Winter 2017
Issue 2
Spirit Week: Fun and Competition 8th Grade has Southern Supper
By Eva Harari and Belle Greenberg Spirit Day is one of the most fun and spirited days of the year. The whole middle school gets separated into teams of red, white, and blue. On that day of fun events, you are no longer a 6th, 7th, or 8th grader; you are united into one. So many fun games are planned for that day and it is a blast!
By Eva Harari
“I love seeing the student leaders speak up and take over and inspire their team and motivate them," said Mr. Fallik, the 8th grade Civics teacher. "I like to see them take charge. I feel that it is important because it creates loyalty to the school. It makes people feel connected to MCDS. It builds a real sense of community.”
Ah! The Southern Supper! An evening of dance, poetry, appreciation, family and friends, and good old southern soul food! The Southern Supper is a night for all the 8th grade students to gather together and embrace southern spirit!
All the teachers come together on Spirit Day and practically let go of teaching math or science for a day and just have fun! One day of the year that is fun for everyone! “I think it is a great week of events. The whole point of it is to create MS unity. We like unity of different grade levels, although it is a lot of work. I know Mrs. Greenfield gets very tired. But everyone enjoys it,” said Mr. Finny, the MS Dean of Students. Every year, a couple team captains are selected on each team. The team captains are all 8th graders who are willing to do the job right and create spirit and pep on Spirit Day!
Photo by Alexis Kaplan
Every student was assigned a delicious and traditional southern dessert and were told to bring it to the supper for everyone to enjoy! All the teachers serve the delicious food catered by Jackson’s. And all the students seemed to really enjoy the new taste of southern food!
Isabela Gallotta and Manuella Vilela got into the spirit during middle school “I absolutely LOVE Spirit Day! I love all the fun events and especially the fact that there are no classes or homework,” said Gabriela Abramowitz, an 8th grader and a team captain. “I also love that every year, there is a new theme. I think that is a great concept and I really like the superhero theme we came up with this year,” said Gabriela.
“I really like Spirit Day because I like dress down and having healthy competition between teammates. It’s good interaction and we get to make plenty of new friends,” said Alex McMillan, an 8th grader and team captain. Continued on page 6
“I think it is going to get bigger and better as we go,” said Ms. Lew, the 8th grade English teacher. I am very happy it is taking part. We have some really great things going on in the 8th grade. More than anything, I think it is important to do things that your parents take part in. That makes it so good because they get to take advantage of the fact that they get to spend quality time with you. It is like a big family.”
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iBelong Brings MS Together By Nicole Rodan These years now in Middle School can be piled with work and assignments, and sometimes it is hard because you can feel like you don't belong in activities or in the school. But now, thankfully, we have iBelong to help us. iBelong is a group that meets up sometimes during lunch. It's a place where you can share without being laughed at or embarrassed. There you feel like you are not alone and you realize that you're not the only one that has or is going through something hard . That and I really like iBelong because it makes you feel really great, and you really get to learn about other kids and their feelings . Not only is iBelong a great place to go, you can also drink hot chocolate and marshmallows in the
iBelong coffee houses. We have to be thankful for Mr. Fallik who put iBelong together. There you get to learn new things and agree that nobody is perfect. Just remember the next time you feel alone and nobody understands you just go to the iBelong coffee houses meetings to cheer you up and make you feel better. There are peer counselors who meet with a group, and you discuss and answer questions from the topic and you talk about your feelings. There are some of the topics that are really valuable lessons to learn or to face which helps you admit the truth. It's is a place where you can become more familiar with challenges and you get to learn what to do with them. There are also some people who share and express their stories, feelings and opinions on the topics. Also you can see other
Photo by Belle Greenberg
Sixth graders Sophia Guarini and Alexis Kaplan bond during an iBelong Coffeehouse. people's points of views, and opinions there. We’ve received the pencil pouches which somehow makes us feel united and makes us feel the same. That's why I think everyone should at least visit the meetings to see what it's about. You
might be surprised and learn things you didn't know before. There is a motto that is for iBelong it's “I belong, You belong, We belong,” and it is true; iBelong makes you feel accepted!
Walking for Cancer Scaring Up Service By Alex Kalvarskiy When some kids go to sleep, they are scared. They are lonely. They know that in rooms next to him are his parents, but he is still alone fighting his fears. Cancer invades the body, and freely does whatever it wants. But when someone comes in that room to be with the kid, the kid is free of his fear! He is free, because someone stands up to his fears with him! It’s not the money that will help sick kids, but it will be the people, standing with them to fight this mon-
strous disease! And one day, this kid will never, ever be afraid, because someone stood with him in this fight against his fears! The cancer walk is a three mile walk around Miami Shores to raise money for people who have cancer. After the walk, there is a family barbecue. If a student goes to the walk, he contributes to people who have cancer, but also gets service hours for it. The cancer walk is not mandatory for students. Although it is not mandatory, some students spent their time to walk the walk. Even some teachers went to the walk to contribute.
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By Jacob Hare MCDS middle schoolers gathered to get scared and support a great cause: curing cancer. Though last year, the haunted house was to raise money for the ALS disease. The tickets were $10 each and the haunted house itself is very fun. This year, however the haunted house is for Cancer Awareness instead of the ALS disease. The reason being is because the ALS Club president went to high school. The haunted house was a very cool idea. All credit should be given to Mr.Sha’Quan Johnson, the dance teacher and sponsor of the Cancer
Awareness Club. He said the haunted house was the only idea that wasn’t taken and since the date was so close to halloween, the club might as well just do a haunted house. The Haunted House used several dim lights and even jump scares when traversing it. After you are done in the Haunted House, you can enjoy some creepy food, like blood which was really marinara sauce. This year’s Cancer Awareness President is Oliver Zigel.
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Around MCDS
Page 2
Op. Smile Club Helps Children Walk Through bake sales and other events, students help the Walk children with cleft palates. Continued from page one “I think that it is a terrible disease that affects so many people, science is getting better, but cancer is a very scary disease,” said Mrs. Pasqualin. “I had breast cancer, but it was treatable because the doctors saw it at an early stage. I lost friends. One of my best friends, an MCDS 6th grade science teacher, Ms. Witherington got cancer and passed away. I thank this cancer walk, and events like that, because it contributes to the science, that made all of the organizations help me back then.”
By Alex Kalvarskiy
Some of the things you can buy are in honor of our dear classmate, Jack Lombardo, who unfortunately got leukemia, a cancer of the blood. The school also held some activities and assemblies in his honor. Everyone has a relative or friend, or even a pet, impacted by cancer. Students should help sick people out so that no person’s loved one should be lost. “To me cancer is the rapid uncontrollable dividing of unhealthy cells,” said Jack Lombardo, an 8th grader who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. "Cancer has affected my life in many different ways. I can't have friends over whenever I want or I can't eat certain foods like sushi or lettuce because their high in bacteria. I feel constantly tired, and depending on the medication that I take, I either have a big appetite or I don't want to eat. I also can't go to school so I don't see my friends as much and if I have a question about an assignment, I have to email the teacher's instead of asking them directly in class. Cancer has taught me a lot of things.” “I have a much bigger understanding of how my body works and what happens to my body with cancer," said Jack. "I really wanted to go to the Cancer Walk, but my immune system was too weak and I couldn't be around a lot of people. For thanksgiving, the Children Battling Cancer charity gave my mom and I a basket with all the ingredients for a thanksgiving dinner." Miami Country Day's Walk the Walk has helped a lot in raising money. "I'm sure there are many other charities that have helped indirectly," said Jack. "I know a lot of students at Country Day have been affected by cancer, either directly or indirectly. Maybe there could be some way for anyone affected to be able to share their stories too." Some students not only walked the walk, but actually helped out. “I donated money, but it wasn't my job to collect money from the people trying to get snow cones," said 7th grader Emma Zelkowitz. "No, I have not been affected by cancer but a lot of people in my family that I am very close with had cancer, such as my mom but is now cancer free before I was born."
