The Canine Chronicle MBMS October 2020

FRONT COVER : Students at MBMS have not attended classes in-person since mid-March 2020 due to Covid-19. Many TCC journalists shared moments that have defined them personally since the start of the pandemic.

EDITORS ' NOTE

GreetingstoMt.Baker staff and students,

Welcome to the quarantined edition of The Canine Chronicle! Even if everyone is stuck at home, it doesn't mean theworld will pause,soneither will we.

During these difficult times, even though the school may beclosed, our newspaper will still produce informative,entertaining,and up-to-datecontent.

Seeing how thecurrent stateof theworld isn't exactly ideal, it'smoreimportant than ever to beupdated with newsand especially politics,seeingthepresidential election that just happened.

With thefirst volumeof the2020-2021 school year, hereyou can find independent articlesfrom our experienced journalists,aswell asthedefiningmomentsfrom our newjournalists.

Having school being a big part of our current lives, whether you're a student or teacher, everyone is tryingtheir best tocopewith onlineschool.

Needingto copewith thecurrent stateof school and theworld, your mental health isvery important toyour overall well-being,aswell asyour productivity and physical health.

Everyoneat somepoint in their livescomesacrossthat onemoment that changesthem for therest of their lives. In thisedition, you'll see that moment from our 16 new journalists, being written by their fellowpeers.

If it'sthepassingof afamily member,achallengingtime,or abigaccomplishment,all thesemoments areessential toaperson'sgrowth and development.

Hereat TheCanineChronicle,weuseour right of thepresstoentertain and inform our readers.Weall arealwaysheretobringyou themost truthful and accurateinformation.

BACK COVER : Former MBMS student and ARHS senior Connor MacDougall was recently featured on KING 5 for his efforts to plan a virtual 5K run Nov. 8-15. Proceeds will go to Child Mind Institute and Treehouse PHOTO BY

STAFF

EDITORS

Joon Ahn

GiuseppeBattista

Naomi Cho

LeilaGerhardt

Gwen Teodoro

Alex Toth

Wehopeyou enjoy readingthisedition of theCanine Chronicleand remember topractice social distancing. See you all after quarantine!

Sincerely,

TheCanineChronicle

EDITORS

REPORTERS

Lorren Barracoso

AlanaGerhardt

Jeremy Goodman

Katherine Hernandez

AzrielleIlar

AshaKohli

CallaMacDougall

MISSION

REPORTERS

RosaMarquez

Lily Martin

AlaynaMartinez

Kimberly Miller

Addison Opsahl

ElainaPierce

KobeSaelee

ADVISER

Peter Warring

PRINCIPAL

GregBrown

The MBMSJournalism II-III class produced this open public forum student newspaper with intent to ethically report eventsaccurately, without bias. Asan open public forum for students, all decisionsmadeon content aremadeby studentsunder theguidanceof the adviser, with intent to uphold students?First Amendment rights. The opinions presented in articles are provided to represent the views and perspectives of students and individuals in our diverse student population, not necessarily the whole of the adviser, faculty, and administrators. Any material that would cause a disruption to the educational process like libel, invasion of privacy, or copyright infringement will not bepublished. TheCanineChroniclehad adopted theSPJCodeof Ethics: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accurate and transparent. The Canine Chronicle is produced using Lucidpress. Photographs not taken by students havebeen utilized through a Creative Commons. School portraitsare licensed through Dorian Photography.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY J. AHN

C. MACDOUGALL

The Canine Chronicle editors, left to right, Gwen Teodoro, Naomi Cho, Joon Ahn, Giuseppe Battista, Leila Gerhardt, and Alex Toth, pose for a picture with their favorite mask. Even if it'snot in person, everyoneisableto communicateand socialize. PHOTO BY G. TEODORO

Health Workers Concerned for Covid-19

GwenTeodoro

During Covid-19, healthcare workers are forced into uncertainty health-wise. Having the most uncertainty is the staff at emergency rooms (E.R.). Working where anyone can walk in, they never know who will come through their doors.

Asthenameimplies, theemergency department (E.D.) isused to take in people with injuries that need immediate attention. As

ToddDavis,E.D.Doctor

In an E.D., thedoctor?sjob isto treat thepatient, such asprescribing medications. Variousother tasks doctorsdo are:

-Referring thepatient to other medical specialists

-Placing central linesand intubating patients

-Treating cardiac arrest, strokes, and traumas

Valley Medical E.D. doctor Todd Davis agreed with, some believe that the E.D. is made for everything.

?I believe the pandemic helped the public recognize that some people use the E.R. for nonemergent problems,?Davissaid.

Before Covid-19, many E.D?s struggled with theproblem of unnecessary visits from patients.

Valley Medical E.D. technician, Abby Stockton, has also noticed this and has seen COVID?s effect

AbbyStockton,E.D.Tech

In an E.D., thetechnician?sjob isto collect samplesfrom thepatient, such asthepatient?s blood. Various other taskstechniciansdo are:

-Monitoring pulse, blood pressure, and temperatureof thepatient

-Performing EKG, wound care, splinting broken bones, etc.

on thisproblem.

?In the beginning, we definitely had a significant decline in patients coming into the E.R.,? Stockton said. ?I would say even [up to] half the amount of people werecomingto theE.R. on adaily basis.?

Even if the number of patients have declined, strict rules have still been placed to assure everyone'ssafety.

?During the pandemic, we have new rules around patient visita-

JesFreeman,STATNurse

In theValley Medical Center, the STAT nurse?sjob isto bepresent during critical situations. Other tasksSTAT nursesdo is:

-Attending to an immediate situation that requires important attention (e.g. massivetransfusion of blood, cardiac arrest, and stroke)

tion that I also believe were absolutely necessary to prevent visitors from bringing in COVID infections or getting the infection whilevisiting,?Davissaid.

Although many new rules were put into motion, not all of them have been followed. With some peoplenot caringabout Covid-19, Valley Medical STAT nurse, Jes Freeman, hasclearly saw thisunderminingasaconcern.

?The non-believing side carries the risk of harming or even killing another person with their willful ignorance and reckless carelessness,?Freeman said.

No matter what people?s opinions are, most people can agree that they want the world to go back to normal. Many people want to go back to seefamily and friends, gather with others, and to not wear masks.

?I think that at some point, we will return toour former ?normal.? I'm sure it won't be a while,? Stockton said.

Even though they are the ones treating the sick, the E.D. staff still have plenty of worries for themselves, even at thebeginning of the outbreak. Many of these worries are connected to working in theE.D.

?Covid-19 was brand new and we had no idea how to prevent transmission, howto diagnosethe virus, or how to treat it. TheE.D. is also inherently risky and unknown,? Freeman said. ?The rest of the hospital staff [outside the E.D.] are at much less risk than the E.D. staff because they are lucky enough to have a diagnosis when [patients] get admitted.?

Though health care providers havemany concerns, it?snot only them that worry. From theMBMS student survey, 43 percent of studentsknow peoplein themedical field. Peoplesuch aseighth-grader Dakotah Brewer carefor themedical workersin theE.D.

?I dohaveconcerns,however,I knowthat hospitalshavebeen taking[precautions] tokeep workersand [their] familiessafe,? Brewer said.

Shown aboveistheoutsideof theValley Medical Center'sEmergency Department. Onceentering, you would be located in thewaiting room. PHOTO COURTESY OF UWMEDICINE.ORG

PHOTO COURTESY OF G. TEODORO

PHOTO COURTESY OF G. TEODORO

PHOTO COURTESY OF J. FREEMAN

Virtual Learning: TheGoodandTheBad

Does the Learning Style Have More Positives or Negatives?

JoonAhn

With the worldwide pandemic going on, it?s best to stay distanced and safe, and learning is no exception to this. Almost all schools are participating in virtual learningtostay safe,however, howharmful can beingisolated be for students?

Many studies have started to appear that showthedownsidesof a virtual learning environment. Concerns arise such as extended periods of time at a screen and lack of honesty. Peoplesay that it can even have effects on one?s mental health.

?E-Learning can cause social isolation,? Website E-student.org said. ?The E-Learning methods currently practiced in education tend to make participating studentsundergo contemplation, remoteness, and a lack of interaction. Asaresult, many of thestudentsand teacherswho inevitably spend much of their time online can start experiencingsignsof social isolation, due to the lack of human communication in their lives.?

Whilemany studentsdislike virtual learning,somestudents aretryingtofind thegood in the bad.Someeven think about the thingsthat areeliminated because of virtual learning.

