft such as the SR-72, also known as the Aurora. These planes are currently being developed in the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, which has developed many of the United States’ top secret planes in the past. The possible propulsion device is a ramjet combined with a turbo jet which combined can propel the SR-72 to Mach 7 speeds.

The plane also has a chance of being a potential bomber, which would mean a new development of bombs and bomb bay doors. In conclusion, the SR-72 has the potential to be the next huge development in aircraft design.

Language & Media - Movie Review Hotel Transylvania 2

by Quinn Luong (6th Grade) Halloween may have passed, but Hotel Transylvania 2 is still a fantastic movie to watch! Back are Mavis, played by Selena Gomez, and Johnny, played by Adam Sandler, and many more characters you know! When Dracula opens his hotel to humans, things are looking better for him. But Dracula is worried that Mavis’s child, Dennis, won’t be a vampire when he turns five. So, Dracula and his other monster friends go on a treacherous journey to turn Dennis into a vampire. Will Dennis turn into a vampire or will things get batty?

Critical Reviews: “Hotel Transylvania 2 was hilarious and dramatic at the same time!” - Quinn Luong “Another cartoon sequel nobody asked for, "Hotel Transylvania 2" drags us back to the Borscht-blech world of Adam Sandler.” - Stephen Whitty “This inoffensive sequel is, like its predecessor, just enough for a Halloween treat.” - Sandie Angulo Chen

The Crusade

by Yeshwin Sankuratri (Form II) Because of me, you have hope, For I speak in a way unusual to man, and live in a way no man can understand.

But look around, I am everywhere!

Just look out your bunkhouse; or right beneath your feet.

Everyday I see what you can’t, craving to spark a difference for all.

However, day in and day out, I wither full, split and tear, and get beaten until the end has come.

For some I am great, and to others I am poor, but no matter the feelings that are felt, I still yearn to make a difference, so at least to give hope.

Politics & Relations A Day in the Life of a Baldwin Student

by Obaida Elamin, Vincent Scauzzo and Lleyton Winslow (Form II) On November 17th, three Haverford School Students: Obaida Elamin, Vincent Scauzzo, and Lleyton Winslow, traveled to the Baldwin School for the morning. They were accompanied Baldwin students as hosts, and went along with them to their classes, staying at the school up until the lunch period. Here is what they had to say: First Impressions: The classes are quite small, never exceeding 15 students. Unlike at Haverford, the girls can carry their backpacks around with them from class to class. They can also wear whatever shoe they want, whether it be a basketball shoe or a ballet flat. The rotating schedule is split into two days: four classes one day, then four different classes the next -- “A” day and “B” day. At lunch, many different grades all sit in the same space, and students are allowed to leave and roam on the campus.

History Class: The girls study the opposite time periods that we do: they start in modern times in 6th grade then go to the Revolutionary War in 8th. In the 8th grade they write letters in troups of two or three based on the letters that John Adams and Abigail Adams wrote to each other during the Revolutionary War. Art Class: The Art classroom is very similar to the art class here at Haverford. The classroom resembled Ms. Agati’s and Mr. Pankratz’s rooms, with paintings hanging up all over the room.

Their Art teacher, Ms. D, and explained that they were making still-lifes based of Pablo Picasso.

Life Class: During this period, students go into the assembly room and talk about how to give a speech in front of an audience. This day, a lively and enthusiastic teacher told the girls how to talk into the microphone, address the audience, and how to format their speaking notes so they

are easy to read. They also learned how to prepare for a speech. The girls were allowed to write about whatever they wanted, as long it was important and had a profound meaning for them. The girls then got in front of the class and tested their new skills by reading a part of the Constitution in front of the class.

Advisory Period: Advisory is held every Tuesday and Thursday. This day,the girls gave an update on how their food drive. They then discussed how they did not have a good place to write down and find their homework. One of the girls said that schedule planners cost more than $25 and the homework site was not useful because teachers did not post the homework there. The homework site the girls use is called Haiku and is similar to Canvas.