By Miranda Marquez Operation Smile was started in 1982 when Dr. William P. Magee Jr. went to the Philippines with a group of volunteers. They went to “repair” children’s cleft lips and cleft palates. About 300 families were hoping that their kids could be helped. But at that time the team only had medicine and treatments to treat 40 people. After they saw everything that was happening, the team decided to leave and come back with more medicine and treatments. They began to ask for donations so they could get more surgical equipment, supplies like bandages and medicines. They also asked for volunteers so they could help even more people. Once they went back to the Philippines they were able to help 100 more people but hundreds still needed help. Over the years, a lot of people gathered, and Operation Smile started. Our Operation Smile club started because Ms. Minetti was so passionate about it. 8th grader Maya Kreger said, “Ms. Minetti was always passionate with it, like with the Wendy Walk." Zeina Bazzi said, “We help children with cleft pallets. They have trouble eating, breathing and sleeping. We donate money for the surgery." “The surgery costs about 240 dollars," said Zeina. "We encourage our club members to each make 240 dollars by the end of the year. The deformation affects their whole life. One thing will lead to another
and it’s different for other people and how it affects their body, the problem is that they have a cleft pallet and that makes it hard for them to breath. This only happens to young children because if they can't afford a surgery they don't survive and they don't make it to adulthood most of time."
But the deformation does not only affect the kid but the parents too. There is a lot that happens to the parents too. Not only financially but emotionally too. They want to see their kids better. And the club pays for the surgery so it helps somehow with their financial problems.
Haunted House Raises Money for Charity Continued from page one
should help the people that have it,” said JuanPablo Casas, a seventh grader.
“In 6th grade my mom was battling cancer which made me want to join the club,” Oliver said.
“The egg challenge was my favorite,” said Marco.
“I feel that's it's really important, because cancer is a big deal and it's hard to fix,” said Marco Pacheco, a seventh grader. “It feels good, because I am giving money for a cause for the people that are sick to feel better,” said Vinny Millan, a sixth grader. “I feel we should really get involved with it, because cancer is a dangerous thing and we
“To be with my friends and to go through the not so scary experience was my favorite part,” said Vinny. “My favorite part was the Haunted House itself,” said JuanPablo. Based on everyone’s responses, people enjoyed the haunted house and I thought it was good as well. Like I said earlier, the Haunted House was scary and my group got scared.
The food was excellent, they had black colored pasta and marinara sauce. They also had chicken and popcorn. The area was so dim that I could see barely anything. Some people were even dressed in costume, someone even wore a batman costume. There was also an egg challenge where people tried to keep their eggs from cracking. This is what everybody had to say ‘on the wonderful haunted house. Overall, it was a great experience for a great cause. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the haunted house. Sha’Quan, Oliver, and the Cancer Awareness Club did a great job and they should receive a whole bunch of credit.
Class Trip
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7th Grade Visits DC Reese Greenlee: Day 1: When we arrived at the airport, the Starbucks was swarmed with students. We went to the Capital Building which was really cool because all of the Miss Universe ladies were touring the building while we were there, so we got photos with them. We walked by the Supreme Court, which was huge. We then went to the Newseum. That was awesome! They had a Virtual Reality station, that we got to try. There was also a wall that had all of the current newspapers from around the world. Overall the day was a blast! Day 2: We saw the Declaration of Independence. I thought it was so cool to actually be there right next to the document! We also went ice skating. I will be the first to admit I am probably the worst ice skater on the planet. And I swear I’m not being dramatic. When I was eight I fell and broke my arm. And last time, I somehow got a blade in my lip. Still confused on that one. But on this trip I actually learned how to skate! I did not fall once. It was the most incredible feeling to not hug the side of the rink. I felt like I accomplished so much! Day 3: It was the last day of our trip. We went to a bunch of memorials which were sad, especially the Vietnam. Seeing that some of the soldiers went missing after the war made my heart fall. While visiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial,
Photos by Mr. Mofsky, Sofia Tillis, Chloe Bergman, Morgan Loeb, Simone Hart, and Miranda Marquez.
we saw three green helicopters that said ‘United States of America.’ Our tour guide told us the President or Vice-President was in one of those helicopters. At lunch time, we went to a mall to eat. That was fun because they had really good food. The plane ride was long yet short. It did help though that there was a tv in each seat. That was my first ever trip to the Capital of our nation.
Miranda Marquez: Day 1: We got to the airport at 4: 27 and there were a lot of people there already. I called my friend and she asked me where I was. When we found each other we stayed together and then they gave us our boarding pass. I said goodbye to my parents and then my friend and I went to our departure lounge and we stayed there for a bit. Once we boarded, my friend and I were together until the plane was almost full so we had to sit in different places. In DC, we got all cozy and warm and we went right onto the bus. My tour guide was George and during the whole trip we had a lot of fun with him. Almost all of us in the bus fell asleep till we got to the capitol. Once we got to the capitol we were all hungry so we saw a little bit of the place and then we got lunch. After lunch we finished with the paper on the packet. We noticed there were a lot of girls coming in and we saw that one of them was Miss. America. We got so excited and almost all of us took a picture with her. After the capitol we went to the library of congress it was beautiful. We went to the Supreme Court and it was really pretty. Then we went to the Newseum and it was very interesting, I liked it it was really cool and there were a lot of interesting things to do. We were at the museum for a long time. Then we walked for a bit. We went to get dinner in a food court. After getting dinner we went to the White House and it is pretty. Obviously there were tons of security. After that we went to a memorial that I really liked because it was beautiful. That was
the last thing we did for the day. Because after that we came to the hotel and they told us who was in my room. Everyone is so tired, it was a long day. Day 2: We woke up and we went to get breakfast. After that we went to a memorial that I liked a lot. It had names for the ones that were at the Vietnam War and it had a diamond next to the name if they were dead and a cross if they were missing. After that we went to The National Museum of American History and it was very interesting, I didn’t think I would like it that much, the thing that I liked the most in that museum was Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers because since I was a little girl The Wizard of Oz has been my favorite movie and I was so excited when I saw them, after that we went to The National Museum of Natural History and that was also one of the things that I liked the most because there were a lot of interesting things and specially I like all things that have to do with the animals and our ancestors. After that we went to the National Air and Space Museum it is really cool because they have a lot of stuff to do. The things that you are able to do make you learn but they are also fun. I really enjoyed this museum because I really like this type of stuff that have to do with how our world works. After that we went ice skating and it was awesome it is the things that I’ve enjoyed the most. I used to do professional ice skating and this is the first time that I’ve skated since I stopped doing professional. We had so much fun my friend and I never stopped. After that we went and have dinner. We had so much fun there too. Then we went to a few memorials and then to the hotel. Everyone was exhausted and really sleepy. We came to the hotel and now we are talking before we go to bed. Day 3: We woke up late and we got ready like in 5 minutes . We still hadn’t packed so we had to. It was so hard. Then we went and got breakfast. After breakfast we had to go to our room so someone would come and check the rooms. When someone checked the room we went to the bus and then to a lot of memorials. We visited the Martin Luther King memori-
al, the Jefferson memorial and my favorite the Roosevelt memorial. I really liked the way that the memorial is formed. Then we went to the airport, my friend and I were in different airlines but I was with my other friend. My other friend and I got starbucks and we changed our names and it was really fun. Then we got snacks. After we got snacks we boarded and when we sat down I didn’t want to watch the TV so I decided to connect to the internet and watch The Walking Dead. When we landed it was really quick before we saw our parents. So I saw my parents and we came home. I really liked the trip and it was very exciting and awesome I really liked the experience.