?I think distancelearninghas moregood thingsin itsname than it'scredited for.For example, thereisnomorebullying,?

seventh-grader Miriam Littleton said.?Children can nolonger pressureothers,and popularity is nolonger athing.Without all the social issueskidsface,likepopularity,kidsaremorefocused on school work.?

Variousteachershavealsobegun topoint out problemswith

virtual learningthat makeit hard toteach and tokeep studentsengaged and learning.

?I am not surewhoisreally thereonceavatarsareup and studentsdon?t alwaysrespond,soit is liketeachingin avacuum.?

seventh-gradeELA teacher Ms. Carstenssaid.

Another issuethat cameup initially with theintroduction of virtual learningenvironments wastheintegration of it in student life.Peoplethought it would takemonthstoget truly used to

and adjusted tothistypeof learning.However,studentshave shown resiliencethroughout it, and nowit?sacompletely normal typeof learning.

?I think our studentsand familiesareremarkably flexibleand resilient when it comestowhat we havebeen dealt tododuringdistancelearning,?Carstenssaid.?I think our community isworking together tohelp our familiesand studentsand teachersbesafefrom thevirus,but werecognizethat themental strain all of thisiscre-

atingisunprecedented.?

Everythingwill alwayshaveits positivesand negatives,soit?simportant tofocuson thegood in a situation and work towardsa healthy,balanced life.MBMS counselor Mr.Vaughnsheavily agreed with thisfact.

?Studentsneed tokeeplearning if they aregoingtobeready for high school,?Vaughnssaid.?If they giveup now,everythingelse later isgoingtobereally hard! Weshould alsoalwaystakepride in thework wedo.?

TCCstaff portrayswhat it?sliketo work from home. Thevirtual learning environment allowsstudentsto work safely and in a comfortableenvironment at home. PHOTO BY M. TOTH.

HalloweenTraditionsChangewithCovid-19

Families Find Alternatives To Trick-or-Treating This Year

AlexToth

Halloween is right around the corner and the big questions is, what will Halloween look likethis year? Families are going to have adjust thisyear becauseof therisk of Covid-19. Halloween parties, trick-or-treating are both high risk for Covid-19.

That means plans are going to haveto beadjusted, eighth-grader Heidy Melgozasaid.

?Thisyear [my family and I] will be going to a mini Halloween gathering we?re having at my aunt?shouse,?Melgozasaid.

Many people love and celebrate Halloween, and this year has changed that a lot, but pumpkin carving is something you can do without risk. Pumpkin carving is atradition in many familieswhen it comestoHalloween.

?For my family and I carving pumpkins is a tradition we do each year, with that said we will be attending a pumpkin patch," onestudent said on TCCOct. Sur-

vey. "Of course, we will be safe, keep our distance, and quickly chooseapumpkin.?

Seventh-grader Brennan Potter alsocommented on thistopic.

?We might go to the pumpkin patch and get somepumpkinsand leave, we love to carve pumpkins and set them out duringOctober," Potter said. "If it is too busy, we might just run into the store really fast and buy afewpumpkins.?

Pumpkin patches are one thing familiesdo to get pumpkins, go in corn mazes, go on hayrides, and do other activates pumpkin patchesoffer. Thething ispumpkin patches if they are busy they might becomeCovid-19 hot spots.

?[My family and I] are going to get pumpkins from the store this year so we have a low chance of gettingcovid,?Melgozasaid.

The safest way to enjoy Halloween this year is to stay inside with your family and watch movies. If you want you could give out candy by putting goody bags in your driveway and have

kidspick upcandy that way.

?My family and I will be staying home and watching movies, duetoCovid-19 wedonot want to take any risks,? another student said on TCCOct. Survey.

It will protect your family from being exposed to Covid-19 and your friends and your neighbors. Going out for trick-or-treating thisyear isgoingto look very different. Most likely barely anyone will be out trick-or-treating and givingaway candy.

?My friendsand I donot want to get Covid-19, so we are staying safe and not going out with friends for Halloween," Potter

said. "I do not think anyonewants toget Covid-19."

The safest way to trick-or-treat this year if you want to go is to wear a mask and gloves and stay socially distanced.

?My parents say that because Covid-19, [my sister and I] aren't really allowed to go trick-ortreating or we can go trick-ortreating but catch the coronavirus. So, I chose to be safe and not go," eighth-grader Annie Lee said.

IFYOU 'REALLOWEDTOGOTRICKOR-TREATINGTHISYEAR ,WOULDYOU?

A person with a mask ispoking around thecorner to scareyou for Halloween. It isfor scaring neighborsand to havefun even with Covid-19.

PHOTO COURTESY OF M. TOTH.

Adjusting toN Students, Teachers Adjust

their everyday life.

Bustling hallways, peers talking loudly as you walk past, and the bell ringingtellingyou don?t have a lot of time to get to your next class was the norm. Well, it was the norm before the Covid-19 virushit.

The Covid-19 virus, which started duringthelast fewmonths of the previous school year, has forced students to go on a distancelearningmethod of school. This is a very drastic change from what they were used to. Waking up early, getting dressed, mentally preparing themselves for socialization was just part of

However, because of the situation with the pandemic, it has completely changed everything. This means adjusting to the "new normal" issomethingstudentsare goingthrough.

?I don't likeit becauseyou can't hang out with your friends in person, you can't see your teachers in person, you won?t really know your teachers than as well as normal" seventh-grader Sara Luong said. ?It's harder to learn, you can't make more friends as normal, you won't have 6 classes, and you can't see new people at school.?

If you compare the amount of

socializing between distance learning and in-person learning, thereisalot lesssocializingin the distancelearningprogram. Thisis becoming a problem for a few students.

?I highly dislike quarantine. During the beginning of it, I was excited for a longer spring break, but it has definitely made me more antisocial and scared of talking to people,? sixth-grader who wished to be anonymous said.

Even if themajority of students are wanting to go back to school, some have already found their routine. Adjusting to a new environment is not easy, especially if it is from something that you havebeen used to for years. However, some have just accepted it and aregoingwith it.

?...Life hasn't been the best for me so far and school is the last place I want to go to sometimes,? seventh-grader AliciaMartin said. ?Most of [the] time, life has its own plans and you just have to roll with it I guess. You may not like the results, but everything happensfor areason. Who knows, maybe life like this won't be so bad.?

Students?opinions on whether adjustingto thisnewlearningenvironment is hard or easy aren?t just split into two. Some are just in the middle. They have things

they likeabout it, and thingsthey dislikeabout it.

?There are both pros and cons about quarantine and online learning for me. Some pros are that I get moresleep, I havemore time for myself, I don't risk gettingmeor otherssick sinceI don't constantly leave my house, and I am not struggling in online school,? eighth-grader Raphael Ometu said. ?Consarethat I have no social interaction outside of my family, my family can make me really annoyed [and] mad sometimes, and some classes are not really suited for online learning".

Distance learning has not only gave students troubles mentally and socially, but it has also given them physical problems. Sitting in front of your computer for the whole school day can cause a strain on your body and make your eyes go tired. Repeating this every day only makesit worse.

From 1 to 10, students were given the option to say how exhausting sitting in front of the computer all day is. 1 being ?not exhausting at all?and 10 being ?super exhausting.?80 percent of the students who took the school survey aresaying5 and more.

Not only do students have to adjust, but this is also a drastic changefor teachers. They areused to seeing the faces of their new

Naomi Cho

During an onlineclass, studentstend to turn off their cameras. Thisleadsto teachers wondering if thestudentsareactually paying attention or not. PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY.COM AND THENOUNPROJECT.COM

NewNorma l to Distance Learning

students, having conversations with them, learning their personality,and learningstyles.But now, even checking on the students to seeif their learningison track isa lot harder.

?The biggest difference between an online class and an in-person class for me is the inability to read social cues.? Staff member Sally Koenig said. ?Facial expressions and verbal cues often help me better understand whether or

not students understand the content.?

Onlinelearninghasalso madeit so that teachersdon?t really know if the students are paying attention or not because there is an option to turn on and off their cameras. You can picture it as talking into a void of nothing. Hoping that somewhere, someone will hear it. Teachers just have to trust that their studentswill come to class and stay without leaving

or beingdistracted.

?In my opinion, the biggest downside is the ability for students to remain anonymous. It seems as if some students hide behind a screen and drop out of class or walk away whenever they want,? Koenig said. ?However, I believe most students are trying their very best, and am thankful for this?

Even if it is a struggle to adjust to this new, drastic change. Both

teachers and students are trying to makethebest of what thepandemicallowsustodo.