When the girls were shown Canvas by us, they were very excited (and slightly jealous) as it gave the option color code the subjects on the calendar, and it showed all of the grades that were posted immediately, features Haiku doesn’t have.

Conclusion: Spending a day at Baldwin was very enjoyable. Everyone there was very kind and welcoming. It was interesting to walk around the campus and see the early 1900’s architecture everywhere. Other than the fact that Haverford's cafeteria is better by a considerable margin, it was a very enjoyable experience.

American Politics

by Grady Herbert (6th Grade) Middle-East Control: Over the course of the last few weeks, Russia has been doing more missions in the Middle East. Also, Syria and Russia have made an alliance and built a military base in Syria. Russia also gave the U.S. warnings before they bombed a town with Syrian rebels that the United States has been supporting for years. The U.S. also started to reduce their missions. This then lead to the meetings in New York City, where Secretary of State Kerry met with Russian government officials at the United Nations. The meeting was about how both nations could agree on a framework for what they will do in the Middle East. After the meeting, Kerry didn’t give much information on the meeting to the press.

Representative Paul Ryan for Speaker: On Thursday, congressmen Paul Ryan announced he would run for speaker, after John Boehner announced his resignation on October 6th. Boehner resigned after he was put under pressure to cut spending or else, they claimed, their would be a government shutdown. After he resigned, Kevin McCarthy immediately decided to run. For a while, McCarthy was leading in the election when he suddenly decided to withdraw from the election. Paul Ryan was told by Romney that he should run. On October 24, he then decided to run, but he said on his terms.

Presidential Race Narrows Down: As the presidential race continues, some candidates are starting to withdraw. The first candidate who withdrew was Rick Perry, a former Governor of Texas.

In the national and state polls ever since the election campaign began, Rick had always been on the lower side of the polls. Also, Scott Walker dropped out in early October. He once was near the top of the polls in second, but later plummeted lower because of campaign problems. Also, on the Democratic side, Chafee and Webb in October withdrew. Webb and Chafee had always been the long shot candidates during the race.

Trump and Carson Gaining Ground: Over the weeks, Trump has continued his lead, but Ben Carson is right behind him and giving him a run for his money. As they continue the president race, Trump and Carson are gaining more ground and are leaving the other candidates in the dust. On October 24th, the polls showed Donald at 24%, Ben at 23%, and Ted at 10%. The polls also show seven candidates at 1% or even Lindsay Graham at 0%. The polls even go from Rubio at 9%, Bush at 8% and then Carly Fiorina at 5%. So far these polls put Carson and Trump as the only hopeful candidates.

Kasich, in the past couple of weeks, has continued to drop in the

Hillary Clinton Email Controversy Over the past several months, Hillary Clinton has kept classified emails on a private server.

After the State Department found out, Hillary Clinton deleted her emails and wiped the server clean. All though it’s unclear when she deleted the emails, before or after the subpoena, Clinton has created controversy by not turning her emails over and by using a private server. The State Department has also uncovered hundreds of emails sent to other foreign government officials on the topic of Benghazi. Also, during Hillary’s campaign for president, questions from the press have popped up and she has been on the defense until a couple weeks ago when her campaign started to attack m o re . I n l at e O c t o b e r, Clinton had a hearing in Washington. The topic was her emails; why she was keeping them, and what were they about.

Scanned by CamScanner

Haverford Art and Media Form I Virtue Posters

Political Cartoon

by Nobel DeMarco (6th Grade)

Crosman Chronicles Word Scramble Hello, fellow competitors, and welcome to to the 2015 Fall Crosman Chronicles Word Scramble! The object of this competition is to find the specialized letters in this issue of the newspaper and unscramble them to find a hidden word or phrase! To compete, all you have to do is fi n d t h e l e t t e r s a n d unscramble the message!

Once you have the message unscrambled, approach Ms. Nelson during Break or Lunch and tell her you have the message! If yo are first in your grade to do so, you win a dress down day!