Jacob Hare: I loved the Washington Trip, it was amazingly cool and I got to see cool documents, museums, and memorials and monuments. We first got onto our flight at 6 in the morning! Probably, not the best way to start off the trip, but whatever. We arrived in Maryland, Baltimore, the place I was born, but I grew up in Miami Beach, When we got there, we got on our bus and we met our tour guide, Rick. He is super cool and friendly.The first thing we stopped at was the Capitol Building Tour Center. When we got there, we had to split into groups, I went with Vlad Tsukanov and Robert Depardine. Vlad, Robert, and I learned about the progression of Washington D.C, it started out as a flat plain of land, but evolved into a big city, that wasn’t really a state, but a district.
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Around MCDS
MCDS in the nation's capital Jacob Hare continued from page 3
Then, we went to the Newseum. Everything in that museum was new and fresh and the lunch was good, too. I ate two slices of pizza and a cupcake. After that we went to the National Archives. I saw important documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the first Constitution. We then went to the Iwo Jima Memorial. We went to our hotel in Virginia. Our suite was awesome, and we got our own rooms. We actually stayed up watching TV, but I went to bed before Vlad and Tyler. Day 2: In the morning, I got an awakening from Vlad, but it turned out it was 7:53! We slept in a hour late. I ate breakfast, which was pancakes and po-
Addressing Bullying
tatoes and we boarded the buses. Our first stop was the Vietnam War Memorial, it was cool and I felt terrible for all who died or went missing in action. But, the Vietnam Memorial was designed well and it was a great way to commemorate those people who died or went missing in action. Our next stop was the Smithsonian Museums: the museum of American History, the museum of Natural History, and the museum of Air and Space. Out of those three, our second stop turned out to be the museum of American History. We once again split into groups and my group consisted of Mikey Port, Masha Kambolin, Morgan Loeb, and Sophia Rosenberg. We went through different exhibits on the first, second, third, and fourth floor. After that, my advisory went to the Museum of Natural History, where we had lunch and went through different exhibits. Once again, I was with Mikey, Morgan, and Sophia. After we answered our questions and took a few photos, I
split away from my group to have lunch with a few others. For lunch, I had chicken fingers and fries, a bag of chips, and a bottle of water. Then came one of my favorite parts of the trip, Kiyann Abily and I went to the gift shop and I bought my baby blue penguin stuffed animal. Then we went to the final Smithsonian museum, the museum of Air and Space. Except this time, everyone was all over the place, and I went with Jessica Carligio and Malini Kamlani through the museum. The questions were harder than usual and I ended up going by myself for the last 30 minutes of our time in the museum. I bought some dry space ice cream, which was made to last in space. The ice cream gave me a stomach ache and I sat out of our next activity, ice skating. After that, we went to dinner, where once again I had pizza. After that, we went to the Korean War Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. We went back to the hotel and went to bed.
Going bazaar! By Belle Greenberg
By Elinka Ordway
This year, our school held the 21st Annual Holiday Bazaar. The Bazaar is when the gym is set up with many different booths where vendors can sell their items. The Bazaar is meant to help raise money for the Parent’s Association.
On Wednesday, November 16, John Halligan came to speak to the middle school students of Miami Country Day and Cushman. John Halligan’s speech consisted of the effect bullying has on children and what he went through personally.
“The Bazaar is the Parent’s Association’s biggest fundraiser,” said Wendy Russakoff, the chairman of the Parent’s Association. “It raises money for our school.”
On October 7, 2007 his son Ryan Halligan passed away; death by suicide. Ryan as his father explains him on his website was “Sweet, gentle and lanky thirteen-year-old fumbling his way through early adolescence and trying to establish his place in the often confusing and challenging social world of middle school.” Many things can be the cause of suicidal thoughts like bullying, depression, or feeling like you don’t belong. Here in Miami Country Day we believe no one should feel that way so we have programs like I-Belong which is a group led by Mr. Fallik and Ms. Byrne to help prevent you feeling this way. John goes around the nation telling his son's story changing the hearts of million and really showing kids that bullying is no joke and that it can really hurt someone. The issue of bullying began in the 5th grade where he would get picked on for his low grades and his physicality. The problem continued into the 7th grade, John asked his son if he wanted him to go talk to the principal, Ryan said no and that he wanted to learn to fight. As we know violence will never resolve anything. John believes that there are many ways to prevent suicide and bullying. In Miami Country Day we believe in a bully free environment. If you are ever being bullied you can reach out and talk to a trusted adult or do something that makes you happy like “Play PS4” as 8th grade student Tyler Greenberg said. If your friend has told you they are considering suicide there are many things you can do like tell an adult or like 8th grade President Jovan Joseph said “ Talk, get help, or get ice cream or food” Another thing that is hard to do is talk about yourself having suicidal thoughts. Many people fear that they will be judged or they don’t want to burden people with their problems, but the key thing that you need to do is talk to a trusted friend or adult. So please if you ever do have suicidal thoughts reach out to friends or/and family or you can contact the national suicide lifeline at: 1-800273-8255 or you can go to their website and chat with them at: http://chat.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx
Day 3: This morning, I was the one to wake up my roommates and we went to breakfast on time. I had french toast and potatoes. Our first stop was the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, which was very interesting and I found cool quotes. Next, we went to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which had an amazing statue of Martin Luther King Jr. After that, we went to the Jefferson Memorial, which was a domed temple with a statue inside. After that, we went to the Holocaust Museum and we went into one exhibit, Daniel’s Story. The cinematics were cool and Daniel’s Story was heartbreaking as he told it through his diary logs and short movies. Next, we went to lunch and I had 2 slices of pizza, spaghetti, and garlic bread! Our last stop of the day was the airport, where I sat with my friend, Ryan Clarke and we headed home to Miami, Florida.
The Bazaar lasts for the entire day. Throughout the day, each grade gets an opportunity to visit the Bazaar. For the middle school, students were allowed to shop during lunch, but food was available during break. Photo by Mr. Fallik
“It is held in the gym, where there are many independent local vendors that have booths throughout the day, including: home accessories, workout wear, jewelry, clothes, handbags, etc,” said Robin Gale, a volunteer at the Bazaar. “And we also have a delicious food court. This ONE day raises a tremendous amount of money for Miami Country Day School.”