?Whether in class or not, the biggest upsideto an onlineclassis working with my students! Working together, online learning can bea positivelearning experience! Although, I also greatly appreciate not assigning lunch detentions as well as being safe from COVID!?Koenigsaid.

Interview: WashingtonStateSuperintendent of PublicInstruction Q:

What stepshasthetheStatetaken to ensuresupport and social emotional learningfor students?

A:

Chris Reykdal

"Districtsareresponsiblefor ascreener, both an academicscreener, and a social emotional learningscreener. We'vegiven them an exampletool so they can createtheir own course. And thisisthat very delicatebalance... thestatedoesn't teach anyonedirectly, it doesn't directly servestudents. Wegiveguidanceto districts, ...we'vecreated avery clear expectation."

NFLExpansionAllowsMoreTeamstoCompeteforPlayoffs

Predictions for Teams Making Postseason

GiuseppeBattista

With the NFL playoffs just around the corner, 32 teams will compete with one another to make the coveted playoffs. Only 14 teams will make it through to thenext level.

Since the recent expansion of theplayoffs,14 teamswill makeit to the playoffs, two more teams than last year. Only 0.4375 percent of theteamswill moveon to thenext level but which of the32 teamswill makeit? With thehelp of additional sources, one could make a prediction for which of the 32 teams will move on and competewith thebest.

?Starting this year, the playoffs will be expanded to include 14 teams, after owners voted in March to add a wild-card team to each conference,? New York Post journalist Greg Joyce said. ?Instead of thetop two teamsin each conference earning a bye, it will now be just the No. 1 seeds that get the first week of the playoffs off. The rest of the division winners will host first-round games against the wild cards? No. 2 vs. No. 7,No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5 ? making for a jam-packed wild-card weekend on Jan. 9-10 with six gameson thedocket.?

Due to the Seattle Seahawks poor defensiveplay,their 5-1 start may be considered a miracle. However,Seattle?sdefensehashad many key injuries and also has many new players. The Seattle defense may continue to be the worst in theleague,but they could possibly improve as the weeks go on.

SeattleSeahawksPredictions

?The Seahawks defensive secondary has had multiple injuries to start the year, and there are several key players, including Adams and Dunbar, who are new to the team, and haven?t had the

opportunity to get adjusted to playing together with the returning linebackers and corners,? math teacher Jeremiah Carter said. ?The Hawks are also mixing up their blitz packagelooksmore than they have in the past ten years, so there is a lot that they need to learn before the defense will start clicking together. I believe the Hawks defense will be very strongafter theWeek 6 Bye.?

NewOrleansSaintsPredictions

Since an injury that has taken star receiver Micheal Thomas out of the game, quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints hasnot been playingasgood asin recent years. The poor play from Brees has led the Saints to a slow 4-2 start and a chance of not making it to the playoffs. When

Micheal Thomas returns to the field, Breesmay return to hisformer glory but will it beenough to maketheplayoffs.

?By thetimeof theplayoffsthe Saints may be the only team still intact from Covid 19,? MBMS band teacher Kevin Paustian said. ?Anythingispossible.?

BaltimoreRavensPredictions

After the Baltimore Ravenshad adisappointing lossto theKansas City Chiefs, it could mean the Baltimore Ravens are not quite ready to go against the better teams in the NFL. Even if the Ravens make it to the playoffs, it could be possible that they may losetheir first playoff gamedueto not havingenough star playerson both sidesof theball.

?The Chiefs are probably the

best team in the NFL, although Russell Wilson will make them seem less if they play the Seahawksin theSuperbowl,?Paustian said. ?Thisisnot apoor reflection on the Ravens - they are a great team.?

HoustonTexansPredictions

This2020-2021 NFL season,the Houston Texanshavestarted out as1-6. Thisbad start could be blamed on many thingssuch as bad coaching,not enough star players,and more. TheTexans finished the2019-2020 season 10-6 and toreach thismark,the Texanshavetowin all nineof their next games. TheTexans may haveachancetoreach this mark but it will havetobeamiracleif theTexansdonot replace their coaching.

SeattleSeahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scrambles out of thepocket on an afternoon gameon September 19, 2019 at Heinz Field Stadium in North Shore, Pennsylvania. Dueto theSeattlereceiversbeing unableto becomeopen, Russell Wilson bought time by pulling Pittsburgh Steelers' defenderstoward him. PHOTO COURTESY OF B. WAR, VIA FLICKER.COM.

?The Texans are crumbling because the Houston ownership allowed Bill O?Brien to betheGeneral Manager and Head Coach,? Carter said. ?Hehasmadeterrible decisions for his team in trades and in thedraft. Deshaun Watson hasvery fewtargets,amediocre offensive line, and a weak backfield of RB?s that do not help relieve any balance for the Texans offense. Houston will continue to struggle.

DallasCowboysPredictions

The Dallas Cowboys for many yearshavebeen astrugglingteam, despite the number of stars they haveon offenseand defense. The Cowboys have been plagued by injuriesand alwayscomeup short on close games. Every season, many NFL experts predict the Cowboys to make the playoffs. However, every year, theCowboys disappoint many people but yet, people still view them as a great team. Thistrend may most likely continue in this NFL season with experts continuing to pick the Cowboysasthetop team. ?I'm starting to think that Jerry

ARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN Fansided

Jones actually had a diabolical plan going into 2020 that involved not givingDak along-term deal so that he'll beplayingwith a chip on his shoulder the entire season, and I'm also starting to think that this plan might work. Last year, Dak finished with the second-most passing yards in the NFL and the fourth-most touchdown passes, despite playing in a run-friendly offense,? CBSSports expert John Breech said. ?With a more pass-happy coach and even more offensive weapons, we'll likely seesomeeven bigger numbers from Prescott. Oh, and let's not forget that heplaysfor America's team, which basically means that you're automatically in the MVP conversation as long as you finish above.500 and I absolutely think the Cowboys are going to

finish above.500.

NewEnglandPatriotsPredictions

The New England Patriots, now without star Tom Brady,havestill managed to be one of the better teams with new quarterback Cam Newton. Many experts predicted thePatriotsto havea disappointing season because of the loss to Brady but the Patriots have still found out a way to be one of the greater teams. This credit could go to Bill Belicheck, New England?s head coach and mastermind.

?Bill Bellechick isoneof thebest football minds of all time. Bill Belichick knows how to scheme for games. He knows how to exploit weaknesses in opposing teamsand shut down strengthsin

opposing teams. Belichick believed that Stephon Gilmore could shut down DK Metcalf, and learned that Metcalf isbetter than his statistics show from last year. Belichick will have different players on the Patriots featured each week aspart of hisgameplan to win games. One week Rex Burkhead might have 3 carries and 1 catch because of the game plan, and the next week he could have 20 carries and 10 catches as part of the game plan,? Carter said. ?Bill Belichick knowshow to plan to win. Healso knowshowto bend the rules, by knowing the tiniest of details in the rules to exploit. Belichick also knows how to cheat to win. He has been caught illegally recording other teamspracticesand sidelinesduring games. He has also been part of usingunder pressured footballs to gain an advantage in cold weather games.?

Covid-19Predictions

Due to the pandemic, the NFL season may end sooner than expected. Many players can possibly test positive for the virus which could lead the season to come to an end. However, the NFL has strict guidelines on how to stop the virus from spreading to theplayersand personnel. The NFL may not stop for anything, even Covid-19.

?TheNFL will play itsfull regular season and postseason, as scheduled, from start to finish. This is not to be confused with saying that?s a good idea. Or that no players will get Covid-19. Or that the global pandemic will not impact the 2020 NFL season, either through an outbreak with oneplayoff team, thelossof astar player for an important game, or any other number of scenarios,? Sports Illustrated journalist Greg Bishop said. ?It?smoreto say that this is the NFL, the league that plays exactly when it wants, how it wants, the entity that cares a whole lot less about its players than it would like you to believe. Which is why of course the NFL won?t deviate. It?s the NFL. Get ready for some football, amid a global pandemic.?

"However, since then, the Chiefs have been the most competitive team in theNFL."

--F

Journalist

New OrleansSaintsquarterback Drew Brees(8) handstheball off to then Minnesota Vikingsrunning back Adrian Peterson (28) on a Sunday Pro Bowl game. To ensurea decisivevictory over their AFCrivals, theNFCteam madesureto set up their running game with Adrian Peterson. PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY.COM, VIA SNAPPYGOAT.COM.

STYROFOAM

You knowwhat grindsmy gears!?Styrofoam. ?Why styrofoam?? you say. I don?t know, maybebecauseit?scompletely useless. ?But you useit for containingfood!?