The letter may appear anywhere throughout the paper, so be thorough! There are a total of 9 letters you must find. Each letter will appear bolded and underlined. It might look something like This.

A total of three dress down days will be awarded, one for each grade. Remember the Honor Code! Do not give any unfair advantages to any other student by helping them solve the puzzle.

Good luck, and have fun!

Continued on Next Page

Form I Virtue Posters (cont.)

by Manny Winikur

by Adith Reddi

by Carter Raleigh

by AJ Sanford

by Ethan Pollack

Brain Busters

by Mr. Franz

1. A woman has $2.15 in change in her purse, made up of just dimes and quarters. There are more quarters than dimes. How many dimes does she have?

2. Find two numbers, a and b, so that a +b, a*b, and a/b all have the same value.

Answers can be found on the Last Page!

by Gabe Gowen

by Michael Volpi

by Thomas Hall

3. A book has 250 pages to be numbered. How many times will the digit 2 be used?

4. In how many ways can you walk up a stairway that has 7 steps if you take 1 or 2 steps at a time?

5. Five friends are in a line. Cliff is directly behind Danny, and there are two people between Cliff and Mark.

Alan is standing somewhere behind Eric and somewhere in front of Tom. Which friend is fourth in line?

Form I Virtue Posters (cont.)

by Reed Halpert

by Eli Pollack

by Zach Seaman

by Jack Weber

by Sen Zelov

by Michael Bozzi

by Magnus Weissenberger

by Trevor Pettibone

30 Day Fitness Challenge

Lowers Stress - 70-80% of brain tissue is

Th i s J a n u a r y t h e P h y s i c a l E d u c at i o n Department is proposing a New Year's Resolution. Drink more water! During the month of January the middle school students and teachers will receive a January calendar to remind them of the challenge.

The challenge is to drink 64 or more ounces of water, each day, for 30 straight days! Here are 5 reasons why you should drink water!

Improves Digestion - keeps digestive

by Mr. Potter

Boosts Energy - makes the heart pump

blood more effectively.

water, become dehydrated and your body feels stress.

system moving.

Speeds up Metabolism - water is involved

with every type of cellular process in your body and when your are dehydrated, they all run less efficiently, especially metabolism.

Lose Weight - the average person drinks

between 500 - 800 calories a day. Also, it is difficult for your body to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. Feeling hungry?

Try drinking 12 ounces of water first!

Join the Newspaper Club Today!

We Meet Every Wednesday in Mr. Romero’s Room!

Brain Busters Answers: 1.) Four Dimes 2.) a = 1/2, b = 1 3.) 106 4.) 21 Ways 5.) Danny

Special thanks to

Peer Mediators: Sam Resibord Ben Hokenson Chris Clark Evan Brabson Brennan McBride Tyler Rippie Jack Ballenger

Alec Stern Aidan Lowe Henry Terry Ethan Brodie Jonah Viroslav Jake Spencer Yeshwin Sankuratri

Upcoming Events: Holiday Concert in Centennial Hall Thursday, December 10, 7:30 p.m.

MS House Yankee Swap Friday, December 18

for printing this edition of the Crosman Chronicles!

Members of the Crosman Chronicles: Mrs. Nelson (Overseer) Alexander Greer (Editor) Vincent Scauzzo (Proofreader) Yeshwin Sankuratri Bennett Twitmyer Obaida Elamin Lleyton Winslow Evan Brabson Alex Hull Henri Waché Grady Herbert

Winter Break at End of Day Friday, December 18 Classes Resume Monday, January 4 MS Coffee in Palmer House Wednesday, January 13, 8:30 a.m.

Form II Parent Night Coffee Wednesday, January 13, 7:00 p.m.

MS Dance at Agnes Irwin Friday, January 15, 7-9:30 p.m.

MS MLK Day Service Project Sunday, January 17, 10-12 p.m.

MLK Jr. Holiday - No Classes Monday, January 18