8th grader Valentin Garcia Kasianova browses a kiosk at the bazaar.
There are many different types of booths at the Bazaar. Vendors like Scholastic and many other brands are very popular booths. But with so many vendors, sometimes it is hard to fit them all into the gym. “We have over 45 vendors and 71 tables this year,” said Wendy. “Space is very limited so trying to find a variety of vendors and planning where each table goes is very hard.” The Bazaar has a variety of items for sale. From jewelry to stuffed animals and even segways, the Bazaar hold many different surprises.
Photo by Mr. Fallik
Sixth grader Logan Traband get some lunch at the Holiday Bazaar.
“The jewelry was my favorite part about the bazaar,” said Sabrina Cohen, an eighth grader. “My favorite part of the bazaar was walking around and seeing all the merchandise. I liked seeing this because I got to see all the things I could get for myself and give to others. During break, the students had the opportunity to purchase some food from the Bazaar. Some students say that the Bazaar food is their favorite part of the whole event. “I was most excited for the food because it’s better,” said Jordan Horn, an eighth grader. “I think the food was good,” said Sabrina. “I think the food was good because it was well prepared.” Photo by Mr. Fallik
The Bazaar was an overall success! Everyone enjoyed it and thought that it was great.
From left: Eva Harari, Luna Alonso, Maddie McDonald, and Natalia Socarras
Around MCDS
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Dancers head to NYC MS dance students learned from pros in Broadway and got to explore the city. By Alexis Kaplan
Dance is one of the many electives the middle schoolers can choose from. The dancers work hard, and they go on trips. Their first trip was to New York in November. Before the dancers went on the trip, they had to prepare. Some of them felt like they did not have enough time to prepare. Sixth grader Anna Knyshova said, “To prepare for the trip, we learned different dance moves like tendu and pirouette." There are a lot of reasons why they went on the trip but one of the main was “to build on the dancer’s technique and to get the NYC dance trip experience,” said Mr. Johnson.
and take themselves more seriously when they were on the trip,” said Mr. Johnson. “We had two different types of dance classes everyday, and we did something different in every class," said Sophia Guarini. "We danced for two hours each day, and some teachers were stricter than others.” The dancers did different types of dance, such as hip hop, ballet, jazz, and contemporary. Some of them were hard, like hip hop and ballet,” said Natalya Neal. "We also did contemporary together as a group. The dance for that was fast and difficult, but it was fun. Beginner’s jazz was my favorite one, because I really enjoy jazz, and the dance the was the perfect level for me.”
Sixth grader Madison Castro said, “We learned from professional dancers and teachers at the broadway dance center.”
Not only did they do dancing but they did lots of other fun things in New York City.
“I think they learned to be more attentive
“Besides dancing, we also went to Times
Square and explored the city," said Hailey Asseus. "We went to see a Broadway show called Wicked. It was amazing.” “I enjoyed the jazz class, because I love jazz and it was very upbeat," said Anna Knyshova. "I also liked shopping, it felt fun to shop in New York! I also liked to spend quality time with my friends in dance.” “We all saw Wicked, and the assistant choreographer from Wicked and taught them choreography from the show,” said Mr. Johnson. “This was the first year we’ve done a trip in dance, and overall it was a success," said Mr. Johnson. "We will be taking another dance trip next year.” Natalya Neal said, “I think this dance trip improved my dancing, because I got to see a lot of examples of experienced dancers doing what I do in class.”
From left: Madison Castro, Hailey Asseus, Sophia Guarini, Natalya Neal. Bottom: Lauren White.
superiors.
Jr. Thespians make states Drama competition stirs up excitement in the middle school.
“I think I, along with our entire troop, competed very well,” said Natalie. “We got 21 superiors and three critics choice! Also, the feedback from the judges was excellent.” “I think I competed well,” said Sabrina Cohen, an eighth grader on Jr. Thespians team. “Our group did really well. We got 21 Superiors and two Excellents.” The competitions November 5, 2016.
were
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“There are three or four judges and they just watch you do your presentation (monologues, improv, etc.),” said Kate Carlson, an eighth grader on the Jr. Thespians team. “They write stuff down and they give good notes. They’re really nice and they help you become a better actor.”
By Belle Greenberg Although the students love performing, the competitions can be stressful. For the second year in a row, the Jr. Thespians have proven to be superior. This will be the second time that the team has made it to the State competition taking place in February, 2017. “Maggie Avalos and I brought 12 Jr. Thespians to the District 4 Junior Thespian competition (District 4 is one of the largest, if not the largest, District in Florida),” said Ms. Jarvis-Guerra (Pops), the drama teacher and coach for the Jr. Thespians. “Now we are moving on to the State's competition on Feb. 9th, 10th, and 11th!” The team started last year because there was a Thespians team in the upper school and the drama crew wanted to give the middle schoolers a chance. Much of the original team still competes, including Natalie Berman, Aden Karp, and Sabrina Cohen. “I became a Jr. Thespian when the opportunity was presented to me by Mrs.
Avalos and Pops,” said Natalie Berman, an eighth grader who is now in her second year competing in the thespians. “We had to sign up to be in the club, and in order to compete you must prepare a scene, monologue, etc. and get it approved by Pops. Drama has always been my passion, and I thought it would be such a great experience to join.” Eighth grader Anastasia Brosda said, “I joined Jr. Thespians because I thought it would be interesting to do competitive acting." The Thespians are all passionate about arts. The Jr. Thespians not only compete with acting. They also can compete in singing, improv, and even stage makeup art. The MCDS Jr. Thespians compete in the Districts and State competitions. If the team performs well enough, they get to compete at the State Competition. Out of the 23 competing acts, 21 of them got
“I love competing, but I get extremely nervous before doing it,” said Natalie. “Before I perform, my stomach tends to really hurt. However, once I get on the stage and my fourth wall is up, I am a new person and all those nerves just go away.” “I enjoy competing because it is a once in a lifetime experience and I’m doing what I love,” said Sabrina. “But it does get a little scary and I get really nervous!” "The rush is amazing,” said Anastasia. “And once you have finished competing you feel amazing. Right before you go on it’s like you’re competing against life or death.” Although the team did well, they all still think that there are some things that hey could have done better. “We had some time left,” said Nicole Rodan, a 7th grader on the Jr. Thespians
Photo by Ms. Avalos
The middle school Jr. Thespians are doing better every year! team. “I think that some of the parts we could have added more time and it would have benefited the team. I could have been more careful to not break.” “I think i competed well,” said Kate. “I got an excellent. I feel like Pops was really good in helping me get the most out of this monologue. I could have gotten a SUPERIOR. It’s just that I paced back and forth. That’s what I do when I’m nervous. I also needed to speak louder because I speak quiet when I’m nervous.”