You know what else you could use to contain your food?Cardboard, at least it's compostable. Did you know that styrofoam usually takes 500 yearsto fully decompose?

Probably not, but at least now you know that every timeyou haveyour take- out carnitastacos you?re destroying the earth. This is why I like Chinesefood.

I know that styrofoam isvery useful for science projects, but after you get past thefact of spending THREE HOURSpicking theitty-bitty droppingsof your ol?pal styrofoam.

Don?t even mention the sounds it makes! I?d rather listen to 24-hour Christmas music. In July!

It?s like if someone was twisting their loose tooth right next to your ear, but 300 times worse. If you don?t know what that soundslike, I recommend that you don?t look it up. Wow, now do you feel introduced to the?Wonderful World of Styrofoam??

Feel free to cut that annoying, worthless, crumbling, ear-splitting, world destroying, hunk of junk out of your lifeforever.

And THAT iswhat grindsmy gears!

-LORRENBARRACOSO

FORGETTINGTHINGS

You know what grinds my gears!? Forgetting things.

Don?t get mewrong, I?m not talking about forgetting where your phone is, I?m talking about forgetting thingsRIGHT when you get comfortable.

I always get into bed, ready to sleep, but then my mind is like, ?Hey, hey girl. You forgot to turn off thelights.?Then I?m forced out of bed to turn off thelight. Like, I just want to SLEEP.

Or other times it happens when I?m making myself food to eat. I got a nice bowl of mac 'n? cheese, and as I sit down I think to myself, ?Oh shoot, I forgot thefork.?

I get up to get a fork and sit back down, suddenly my mind is screaming at me, ?YOU FORGOT YOURPHONE!?

So I go get my phone, but of course, my mind is shy and asks, ?Hi. Don?t want to bother you, but where?syour drink??

Then after finally getting everything, I keep thinking that something?s missing. But at this point, I don?t careanymore.

So just amessageto my brain, could you please, for my comfort, not forget thefork next time?

And THAT iswhat grindsmy gears!

-GWENTEODORO

THEGAMINGCOMMUNITY

You know what grinds my gears!?The gaming community.

The gaming community is one of the most TOXIC places I have ever come across. This may vary on the different communities, but the ones I am in areseriously theABSOLUTEWORST. I?m not saying that every singleperson istoxic, but thereareafewpeoplethat just enrageme. Thefirst typeof peoplearetheoneswho just? leave. On purpose.

Just because something doesn?t go their way, they pretend they areAFK (away from keyboard) but in actuality, they are just trying to make their team suffer from alossof aplayer. Like, dude, don't play the game if you're going to belikethat.

The second type of people I have come across aretheoneswho literally RUIN thegame. It?s like they just wake up and think to themselves?today I?m goingto beajerk! :)?

They PURPOSELY makeyou loseamatch then throw theblameat someoneelse.

Thismay not sound that bad, but they makeit SOOOO OBVIOUSthat they arethrowing (making a winnablematch lose) then havetheaudacity to complain to theenemy team that someone

Disagree?Thesegment 'What GrindsMy Gears' is presented as opinion and does not express the views of all MBMS students or the Canine Chronicle. If you would like to express your opinion. writealetter, and it may bepublished in out next edition.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY L.GERHARDT, COURTESY OF PIQSELS.COM

LorrenBarracoso, GwenTeodoro, Naomi Cho, AzrielleIlar,LeilaGerhardt,KimberlyMiller,GiuseppeBattista

elsewho isactually tryingareat fault.

Like... BRUH. STOP. PLEASE. And THAT is what grinds my gears!

-NAOMI CHO

WHENPEOPLEWEARMASKSWRONG

You know what grindsmy gears!?When people don?t wear their mask properly!

It seriously annoysmewhen peopleput it under their nose or chin. IT GOES OVER YOUR NOSEPEOPLE!!

Just get the mask you?re using, put the strings behind your earsand put themask OVER YOUR MOUTH AND COVER YOUR NOSE! It?s that simple.

Whenever I see people wearing masks like that in public , it makesmy blood boil and makesme want to punch awall or sometimeseven them

Even when I look at the person wearing their mask wrong, it makesmesick to my stomach.

I hate it when people whine about masks and say, ?UGH! It?sso hard to put on a mask? ?I can?t breathewith thison!!!? Do you need atutorial on howto put apieceof cloth over YOURNOSE?!?!

Some people need to grow up and stop complaining over a piece of small cloth over their nose.

We are literally in the middle of a pandemic. Just put the mask on CORRECTLY AND NOT UNDERTHENOSEORCHIN!!

I may sound dramatic but it irritates me SO MUCH!

And THAT iswhat grindsmy gears!

SOCKS

You know what grindsmy gears!?SOCKS

There is ONE and ONLY ONE useful reason to wear socks. That reason is that socks absorb the sweat that comes from your feet, Which is ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING.

You?re left with dampened socks that have a pungent odor.

People say they wear socks indoors(with no shoes) to warm up their feet? HOW?!?! Socksare basically 2 millimeters thin. What?s that gonna do, your feet will feel the same. Socks are basically just slipper wannabe?s. Just WEAR THE SLIPPERS.

Don?t you just LOVE when you?re wearing socks, then all of a sudden you slip and fall on your behind?No?That?swhat I thought.

Don?t tell me?Just wear socksthat havegripson them?. If I wear socks with grips, I can feel the littlebump every singlestep I take.

On top of ALL THAT, socks get so dirty, even when you're not wearing shoes. I could be walking in my freshly mopped house, and my socks would pick up every particleof dust.

You might think that you should wear socks becauseyou don?t want thedust on your feet, but there?sdust everywhere.

Just some places more than others. If you wear slippers, at least you can?t SEEthedust. And THAT iswhat grindsmy gears!

-LEILAGERHARDT

FRUITFLIES

You know what grindsmy gears!?Fruit flies!

Fruit flies are the worst! They're extremely annoying and the worst insect ever. they fly all around meand my food.

They chomp on all my fruitsand crawl all over them. I know they are good for the earth somehow, but they're just so annoying! They're also soo tiny but ruthless.

Sometimes they can be ?cute?, I mean that's what my little sister says. She letsthem crawl all over her fingers like EWW! She even tries to ?tame?them. GROSS.

The most annoying thing about fruit flies is that they buzz, they buzz and buzz and buzz. Not only do they just buzz, they buzz in my EARS! It's the worst sound ever, it's quiet but it makesmecrazy.

My whole family hates fruit fries except my little sister. My fruits probably hate them too. Maybe I need to start keeping all my fruit in the refrigerator so those horrible flies can't get to them. I seriously need to get a fly swatter, or some bug spray so I can finally get rid of those pesky littlefruit fliesforever! They aretheworst!

And THAT iswhat grindsmy gears!

-KIMBERLYMILLER

PEOPLEWHOEATWITHTHEIRMOUTHSOPEN

You know what grinds my gears!? People that eat with their mouthsopen.

Have you ever had that incredible moment in your life when you took a bite out of a delicious sandwich, stuffed with meats and cheeses, only for the moment to be ruined by someone who is obnoxiously eating their food? As a person that strictly dislikes it when other people eat with their mouthsopen, I can relateto thismoment.

Eating with your mouth open is rude, unsanitary, and distasteful. I prefer not to seea forkful of food get disintegrated into tiny bits. Let's not forget the sound that we hear when someone is constantly grinding their food with their teeth. It sounds like someoneisslurpingasquishy bananasmoothie.

During the medieval times, kings and queens would selfishly eat with their mouths open because they thought they were above the laws. Trust me, if you eat with your mouth open, you would not be considered a king or a queen but a peasant.

If you want to continue to annoy people when you eat, please do not eat in public or with other peoplearound you.

And THAT iswhat grindsmy gears!

-GIUSEPPEBATTISTA

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY L.GERHARDT, COURTESY OF E.KALORKOTI.

LikeIt or Not...

Newspaper Staff DebatesTrendsinPopCulture

GiuseppeBattista

60% 65% 60% 85% 60%

DELAYEDMOVIES

Due to the Coronavirus preventing production crews and film producersfrom creating movies, several movieshavebeen delayed to 2021 or 2022. Almost 100 movieshavebeen delayed dueto the virus such as 'Black Widow,' 'Jurassic World: Dominion,' and 'Wonder Woman 1984.' Will you watch these highly anticipated moviesupon release?

"THEMANDALORIAN"SEASON2

'Season 2 of 'The Mandalorian' is set to hit Disney+on Oct. 30 with Baby Yoda and Mando returning to the screen. Season 1 of 'TheMandalorian' received much positive feedback while also receiving a 93%Rotten Tomatoes score. With Season 1 performing well, Season 2 will have high expectations to reach. Will you watch Season 2 of 'TheMandalorian?'

CANCELINGTRICK-OR-TREATING

On Oct. 31 of every year, over 150 million Americans celebrate Halloween. Peopledressup in costumesand travel to other houses to collect candy. However, this year, even with the Coronavirus, Halloween festivitiesarestill allowed in certain locations. Do you think Halloween should be canceled in all locations due to Covid-19?

PRESIDENTIALELECTIONS

With Election Day taking place on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, hundredsof millionsof Americanswill cast their voteon who they think should beAmerica'spresident. Due to Covid-19 guidelines and restrictions, votershavean option to voteonlineaswell asinperson. If given thechanceto vote, would you voteonline?

HYBRIDORSTAY-AT-HOMESCHOOLING

With Covid-19 preventing some schools to open until a future date, familiesweregiven thechoiceof how they wished their child to finish theschool year. Thefirst option wasto continuethestay at homeschoolingwhiletheother option wastotransition toahybrid schedule. While the stay at home schooling will be safer for students,ahybrid schedulewill allowstudentsto havecontact with teachers. Would you continuewith thestay at homelearning?

Horoscope

What Thanksgiving classicdishareyou?

GiuseppeBattista

Aries(March 21- April 19): You liketo be themain person in thegroup,just likethe turkey.

Taurus (April 20- May 20): You are simple but also emotional and complex, likethemashed potatoes.

Gemini (May 21- June 20): You are good with peoplebut not with yourself, similar tothegravy.

Cancer (June 21- July 22): Some people may not understand you, just like the cranberry sauce.

Leo (July 23- August 22): You like to make an impression on people, comparabletotheturkey stuffing.

Virgo (August 23- September 22): You're loyal and stable, even throughout the most difficult of times, just like the roasted butternut squash soup.

Libra (September 23- October 22): You are rational, analytical, and you like to talk toothers,similar totheapplepie.

Scorpio (October 23- November 21): You have great power and passion, quite similar toasweet potatocasserole.

Sagittarius (November 22- December 21): You are funny and generous, similar to thecornbread dressing.

Capricorn (December 22- January 19): You are disciplined, independent, and serious,liketheham.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18): You arelovableand liked by others, similar to thepumpkin pie.

Pisces (February 19- March 20): You?re affectionate, artistic, and empathetic, a kind person that issimilar to the brussel sprouts.

SEASONALTOPICREVIEWSIN140-CHARACTERS

COMPILEDBYNAOMI CHO

Sinceyou can't really go outsideor meet up with friends, how about catching up on somemovies, songs, games, and animes?Pleasecheck ratingswith your parents before viewing . The reviews from the TCCstaff may help you with finding yourself entertainment. Please remember that these are not real Twitter reviewsor accounts, sincethey wrecreated usingatweet generator.

DEFININGMOMENTS JournalistsShareImportant LifeEvents

"AsI sit hereand writemy last column asa sportswriter, I see now how that [one] moment changed my life," acclaimed sports journalist Rick Reilly wrote in his final column for ESPN in 2014.

He reflected upon and described amoment whereherealized he needed to grow up and become a better human being.

A journalist's job is to tell stories. In this special online edition, new journalists from The Canine Chronicle set out

to tell each other's defining moments, just like Reilly. TCC reporterstold their own stories to start the 2020-2021 school year.

In hisfinal published article, Reilly used his defining moment to thank the people in sports and journalism that taught him so many valuable lessons, likeSuper Bowl champion quarterback John Elway, basketball superstar Michael Jordan (six time NBA champion), and runner Ben Comen (a high school athlete with

cerebral palsy).

Reilly described the lessons he learned from a fellow journalist Jim Murray.

"[Murray] would get up out of his chair in the press box to greet each of the dozens of people who just wanted to shake the great sports writer's hand, even though he could hardly see his chair, much less their hands," Reilly wrote, "From him, I learned humility."

Journalists serve as the microphone for their communi-

ties, which requires humility. So readers understand the diverse points of view on the VolumeXI staff, they wrote16 uniquestoriesof their personal triumphs, tragedies, and challenges.

Stay tuned throughout the year asTCCreporters tell your storiesin moreeditionsof The CanineChronicle.

PHOTO BY B. ROBYN JESPERSON, VIA UNSPALASH.COM

Student'sBrotherDiesAfterCommittingSuicide

LorrenBarracoso

As candles were lit at Rainier High School in honor of Asha Kohli's eighteen year old brother KylePham,amemorial video that was displayed at Kyle's memorial had a singlequotefrom musician Ashley Purdy of the "Black Veil Brides.

?Suicide isn?t cowardly. I?ll tell you what?s cowardly; treating people so badly that they would want toend their lives.?

A then fiveyear old Asha Kohli has taken a great liking to this quote.

?I thought that it wasreally inspiring, because so many people [commit suicide] and I know that he?s gone.? Asha said. ?It?s not cowardly that he[committed sui-

cide],hewasabraveperson.?

As a child, Asha had looked up to her older brother and wanted to be like him, and to do this, Ashahasinherited Kyle'spersonality traitsand interests.

"Hewasalwaysinto theartsand liked helping others. I would like to think that I do my best to help otherswhilealso loving art," Asha said.?Hewasmy main inspiration tostart [art].?

Kylewasarolemodel that Asha had wanted tobecome.

?I?ve always dreamed of being like my brother,? Asha said. ?I never knew who I wanted to be. I just wanted to become the replacement for him.?

In 2018, around 1.4 million peoplehad attempted suicideand 48,344 had committed suicide,

making suicide the tenth leading causeof death in theU.S.

In 2013, when Pham had died, 12.57 percent of suiciderateswere in the U.S. In that 12.57, 13.99 percent was in Washington State alone.

?Hewasalwaystherefor others,? Asha said. ?He would have supported mewhen I needed him.?

As of 2019, 11.8 percent of adults that have serious suicide thoughts are in the age range of 18 to25.

"He seemed so happy," Asha said. ?However, it wasn't exactly the case. He wasn?t exactly happy with his life, his choices, and himself.?

Asha's father not being present impacted their relationship that made them bond more than just

brother and sister.

?He fathered me when I didn?t haveone,?Ashasaid. ?Hewasjust someone I could look up to, not only asabrother,but asafather.?

Asha continues to do her best for being there for others as well tryingtobelikeher brother.

"My mom says I'm just like my brother,?Ashasaid.

During the publication of this article, Asha's and Kyle's mother wasnot availablefor questioning. Seven yearslater, Ashahasbeen doing her best to move on from her brother?s death and honoring hismemory.

?I?m sure he would have been supportive of me and be there when I needed him, and he just loved me and my mom,? Asha said.

Asha, age3, and Kyle, age16, hug each other closely. ?I would want to tell him that he?sworth it, what hewent through it doesn?t makehim any worse," Asha said. "It just makes him stronger.? PHOTO BY A. KOHLI

Student Realizes StepmomNot SoBad

StepmomChangesStudent Alayna-MartinezFor TheBetter

LeilaGerharddt

Eighth-grader AlaynaMartinez was10 yearsold when shemet her now step mother. At first it wassomethingshenever wanted to happen. But, sherealized the kind of person her step mom is, and why sheisimportant.

Many kidswith divorced parentscarry thehopethat their parentswould get back together. In somecasestheparents do, but that wasn?t thecasefor Martinez?sparents. Meetingher step mom, meant shelost all hope.

?When I wasyounger I alwaysthought that maybetherewould beachancethat my mom and dad would get back together,? Martinessaid. ?From what I can remember, theday my dad told mehewasdating someoneI wasangry. ? I wanted to besupportive, but my 10 year old self wasn?t ready for another mother figurein my life?.

Thenumber of divorceshasclimbed ever since2018. Therehavebeen over half a million reported cases, which meansthere arethousandsif not hundredsof thousand of kidswho havebeen separated from one or both of their parents. Similar to Martinez?ssituation.

TheCentersfor DiseaseControl and Prevention states?Divorcerate: 2.9 per 1,000 population (45 reportingStatesand D.C.).?

Meetingsomeonenewisalwaysimportant, weashumansarequick to judge. Sometimeswhen you arepressured by the peoplearound you, your judgment isbiased and unfair.

MakaylaMartinez, Alayna?stwin sister stated, ?Shewasnicebut I don?t think I was ready for astep mom yet?. Alayna?s thoughtsweresimilar. ?I honestly thought shewasnice, and I likeher but I couldn?t admit it. I had been influenced by my mom to think that she[step mom] wasn?t good no matter what,?Alaynasaid.