Continued from page one
Photo by Eva Harari
From left: Natalie Berman, Zoey Arnold, Sabrina Cohen, Belle Greenberg, and Margo Erb-Greaux
Overall, the Jr. Thespians did amazing and there’s no question that the students are all so talented. “Jr. Thespians has become a huge part of my Middle School experience,” said Natalie. “I am so looking forward to the new Performing Arts center and all that is to come. The school does an amazing job supporting the different arts, and I couldn't be more thankful! Thespians is more than a club... it is family.”
“I could have done better on my monster scene because my blocking was bad,” said
Southern Supper “It is nice to have unique events just for the Middle School. We sometimes get lost in the PK-12 school of one thousand three hundred and twenty students so it helps to build our Middle School identity while also enriching the curriculum,” said Mr. Mathes, the Director of the Middle School.
Sabrina.
together and to be a part of all the hard work that was put into the event,” said Giuliana Bruce, an 8th grader.
Even though the teachers enjoyed themselves very much, the students adored it as well.
“I highly recommend that the 8th grade should continue with this tradition. The supper establishes a communal feeling for the grade and bonds us to be a family. The Southern food and warm, welcoming setting set an enjoyable overall experience,” said Giuliana.
“My first experience with the supper was very enjoyable. It was exciting to look forward to the supper for weeks, then on the night of the event to see it all come
“I liked the concept of the dessert because it made the dinner more interactive and it made our creations a part of the event,” said Zoey Arnold, an 8th grader.
“The food was really extremely good, and I think everyone enjoyed it. I also think that the dessert portion enhanced everyone’s experience,” said Chuck Sukhdeo. “I liked the supper because it gave us a taste of what we might have on the class trip,” said Sophia Agurcia, an 8th grader. “The food was really good, but I didn’t really get to eat much because I was part of the dancing, but I really enjoyed myself,” said Nicholas Altman, an 8th grader. Overall, it seemed like everyone really enjoyed the Southern Supper and that the 7th graders will have a blast next year. Over the year, the southern supper has evolved to a wonderful evening.
SPIRIT WEEK MS Students Make Memories Continued from page one “No doubt about it, I LOVE Spirit Day. I love how we have different activities and how we get to have competition between our friends that we see everyday, but also with new kids that we get to create new bonds with,” said Sabrina Cohen, an 8th grader and team captain. However, there is always one recurring complaint, that everyone comes upon. Why isn’t Spirit Week longer? “I think Spirit Week is super fun and a great way to meet other people from other grades," said MariaPia Onorato, an 8th grader, and team captain. "I like to see the new bonds created. But, if there was one thing I could change, I would make more colors besides red white and blue, so that there is more competition between grade levels. I would also love for Spirit Week to be longer.” Overall, Spirit Day is a day loved by everybody, no doubt about it! There are new games and fun surprises waiting at every corner! It’s also great for the new 6th graders. Transitioning to the middle school can sometimes be overwhelming. Spirit Week is a great way for the kids to relax and just have fun! I bet everyone is looking forward to next year’s Spirit Week!
8th grader Roothie Desir competes in the tug-of-war.
The dance competition was fun for all, and Alexii Bassette shows what she can do.
Masha Kambolin competes in the Poison River jumping contest.
Spirit Week
Grandparents Day
Photo by Mr. Fallik
8th grader Nina Talpe spent the day with her grandmother, Dominique Van de Moorlele.
MCDS Welcomes Grandparents By Reese Greenlee
Grandparents are our guide, our family and friends. They teach us new things while also giving us a taste of the history and the past. They are some of the only people we know who have experienced hardships and accomplished impressive goals. That is why we should be grateful to have a day at our school to celebrate our ancestors. Wednesday, November 23, is when we invite them to spend a day with us at school. Ms. Piper, development office, is one of the key people who helps create the special memories. “The day is really to help create a special bonding time with there grandchildren," she said. "Grandparents help create the foundation for us.”
Grandparents were thrilled to be with their grandchildren! Gale Leonard, grandmother of Sophia Rosenberg, said “I am super excited to be able to spend the day with my lovely granddaughter.” Glenda Dorrance, grandmother of Elsa and Erin Dorrance, said, “I am so proud of my granddaughters and can’t wait to spend the day with them.” Laura Plad, grandmother of Rachel Hodes, saids “I can’t wait to go to lunch with her.” Carol Greenlee said, “Im not from Miami so to spend the day with my grandson, It was fun because I got to spend the day with him and see Miami.” Students were excited to show off their school and spend the day with there grandparents.
Teachers park off campus so the parents and grandparents have easy access to the class rooms. Student Government and faculty members helped guide them from getting lost.
“My grandma came and it was good," said Rachel Hodes. "She got to see my classes and friends. The barbecue was nice, and I enjoyed the day.”
Mr. Mathes said “The goal for this day is to recognize them and also show them what life is like being a Miami Country Day Student.”
Emma Zelkowitz said, “I couldn’t bring my grandpa because he couldn’t come, but I enjoyed my day because I got to meet all of my other friends family and I had lots of fun in classes."
Grandparents then follow their children around the classrooms. Many teachers planned activities to show off what students are learning and get to know there grandchild more. There was also a barbecue for students!
Overall the day was a success and a memory that when were are Grandparents, we will be able to reflect back to the precious time we spent with them and got to bring them to school.
In Other News... Halloween, an ancient tradition By Miranda Marquez
do not celebrate Halloween. Masha Ataman said, “Since Ukraine is very religious in Christianity, we don’t celebrate Halloween since it’s considered as a representation of the devil’s birthday."
Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. About 2,000 years ago in Ireland, in the United Kingdom and France, the Celts had a festival called the “Samhain."
A lot of people think that because Halloween is mostly celebrated in America, it is an American creation. But it actually was created in Europe. Giving out candy on Halloween is based on the medieval custom of “souling.” It was to honor the dead.
People would light bonfires and dress up with costumes to avoid the dead and ghosts. On this day, October 31, it was believed that there was a boundary between the living and the dead. The day after, November 1st, for the Celts it was considered to be the New Year. That was one of the reasons that October 31 was were they had boundaries. This festival was where the dead would come back and help the Celts predict the future. October 31 was All Hallows’ Eve, and eventually it turned to being Halloween. Our Lower school does a parade where the children dress up. MS students went home, did homework, and went outside to trick or treat. Sixth grader Romiana Witek said, “I went to Coco Plum and I got lots of candy and I dressed up as a bunny.” Seventh grader Blake Batchelder went to Keystone to trick or treat.
Why do we dress up? Dressing up came from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. People lit fire and wore costumes to scare away the ghosts. Over the years, the costumes became less scary. Chiara Moura dressed as Harley Quinn, and Christian Johnson went as a gangster. Decorating houses is also a big thing. This tradition changed over the years, but at first decorating was to scare ghosts away from their house. “I always go full out decorating my house,” said Martina Zapata. There are a lot of different traditions. Almost every place has a different way to honor the dead. For example, in Mexico they do “El día de los Muertos”, The Day of the Dead, where everyone takes out gifts and food to honor the dead.
Photo by Alexis Kaplan
Two MCDS lower school students show off their Halloween costumes.