When thereissomeonein your lifeyou haveloved and respected your entirelife,

it'shard to not believethem. But sometimes, you realizethat they can bewrong and that you need to do theright thing.

Martinez said, ?Thebreakingpoint was probably when I realized that I wanted my dad to behappy. That meant I needed to be happy for him.?Martinez had realized that her biological mom wascompletely wrong about her step mom.

Although at first, newrelationships started from reason and not want can be rough. However, therearemany upsides. Oneof which is, you gainingsomeonewho caresfor you and you caringfor them.

When Martinez wasasked how many moms sheconsidersshehas, her responsewas?I feel likeI do havetwo moms. Although my relationship with my biological mom isn?t thebest, she?sstill my mom?.

Meetingnew peopleisnot alwaysabad thing, you areableto learn so much from them. Asmuch asyou learn from them is how much they learn from you. ?My step mom helped mebecomewho I am today, and mademeabetter person overall,?Martinez said. ?Shetaught mehowI can accept change, and newpeople?.

Martinez, her stepmom, her dad, and her sister, stand sideby sideat a wedding. Not just at any wedding but the wedding of Martinez'sdad and stepmom. A great moment in history for theMartinez family. PHOTO COURTESY OF A.MARTINEZ

Dealing WithSocial Anxiety AsATeen

Student DescribesStrugglesof Social AnxietyInDefiningMoment

JeremyGoodman

MBMS Eighth-grader Kobe Saelee, described his defining moment as having social troubles through several years of school, along with taking care of hisbaby sister.

The National Association of School Psychologistsstates, that therearemany typesof anxiety, but social anxiety is the most common.

?Social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, is characterized by an intensefear of social and performancesituationsand activities such as being called on

in class or starting a conversation with a peer," the article states.

Saelee said that it washard to takecareof hissister, especially with hislittlebrother not doing much for her.

?My brother wouldn?t doanything when he came home. He would just play video games,? Saeleesaid duringan interview.

Albert Vaughns, MBMS eighth-gradestudent counselor, also listed a few ways to calm down from anxiety and to stop it from takingover.

?Anxiety is the stress that we

feel when wethink about things that might go wrong.?Vaughns said in an email. ?Middle school is a time of change and uncertainty already but when you add distance learning, a pandemic, and lotsof upheaval in our world that?s aproblem!?

Vaughnsalsolisted afewways to calm down from anxiety and tostopit from takingover.

?There are a few things you can do to keep anxiety from taking over: Don?t just imagine the negative. There is always hope and good things to think about too,?Vaughnssaid.

Saelee also said in his defining moment that it was really hard tomakefriends.

?...I would alwaysbe thinking negatively about people. I could hate people for long periods of time for absolutely no reason.? Saeleewrote.

Saelee also described himself ashavingan 'emo phase' during hisanxiety.

?...I thought I had to act ?cool?. I felt excluded. I didn?t have any friends for a while.?Saelee also wrote in hisDefining Moment paper.

Social anxiety can harm people in a lot of ways, but it mostly affects school results, which can hurt your life in the future.

?Thiscan significantly impair your child?sschool performance and attendance,aswell ashisor her ability to socialize with peers and develop and maintain relationships.," The National Association of School Psychologistsstated.

Social anxiety is something that can really affect you in a negative way, especially if you let those feelings bottle up and don?t doanythingabout it.

?Right now I feel invincible, I feel more motivated to do things. I am in search of new knowledge at the moment," Saelee said. "Now I feel happy, I?m feeling good about myself, however I do have mad social anxiety still, at the very least I know I havedependable people around me".

Saelee'ssocial anxiety only lead him to seetheworst in people. Becauseof thisit washard for him to makefriends, and also lead him to havean "emo phase". PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY J.GOODMAN, COURTESY OF K.SAELEE

Student Goes Through Life Changing Moment

AzrielleIlar

?I?m not gonna beable to see you and your sister for acouple months,?Kimberly Miller?s father said. These are the heartbreaking words a ten year old heard from her father before shemoved away from him.

Miller and her two sisters went through a difficult time in their family about four years ago. Their parentsgot adivorce and decided to move into different homes.

?My mom told us that she and my dad weregoing to separateand that weweregoingto livewith her.? Miller expressed in her defining moment. ?We were all confused about what

wasgonnahappen.?

Miller's emotions were all over theplacewhen her mother announced her parent's divorce.

?Like I was gonna cry. I was really sad.? Miller said in an interview. ?I wasquiteconfused becauseI didn?t know what was gonnahappen.?

When Miller?s younger sister found out about her parents divorce, she started to reflect on why their parentsweregetting a divorce and wondering what caused it.

?When my mom said my dad [and] her were getting a divorce, the first thing that went through my mind wasI wasjust wondering ?Why???Why don?t

my mom and dad love each other???Do they still love me??? Miller'syounger sister said.

During the time of Miller?s parents split, her older sister realized how everything in their life was about to change forever.

?I was just thinking about how everything would change. Like if we were gonna have to move schools or houses," her older sister said. "Also, if I would get to see my dad or what parent I wasgoing to live with."

Miller wasabout ten yearsold when her parents split, causing her to take more responsibility throughout her life. Shehad to become mature at a young age

and learn how to do adult-like things.

?I wasabout 10 yearsold so I had more responsibilities like washing the dishes, cleaning my room, and being in charge of keeping my little sister entertained," Miller described in her definingmoment,

Although Miller struggled with her parents getting a divorce,shelearned an important life lesson that has stuck with her tothisday.

?I also learned not to take anything for granted because being away from my dad was really hard for me and I never want that to happen again,? Miller said.

Thisisbeing taken during her parentsdivorce. Kimberly Miller, her siblings, and her mother aretaking a picturewithout her father being present.

PHOTO BY K. MILLER.

Seventh-graderBarracoso Deals withDepression inElementary

Student Explains Value of Defining Moment

AshaKohli

During fourth-grade, seventhgrader Lorren Barracoso and her family were struck by the news that she could be experiencing childhood depression. That experiencechanged her viewof her life and goals.

?I would ask hypothetical questionsabout if I died that would be a better place, I'd become more short-tempered and would snap more often than normal," Barracoso. "Sometimes I lay in bed beforeI go to sleep and think about the end of the world and how what I do doesn't really matter becauseweall diein theend?

Thecauseof thisisn?t asdramatic as you might think, losing her sister?s toy plush is what started these thoughts. The anger of her sister madeher overthink,thefact that her sister didn?t push her upset her.

?In my eyes, I was an unkind horrible monster with a short fuse," Barracoso said. "I didn?t want to bethisperson, but that is who I am in my mind and I couldn?t change myself very easily.?

Barracoso was experiencing symptoms such as difficulties with concentration, comments indicating hopelessness or low self-worth,and anger.

During an interview with Barracoso, she mentioned that these thoughtswereselfish shesaid that ?I?m thinking that I?m the only one here with problems but there are millions of other people suffering.?

Depression doesn?t just affect her, other peopleworry about her, and only thinkingabout herself is selfish.

?I havebeen blessed to havetwo loving parents and all in all I lived a happy life, yet somehow dark thoughts were able to loom on my mind,?Barracosowrote.

Despite having loving parents anyone can get depression, from stress, worrying about others, and

just overthinking.

?Children who are raised in good homes with loving parents can become depressed,? the websiteverywellmind said.Thearticle wasmedically reviewed by Daniel B.Block,MD.

?I can realize that part of the reason that I was like this is the way that I deal with my emotions," Barracoso said. "I would bottlemy emotionsand uncap all of my pain onceI wasalone."

Barracoso wasn?t scared of others helping her, she was scared of hurting the surrounding people. Her thoughts came from her wanting things to be better for others.

?I was so unwilling to accept myself, to accept this monster that I thought was my image,? Barracososaid.

Shecameto theconclusion that the only thing stopping her from changing was herself. Barracoso held this image of her as a monster that shewouldn?t let goof it.

?I don?t really know why I was allowing myself to be hurt like this, but I believethat I wasdoing this because I thought that I deserved it,?Barracososaid.

Even if she tried she knew that theblamewason her,shecouldn?t be helped if she didn?t help herself.

?I don?t really know why I was allowing myself to be hurt like this, but I believethat I wasdoing this because I thought that I deserved it," Barracoso said. "This pain that I endured was all my fault. I couldn?t blame this on someoneelse.?

June, 27th, 2018, Lorren may havelooked happy but shewasnot ashappy asshelooked.

COURTESY OF L. BARRACOSO.

Teen Girl?s Father Leaves Her Family at Young Age

Seventh-grader KatherineRojo-Hernandez'sTellsDefiningMoment

CallaMacDougall

After her parent split apart, seventh-grader Katherine RojoHernandez went through a battle with both her mother and her father

?Honestly, I don?t even know whereto begin. When I wasborn, my dad wanted to name me Chealsy because it was the name of asoccer team." Rojo-Hernandez said.

Her father had left twice before and this was his third and final timeleaving.

?I told him that I wanted him to bea part of [our] lifeeven though me and him weren?t together anymore, because I didn?t want you to go through what I went through,? Rojo-Hernandez's mother Monicasaid.

?My mom started dating again, my dad would sometimesvisit me but it was pretty rare,? RojoHernendez said.

The father would start to spend time with Katherine, but not how her mom imagined it.

?When he did take you out for your father-daughter time, he would always take his girlfriend even though it wasonly supposed tobeyou and him,?Monicasaid.

Monica was more mad and upset than sad.

?What made me mad was that hewould seeher everyday at work but he would still take her with you guys and that got me really mad,?Monicasaid.

Katherine felt a little different than her mom did.

?I remember feeling really sad because I couldn't see my dad as

much,?Katherinesaid.

Her mother got married to her boyfriend and they moved into a housetogether.

?My mom got pregnant and had my little sister then things went downhill.?

At the time, Katherine was the only child in her family that went through this.

?My siblingsweren?t aliveyet so it was just me and my mom,? Katherinesaid.

She was pretty young when this started so she didn?t remember most parts.

?I remember some parts but

most of it was told to me by my mom,?Katherinesaid.

Separation after marriageisnot uncommon but everyone?s situation isdifferent.

?Almost 50 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorceor separation,?according to DivorceStatisticsfrom Wilkinson and Finkbeiner.

A lot of marriagesend likethis, but Katherine?s experience will always be special and different in her eyes.

?Every 13 seconds, there is one divorce in America." Wilkinson and Finkbeiner said.

Rojo-Hernandez traveled to Mexico to seeher dad after hehad been away for seven years,and she finally felt happy.

?Until my mom stopped worrying about me and showed so much more attention to my little sister than me and my smallest sister, it hurt me a lot,? RojoHernandez said. ?After that event, I realized that I didn?t need anyone to be happy, my dad doesn?t call anymore, my mom rarely calls, so that?s when I started being independent and learning to dothingson my own.?

KatherineRojo-Hernandez explains how shefelt when shesaw her dad again. Thiswasher first timeseeing him in a long time. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY C. MACDOUGALL, COURTESY OF K. ROJO-HERNANDEZ AND J. MELGOZA VIA UNSPLASH.COM

Military Parent Returns From Deployment toaDifferent Daughter

RosaMarquez

As military parent William Gerhardt cameback from deployment, his three daughters go out to greet him with hugsand kisses that haven?t been shared in months.

At the age of five years old, seventh-grader Alana Gerhardt, themiddlechild of thethreesiblings at the time, experienced parental deployment for the first timein her life. William Gerhardt is one of many parents that work in the military and has been deployed due to a peace-time deployment that later lead on to a war-time deployment. William Gerhardt was not available for comment at the time of publication.

?Studiesestimatethat 2 million U.S. children have been exposed to a wartime deployment of a

military parent in the past 10 years.? website Verywell Family said.

Military parents have been deployed at least once in their life time working in the military. Even though these military parentswork to defend their country, that sometimes means that they haveto get deployed. Thismeaning,theseparentshavetobeseparated from their children for an extended period of time. Though, how will a child react to their parent beingdeployed?

?Every child will react differently to a parent?s deployment,? Verywell Family said. ?however, agegenerally playsarole."

Deployments can be hard for a child, especially those of young age. Children will often feel different on how they see through their perception on the situation.

Children at theageof 5 will often feel confused, and those children who are older than five will be more understanding. But at the age of five how did this affect Alana?

?Once he got deployed, it felt like each day was longer that the one before it, and the months were gaining eighty days.." Alana said.

During the months that military parent William Gerhardt left due to deployment, Alana couldn?t help but miss her father terribly. Alana who wasfiveyears old at the time when her dad was deployed, was very confused why her father was going to leave for months and what the concept of military was. Though a lot of children went through thisphase, how did Alana cope with everythingat thetime?

?Some children develop new copingskillsand gain moreindependence during this time.? Verywell Famly said.

Alana didn't say anything. She didn?t even talk to her friends at the time, Addison and Christian, about what was going on. Even though she didn?t talk much, she gained independence during this time. So did her sister, Leila Gerhardt.

?I feel likeI'm kind of likearesponsible person,? Eighth-grader LeilaGerhardt said.

Leila Gerhardt during this time had been taking care of her younger siblings. Through that experience she also learned how to beresponsible. Astheoldest of thefamily sheespecially took care of Macy, theyoungest of thefamily.

?My dad eventually returned,? Seventh grader Alana Gerhardt said. ?And I was over the moon about it.?

Since William returned from deployment,Alanasurewasjoyful about the fact that her dad is home.

?I didn?t realize it at the time, but the time I spent waiting for my dad to come home really taught me an important lesson. The lesson of patience.? Eighth grader AlanaGerhardt said.

Alanarealized that not only did she grow independent, but she also learned how to be patient during William?s deloyment. Since her father has come back, she keeps using the one lesson that got her through all those months.

?If I hadn?t gone through that, I definitely wouldn?t be who I am today.?Alanasaid.

Seventh gradestudent, Alana Gerhardt, isthankful that her father, William Gerhardt, is back homefrom deployment dueto hisjob in themilitary when shewasjust about 5 yearsold, back in Tennessee. Sheisalso thankful for thetimeher dad wasgonebecause shelearned an important lesson, thelesson of patience. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALANA GERHRDT, COURTESY OF ALANA GERHARDT AND NADIYA PLOSCHENKO VIA UNSPLASH.COM

Student ReflectsonConstantlyMoving

Hardshipsof MovingtoDifferent StateandDifferent Schools

AlaynaMartinez

At theageof seven,MBMSstudent LeilaGerhardt moved from Tennessee to Washington State. For Gerhardt, it was difficult for her to tell her friends that she would be moving because she worried that she would have a hard timemakingnewfriends.

Leila?s last day of school in Tennessee was November 21, 2014 and then on Nov. 23, 2014, Leila and her family madetheir way to Washington state. According to Leila's mother, thereason for moving to Washington wasquitesimple.

?Wedecided to movebecauseher dad isfrom New York and my family and I are from Washington. Since most of our family isfrom Washington, we decided to move to there,? Leila'smother said.

Another reason why Leila and her family moved wasbecauseof Leila'sparent's jobs. Leila?s mother had said that she worked for the military in the State of Washington while her husband worked for BruceCompany.

Leilathen moved acoupletimeswhile living in Washington and although she was happy to move, Leila was also a bit sad because her neighbor was a great friend.

?During recess, I would usually sit by myself, and when working in groups, I would say very few words, but for the most part, I usually worked quietly," Leila said. "The first timebeing the new kid waspretty difficult." For thefirst few times Leila had moved, she struggled with makingnewfriends.

In Leila'sthird gradeclass, shewasfull of excitement asshewould bestaying at the same school for an entire year and hopefully make new friends. But to her dismay, Leilawasonly ableto makeone friend that barely talks with Leila anymore.

?I lost contact with all of my friends after moving multipletimes," Leila said. "My second grade friend who was my 'best friend,' was very toxic. She always got mad at me, even for the little things.?

If Leila's family had an opportunity, Leila?smother said that she would want for her family to move back to Ten-

nessee, however, it is improbable that Leila's family moves back to Tennessee as Leila?s mom worksfor theWashington Statemilitary whileLeila'sdad worksfor BruceCompany.

However, before Leila's family can pick wherethey livepermanently,they haveto find a house in Washington that will support the needs of both Leila's mother and father and their jobs.

?Military families may move an average of every two to three years, meaning approximately 500,000 military children change schools every year,?Military Spouse journalist Stacy Hulsman said.

Leila mentioned that when she would go to newschools,shewould haveto catch up on the homework because the class would be already reading or learning something Leila hadn?t learned yet.

?I would go to school and therewould bereading groups, and I would have to go home and read to catch up. On top of that, I would strugglewith homework sinceI did not havesomeonetohelpme,?Leilamentioned.

For Leila,it wasabit difficult to catch up and do homework she didn?t understand, however, she persevered and was able to catch up with theother studentsin her class.