There are a lot of other cultures, religions and places that
EDITORIAL: 2016 Election By Jacob Hare
The election of 2016 was a wild one. Republican Donald Trump battled Democrat Hillary Clinton, who had some controversy for using a private email. Some people like Trump; some people like Hillary, some people like neither. I would’ve been okay with Clinton being the president, as I myself, along with my family are Democrats. I think that since it was really between Trump and Clinton, it's not such a good idea to vote for a third party candidate, like Jill Stein or Gary Johnson, who might I remind you, both of them have controversy around them. Hillary Clinton, who was 42nd President Bill Clinton’s wife, actually ran for the 2008 Election, but she lost. Gary Johnson and Jill Stein also ran for their respective parties. We also had Bernie Sanders, who eventually stopped running. But this was really a battle between Clinton and Trump. Let’s talk
about certain controversies with this year’s candidates. First, this one may be obvious, Trump had a lot of racism towards Mexicans and he had a lot of sexism towards women, which caused a lot of anti-Trump campaigns. We also have the Hillary Clinton email controversy, which started in March 2015, where she used her family’s personal email server for official communications. We also had Jill Stein’s ‘anti-science’ campaign, which occurred fairly recently, which is mostly strange. Gary Johnson wanted everyone to know that he was a third-party candidate, and he wanted the third-party candidates to join him and take down Clinton and Trump, These were my thoughts on the election, Our 2016 election winner is Trump! That started more anti-Trump campaigns in places like New York, most people aren’t very happy with Trump and they want someone else as their president. Once again, these were my thoughts and opinions, so I hope you learned a little more about the election.
Hurricane Matthew causes trouble By Reese Greenlee
Hurricane Matthew started out as a tropical storm in South Africa and slowly made its way to the Caribbean Islands and the United States. The storm slammed Cuba and many islands as a category 5. Winds were over 160 mph and trees were thrown like toys. The storm killed more than a hundred people in Haiti and flooded many of the countries homes and business. But that was only the beginning, the storm brushed Miami and later collided with Jacksonville, Florida and the Carolinas. South Florida was lucky to spare the eye of the storm but still got heavy winds and pouring rain. By the time it
reached Miami Beach, the storm turned into a category 4. You know what that means, no school! Most people were thrilled to have Thursday and Friday off, but some were concerned for their properties and most importantly, their safety. I was so excited to have the opportunity to talk to Maria Torrence, the head weather forecaster for NOAA. I asked her a few questions on the storm. She said, “I would definitely encourage people to move off from the coast as the winds can be life-threatening and dangerous.” Many people who live on Miami Beach and on any other man-made islands were encouraged to evacuate.
"Winds were over 160 mph and trees were thrown like toys." - Reese Greenlee
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Entertainment
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Potter continues to amaze! J.K. Rowling’s stories are catalysts for lasting friendships and ignite our imaginations. By Shaelyn Davis and Ameya Beohar Accio reader! Welcome muggles, to our Harry Potter hour! Did you ever wonder what it's like past platform 9 ¾? Well, you've come to the right place. Harry Potter is a magical and exciting book and movie series. This tale is about how a boy's parents was murdered by a dark wizard, and then was forced to live with his annoying cousin Dudley, his rude Uncle Vernon, and his irritating Aunt Petunia. One morning he got a mysterious letter which said it was for Harry Potter and that he is accepted into Hogwarts School of WitchCraft and Wizardry. His guardians (Uncle Vernon, and Aunt Petunia) never told Harry that he was a wizard. This is the start of an extraordinary adventure that will leave you spellbound. The first book/movie will immerse you in the wonderful world of magic. You will go on a wonderful journey
with Harry as he learns about his magical powers. Each subsequent book/movie is so convincing that you will no longer believe that Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, or the Minister of Magic were created into someone's imagination. You will believe that this magical world is in fact reality. Dementors, goblins, elves, wizards, witches, Death Eaters, and muggles are some of the characters you will be introduced to, each symbolic of different emotions. Dementors are possibly the foulest creatures to ever be imagined. They suck out all your happiness and feed on souls. Using advanced literary devices J.K. Rowling makes all of her creatures/characters believable, feared, or loved. J.K Rowling is an amazing writer and can turn any whimsical idea into an entire world of magic. Harry Potter was first published in
Bob's burgers is "hysterical" The show is currently in its 7th season. By Alexis Kaplan "Bob’s Burgers" is a comedy TV show on FOX with seven seasons so far. The show is about a family of five, two parents and three kids, who own a family restaurant called Bob’s Burgers, located in New Jersey. The family always works together to fight through the obstacles, such as competing with their rivalry restaurant, Jimmy Pesto’s Pizzeria, and dealing with the nasty health inspector, Hugo, who happens to be Linda, Bob’s wife, ex. Before you meet anyone else, let me introduce you to Bob. He’s been flipping burgers all his life, from working at his dad’s diner, Big Bob’s, to pursuing his dream of opening his own burger restaurant, which is obviously called, Bob’s Burgers. Bob’s a friendly and gentle man, with very sarcastic humor. He’s passionate about having a successful restaurant,
and he has to deal with a lot of things along the way. In one episode, Jimmy Pesto copies Bob’s Super Bowl commercial, stealing all of his customers. In another, Bob tries to get the perfect Valentine’s gift for Linda, and only Hugo knows where to buy it. Can you guess what happens? Next, there is Linda, Bob’s loving wife. Linda is one of the most enthusiastic people you will ever meet. She loves to sing and dance, has a great attitude, and is always smiling. She’s always down for anything, and very supportive of her family. Linda always has fantastic ideas. In one of my favorite episodes, she convinces her daughter to do a musical skit for her book report. In another, she takes her family Christmas caroling to get into the holiday spirit. Then, there’s Tina. Tina is the eldest child of the family, and she’s very
1997, just over 10 years ago. And yet these novels have stood the test of time. Children and adults alike have enjoyed these books/movies and it is our prediction that they will be loved for another hundred years. Our journey into this wonderful world began about a year ago. Both of us are now PotterHeads, frequently visiting the Harry Potter world in Universal. We have been assigned to our Hogwarts Houses. Ameya is in Hufflepuff, while Shaelyn is in Ravenclaw. J.K. Rowling’s world has become our world and we relish each new adventure that Harry goes on. J.K. Rowling’s books/movies are more than just magical adventures. They are catalyst for lasting friendships, and they ignite our own imaginations. The world is a better place because of this author.
sweet, between always being there for everyone and the adorable glasses she wears. Tina’s a pretty boy crazy girl, especially when she’s around Jimmy Pesto Jr., who’s the son of the owner of the rival restaurant of Bob’s Burgers. Things get pretty complicated in certain episodes, like in one episode where it’s Tina birthday. She throws a big birthday bash at the restaurant, but Jimmy Pesto does not want his son to go. Tina’s majorly upset, and you’ll have to watch the episode to find out what happens. Tina’s got some other addictions too, to some pretty odd things, like zombies and horses. Now, we have Gene. Gene’s the middle child, and he’s known as the family comedian. He’s got an amazing sense of humor and very clever wordplay in the show. Gene’s ready to give you a laugh in almost any episode. He’s got a passion for music, which is the reason why he’s always playing his keyboard. It’s a pretty wacky keyboard, besides playing the actual notes, it makes funky sounds like dog barks and robot noises. And lastly, we have Louise. She’s the youngest child, and is also the most diabolical. Whenever anybody gets fed up, Louise is ready to take them down- for a price. Louise has to get her way. If you don’t allow her to, you’re a goner. Another interesting feature about Louise is that she always wears her pink bunny ears. In one episode, a bully steals them. Louise is a wreck! There are a lot of other characters too, but all of the family are the main characters. Some of the other characters are Teddy and Mort, regular customers at the restaurant. Mort owns a funeral home right next to the restau-
Harry Potter is played by Daniel Radcliffe in the film series.
rant. There’s also Tammy. Tammy first appears in the second season of the show. She’s a new student who befriends Tina, but she puts peer pressure on Tina and Tina becomes a rebel. In all the episodes after that, Tammy is the most popular girl in the school, and Tina and Tammy are enemies. We also have Logan. He’s the bully who stole Louise’s bunny ears. He appears in some other episodes too. He’s a funny character who’s a good
addition to the show. Of course, there’s many more characters that appear in the episodes, but those are some of the bigger ones. Bob’s Burgers is without a doubt, my favorite show of all time. The actors are amazing! Their voices are really good fits with the characters they play, and the way they express themselves make the show even better. The show is hysterical, and always cracks me up. I definitely rate this show five out five stars, and would recommend it to anyone.
"Hunt for the Wilderpeople"
characters are lovable and everything is introduced so subtly. The movie feels real. Hector can’t read and his English is not perfect. Ricky wants to be a gangster, but he is this really nice guy instead. Ricky also is pretty smart, as he reads a book about wildebeests and how they walk 1000 miles and so they call themselves the wilderpeople. The ending is very sad but wonderful. The only bad thing about the movie is that lots of the scenes lack some things, however the stuff that's there is perfect. The hunt for the wilderpeople is a fantastic, emotional movie and I give it a 9/10.
By Declan Scott
Ricky Baker is a 12 year old who is a real bad egg. He is sent to a foster family in the countryside of New Zealand. The foster family consists of Auntie Bella, a loving woman, and Uncle Hector, who never wanted Ricky to be around. When Aunt Bella dies and Ricky is threatened to go back to the city, he runs into the forest with a rifle and a roll of toilet paper. When Ricky gets lost, he panics until Uncle Hector finds him. They end
up going on an adventure while a huge manhunt tries to find them. Along the way they find all these crazy things like an extinct bird, a crazy guy who calls himself bushman that has a underground bunker that's not dug yet, and a not so crazy person who takes Ricky in for the night. Ricky also writes haikus, which help with his depression. The characters are cast perfectly and the humor is superb. All the
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REVIEW: "Steven Universe" By Jacob Hare Steven Universe is an animated show on Cartoon Network. The show was created by Rebecca Sugar. She was the first female in Cartoon Network’s history to create a show. The basic plot follows a half human-half gem, Steven Universe (Zach Callison) and his caretakers, Garnet (Estelle), Amethyst (Michaela Dietz), and Pearl (Deedee Magno-Hall). Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are gems. Gems are sentient species that are unique to the show. Their brains are literal gems that are placed in a spot of the gem’s body. For example, Garnet has her gem on her palms. Their bodies are also projection of their gems.
shapeshifting, which will be mentioned later on. Pearl is very overprotective of Steven at first, but she evolved into a much more fleshed out character. Peridot is a fan favorite character. She is quite literally a nerd and she is actually not what she seems. Lapis Lazuli or Lapis is also a fan favorite character. She is calm and will literally throw Steven on a plane, if he asks. Jasper is a major antagonist for an arc until we learn her backstory, which is followed by her being ‘poofed’ back into her gem. Steven, of course, is our main protagonist. He is sweet and kind and he just wants to help everyone he can. If you think there are just gems in this show, you are quite wrong. The show also has some very excellent humans in its cast, for example Steven’s father, Greg Universe(Tom Scharpling). He is an excellent character who is broken by the fact that Steven’s mother is gone. But you may ask, where is Steven’s mother? Steven’s mother is Rose Quartz(Susan Egan). She is a gem warrior that gave up her physical form and gem to give birth to Steven. The reason she had to is because the gem’s brain is the just the gem on their body, Rose’s gem’s ‘data’ was wiped to give birth to Steven. She is now gone and only Steven remains with her gem on his naval.
This article also hasn’t spoiled a lot of There aren’t just the show, so watch those three gems, but there are also three it and find the ‘big other characters that we meet throughout twists’ of the series. season 1, Peridot(Shelby Rabara), a gem technician; Lapis Lazuli(Jennifer Paz), a gem who just wants to go home; Jasper(Kimberly Brooks), a gem that seems to be perfect, but she has a dark backstory. Throughout this review, you will find out more about these characters. The show had its first episode on November 4th, 2013 and not many people enjoyed, due to it not having a fairly established plot. Season 1 episode 49 and on had a very established plot. The show is also renowned for excellent continuity. For example, in one episode an event was mentioned that took place 80 or so episodes ago. Let’s talk about some of the characters. Garnet is the quote-unquote leader of the Crystal Gems. She is also a great fighter. She can lift up boulders and punch the ground to create holes with her gauntlets. Amethyst is actually the messiest and most childish of the Crystal Gems. She loves to eat and drink, but Gems actually don’t need to eat. She also loves
In the series, gems are identified as super human. They can summon physical weapons out of their gems, they can shapeshift, and they can fuse. Fusion is when two or more gems combine their physical light form to make an entirely new gem. For example, Pearl and Amethyst fuse into Opal. Also, when a gem takes too much damage they release their form and poof back into their regular gem. Not many people understand the gems, humans within the show and humans in real life that haven’t watched the show, so it’s suggested you watch the show if you haven’t already. This article also hasn’t spoiled a lot of the show, so watch it and find the ‘big twists’ of the series.
REVIEW: "Loving" have all the opportunities we have today. Though the movie may be too complicated for some viewers and may be hard to follow, the film Loving v. Virginia was a court case that set a is sure to put a smile on your face. When asked if they would recommend this precedent that marriages between interracial couples were legal. With the “Black Lives Matter” movie to any of their friends or family, Sophia movement growing this year, there’s no better responded positively. “Yes [I would recommend this movie] because this time to release the movie case was very important “Loving.” in our history and it This incredible true story should be known of.” depicts the struggles of an I agree one-hundred interracial couple, Richard percent. I’ll admit, beLoving and Mildred Jeter. fore Mr. Fallik showed This story shows how any my class the trailer for ordinary person can stand the movie, I had no up for what’s right and prior knowledge of the make a big difference. case, Loving v. Vir8th graders Sophia Agurginia. For Richard cia and Mia Batista both Loving, he could never gave the movie 4 out of 5 have thought that his stars. Gabi Abramowitz occupation of being a and Jordan Fishman both construction worker gave the movie “Loving” 3 would be accompanied out of 5 stars. “It was good by being a civil-rights but long,” Jordan said. “I wouldn’t recommend it to Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga por- activist! The stars of the many people; only the ones tray Richard and Mildred Loving. movie, Ruth Negga and who have an interest in hisJoel Edgerton, played tory.” their roles phenomenally. While watching the I would recommend the movie to anyone who is interested in the struggles faced in order to be movie, you can really tell how much the couple free. It’s important to be educated about the peo- were willing to risk in order to freely live as man ple who helped paved the way for you and me to and wife. This story really shows how far one will go for justness and love.
By Giulianna Bruce
REVIEW: "Stranger Things" By Alex Kalvarskiy Netflix has had lots of successes, but one show continues to attract viewers. When Stranger Things was out for 35 days, approximately fourteen million people watched. The show has multiple genres, such as science fiction, supernatural fiction, horror fiction, mystery, and historical period drama. It takes place in Indiana in 1983. Joyce's son, Will, goes missing, and she launches an investigation. Will’s school friends also go to investigate, and they discover a strange girl, who has powers to move things with her mind. The show has had eight episodes, but they are making. The second season is going to premiere in 2017. The show is good for people that like when the most important events happen right there in the first episode. For some shows, the first episode is the exposition to the story, where you learn the characters and their personalities. Stranger Things does that, but they fit the rising action in the first episode. The show was inspired by Steven Spielberg, an amazing filmmaker, Stephen King, a horror book writer, and John Carpenter, a great film director. If I could rate the show, I would rate in a 9 out of 10. I think that because the show uses product placement on lot’s of brands, just like Coke. On the other hand, I like that that the show has a mix
of views. Apart from being a scary show, the show introduces elements such as friendship, and bullying. The show really gets the viewer thinking about what he is looking at, either it being friendship, bullying, love, or mystery. The show also has an amazing soundtrack. The 2 examples would be, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by the Clash, and “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane. The play of the actors is really good, it makes you feel that the story is happening right before your eyes, in real life. I highly recommend this show because it isn’t a waste of time watching this show.
Hurricane Matthew Continued from page 9 I did evacuate myself, to Naples, Florida. Sophia Rosenberg said she was shocked to see the storm wasn’t as powerful as she thought it would be. Maya Kreger, Jake Goldberg, and Sophia Brod didn’t evacuate but were happy that everyone was safe. Gabby said, “I was disappointed because there was so much hype about the storm, but to be honest didn’t get much besides heavy rain and some rain” Malini Kamlani said, “ I did not evacuate and no property damage, but we did bring stuff inside but, I don’t think we needed to because there have been
worse storms in the past.” Mr. Mathes said, “We will sometimes border the STEM building if the storm is bad. And sometimes theres leakage in the roof.” Mr. Mathes believed closing school was the right thing. He said, “I'm glad that we closed Thursday, but I think we could have opened back up Friday, because the storm had already passed but, I think it was good we didn’t resume classes Friday because families were cleaning up there house and coming back in town.” This storm was dreadful and stressful but thankfully we did not take a direct hit.
From the field
Now, if you play in a club traveling team you would know the experience about being on a soccer team. School is different. Whenever you get called in the game, the announcer will call your name and number. This creates a feeling that wants you to prove everyone watching, it also puts a smile on face.
come to school with your uniform and bag. Just like every other sport. Something I found extremely intriguing was that you were allowed to pick any number of your choice. Since I like even numbers over odd and every one else picked all the low even numbers, I picked 22. There was a secret behind the number you choose. The numbers from 20-40 were the biggest uniforms in terms of size. I was looking like I was wearing a dress along with all the other players who made the same mistake. The team's first game was against a team called Divine Savior. I overheard some people say that they were the best team that we were going to play against in the entire season. This got me very nervous, but at the same time gave me more determination to win. The end score was a staggering 4 to zero, our team won. Although we are a strong team, Ransom Everglades, mercy ruled us 8-0. So there's real competition between us . Every year a different one of us wins.
"If you plan on joining the soccer team, then keep this in mind, it is a real commitment."
It gets really hard and doesn’t let you concentrate on schoolwork when you get back from a game” said some of the players. I came in with a mindset thinking that this was going to be some walk in the park, but no. Every time you go to an away game, you will came back around 5 to 6. This is a problem because I am already part of another soccer club, I play tennis, and I have piano class. This makes it excruciatingly hard to complete my homework and get to bed at a reasonable time.
Winter Sports
By Francesco Rumiano “Bam! GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL” The time has come for Englandoriginated sport that millions of people take very seriously - soccer. All you need is a ball and the “soccer player spirit”. Over 40 kids have tried out for the MCDS soccer team, and 25 were taken in. ”It seems that every year choosing the correct people to join becomes harder and harder,” said head coach Luis Velarde. As an athlete trying out for the team myself, let me just say it was really hard to get in. You could tell everybody was giving it 101%. There were people who I was surprised didn’t make it in, probably because they didn’t give it their all, like the rest. The coach says that a good combination of talent and discipline is the most important thing in, not only soccer, but all sports. The head coach has to look for (1) A captain; someone who will lead the team during a game and tell his teammates whether they have to pass here or there or shoot when and where. Luis also looks for players with determination to win as a team. Whenever there is a game, you must
Something about soccer(sports in general) is the you get a sense that you let your coach down whenever you lose. Our Coach, said “ I can’t sleep at night because I was thinking of all the bad things we did during our game which led to our lose. I think he says this to fill us to the brim with confidence for the next. If you plan on joining the soccer team, then keep this in mind, it is a real commitment. “
Sixth grader Romi Witek dribbles down the field.
8th grader Felix Elortegui takes a long shot.
Jake Goldberg drives in for a basket!
D'Yani Gregoire takes the ball to the net.
The winter sports of soccer and basketball are the most popular of all the sports offered at MCDS. At the end of January, Spring sports start. Those sports include: lacrosse, baseball, softball, water polo and tennis.
TECHNOLOGY: Samsung Note 7 By Francesco Ruminano Samsung for many years has been a reliable company selling phones good enough to compete with Apple. In early September, the South Korean company released the Note 7, which has a battery that is vulnerable to bursting into flames. “The phone uses lithium ion battery packs, just like the infamous hoverboards,” explained an article by CNet. “This liquid inside the battery is very flammable. If you are not careful and over charge it, the heat will puncture the very thin wall between the battery allowing electricity to come rushing." Samsung responded to this problem by coming up with replacements, which worked even worse than the original battery. Kelly John said, “There are more devices from Samsung that are also prone to bursting into flames. There have been reports to Samsung saying that the S7 Edge has also erupted into flames the exact same way the Note has.” “Transportation like planes, boats, and even buses have prohibited the use of the Note 7 (and the Edge too) because of the risk of it exploding on board. Amazon is giving out free refunds of a variety of smartphones to all Note 7 users. They are also giving out free replacement on the phone, but they don’t work very well. Apple has said nothing. It seems that Apple is trying to innovate as fast as possible, coming out with the Iphone 7 and 7 plus to push ahead of the tripping Samsung. They’ve also come out with a new Apple Watch and Macbook This is a good example of rushing and doing things incorrectly. The company was trying to match Apple, which caused Samsung to make this mistake. “It is better to slow down and give out good quality than to rush and publish poorly made things” said our school’s IT. Ricky Mascialino, an owner of a iPhone 6S said, “Samsung stinks, it comes with 30 apps already installed that are all useless. Android is millions times worse than Google." Sadly for Samsung, the company has drastically lost revenue and will sadly take a while to get cured from the injuries it gained this year. Hopefully in 2017 they will create some truly mind-boggling electronic devices to regain their customers that have drifted to become Apple buyers.