Although Leila went through a few struggles early on in her life, she used the experience and realized that it not only taught her howto be independent, it also formed her into the person sheistoday.

?I?m am very glad I wasconstantly the new kid. If I wasn?t, I wouldn?t bethesameperson I am today," Leila said. "In the end, I wouldn?t trade the experience of being the new kid for anything.?

From left to right standsLeila'syoungest sister MacieGerhardt, Leila Gerhardt herself, Leila'scousin Liza, and Leila's younger sister, Alana Gerhardt. ThispictureshowsLeila and her family in their new house. PHOTO BY LEILA GERHARDT

Seventh-grader Attends Public School for First Time in 2019

KimberlyMiller

An event that challenged her to become the person she is today was when eighth-grader Azrielle Ilar attended publicschool for the first timelast year.

"Azrielle going to school made me feel excited but also nervous! She is my youngest sister and I wanted the transition to be smooth and enjoyable for her!" Ilar'ssister said.

?The atmosphere was different from what I experienced during homeschool,?Ilar said.

When shefirst entered classshe was super nervous and confused

on whereto sit and what to do, so shejust sat quietly at her assigned seat.

?It wasreally difficult for me to adjust to my new school because everything was opposite of what I'd done as a homeschooler.? Ilar said

She struggled with a lot of thingsfor the first few monthsof public school. She didn?t know how to talk to people or make friends, she didn't know how to ask her teachers and classmates for help,and shedidn't even know howtoask tousetherestroom.

Growing up, she was always a very shy and quiet person, so

when she came to public school making friends was extremely difficult for her. When anybody would try talk to her or ask me a question, she would stutter a lot and really get embarrassed.

?Lunch was the worst time duringschool.?Ilar said

Everyday she would sit in the lunch room alone and ask herself ?Why can?t I talk to people so easily likethem??or ?Must benice havingsomeonetotalk to."

"I didn't like lunch time for some reason, I just felt really unconformablethere." Ilar said

At one point, she was thinking of askingher parentstogo back to

homeschool because she didn' t like that she wasn?t making any friends and that she was struggling to adjust to public school.

One weekend she was going to tell her parents about how she was struggling in school, but before telling her parents, she came to a relization. She realized that if she switched back to homeschool, she wouldn't be able to make new memories and have newexperiences.

"If I never cameto publicschool I feel like I would be much less maturethan I am now"Ilar said. After that happened, during school she would talk to her classmates more, participate in class, and try to talk to someone at lunch time. Although she was still struggling to do all of these things, she was proud of herself for trying to be more outgoing.

It took her the whole school year toadjust topublicschool.

"I like Azrielle going to public school better because I think it helps her grow as both a student and person. For instance, when she was homeschooled, she struggled with reading and writing, but I?ve noticed that she has improved greatly ever since she started going to public school." Ilar's sister said. "Her vocabulary has expanded and she can explain her ideas in writing better. In addition, she seems more confident being around peopleand talkingtoothers"

It?s been a year and a few days since her first day of school; now everythingisher new normal and she's used to it. Talking to other peopleismuch easier nowand she doesn't stutter anymore.

Once in a while, she thinks about how if she went back to homeschool, she wouldn't be the person sheistoday.

Eight-grader Azrielle Ilar attended public school for the first time at MBMSon Sep. 4 2019. Ilar has been homeschooled her whole lifeup until last year when shewasin 7th gradesheattended public school. PHOTO COURTESY OF A. ILAR

ChoirChangesJournalist

Choir Changes Seventh-grader Elaina Pierce's Life for Better

AddisonOpsahl

On February 29th, a regular girl in choir experienced something great. Who knew choir could change a student, her namewasElainaPierce.

Piercewasin choir duringher 6th gradeyear and therewas an assignment they did every year in groupsof 5 or 6 people. Pierce was paired with 6 girls and one named Lorren Barracoso. Pierce and her wherepretty good friends.

?Elaina is an amazing person who is always helpful and always willing to help others," Said Barracoso.

They weresinging?Homeward Bound,?Piercehad noticed that Jim Char, thechoir teacher, had

really liked thegroup Piercewas in and each group had to sing their song. Then Char gave them constructive criticism. Piercedidn't expect to get much constructivecriticism from him becauseheliked her group alot.

?As good as you are, you can still improve. There is never a moment when you can?t work on your skills anymore because there are always things to work on. Think of this as a moment to become better than the best, to improve instead of saying that you arefine where you are and that you don?t need to work on yourself,? Char said.

Elaina was so confused, she did not expect to get any constructive criticism because she thought he liked their

group alot.

"After that day, I learned a lot more from my teammates, other teams, and Mr. Char. I improved and improved upon my singing, and got more confident,"Piercesaid.

She became a lot more confident after that day.

?When we were grouped together she was always really great at being punctual and always bringing the materials we need when asked.?

Barracososaid

Pierce was clearly known for being helpful and kind to her peers.

Barracoso said, ?She is really enjoyableto bearound and just an awesome person and a phenomenal friend in general.?

This means Pierce isloved by her friend, and her and Barracoso have a great relationship.

I asked Pierce,why isthisyour defining moment?

?It came to mind and not anything really was as interesting.? Pierce said.

This means this was very important, but did not have other huge moments happening.

I asked Pierce, how did you know Mr.Char liked your team alot?

?Well Mr.Char can favor kids and weknewwewerefavorites.? Pierce replied. Pierce and her group eventually did very good at the concert and received the best scoreyou could get.

"After my 6th grade year, I have remembered everything I learned from that experience. It has helped me in lots of ways and in a ton of different situations. Such as the virus or other largeeventsthat aregoing around,so when I feel uncertain and confident, I can work on how I?m feeling and the situation that is happening around me, so I can feel better about it all, and even help others work through it themselves," Pierce said

Pierce had changed thanks to the criticism she received and used that as motivation to becomemoreconfident

COURTESY OF E. PIERCE

Journalist?s Great Grandmother Dies

In Auburn on April 29 of Last Year, Journalist's Great Grandmother Dies in Hospital Due to Natural Causes

ElainaPierce

After a long and hard fight with thehelp of her family members,Addison?sgreat grandmother died on April 29 of last year, here in Auburn.

Things had started getting hard about a year before she died. Addison?sfamily had to put her in a home and visit her constantly. But no matter how hard things got, Addison?s Great Grandma kept pushing through until the end.

?I hung out with her a lot when she was around, we had a pretty strong relationship. My dad had also talked a lot with her too because they were really close,?said eighth-grader,Addison Opsahl.

Opsahl?s Great Grandmother continued to get worse, but asthe strong person she was, she continued to see her relatives and stayed strong.

?If I had to describe her in one word, I would go with crazy. She wasreally fun and cool, but crazy suitsher themost.?Opsahl said.

When her Great Grandmother wasn?t ableto visit them asmuch, her relatives came from all over thecountry tosay goodbye,showingtheir lovefor her every chance they had. It was sad and hard for everybody, but they knew that they had tomoveon.

?A fewmonthsbeforeshepassed our family came to our house for a gathering and even Nana?s son cameall theway from North Carolina,? Opshal wrote in a class assignment.

Addison wasworking at her little sister?s dress rehearsal for her Musical with her mom when her great grandmother died. Her father wasn?t able to attend the dress rehearsal due to Addison?s Great Grandmother?s need for medical attention at thehospital.

?My dad came to the theater in the middle of the show and my mom said 'Come outside', I knew shewasgone. I knew it wascoming, being 83, and in thehospital, I expected this.? Opsahl wrote.

It wasn?t just Addison that was affected by her Great Grandmother?sdeath.

?I first met Norma (Nana as we called her)in 2003. Shewasavery strong woman who always made her opinions known. Having her as a part of my life for over 15 years taught me that my feelings and opinionswere important and valid. She also taught me about theimportanceof family and how our cultural background moldsus intothepeoplewearetoday.?Said Addison?smother,DeniseOpsahl.

Addison?s father was also contacted, but he was not available for comment at the time of

publication.

Addison?s Great Grandmother lived a long life as well, she lived around 11 years above the world average life span, but it is not a confirmed number dueto theinformation being based on last year?sdata.

According to OurWorldInData.org, ?The United Kingdom estimatesaglobal averagelifeexpectancy of 72.6 yearsfor 2019.?

When Addison?sGreat Grandma died, they held a funeral. Everybody was impacted in such a big way by her empoweringexistence. Addison got to say aspeech at the funeral aswell.

?I made the room cry, kind of what I do, just kidding.?Said Opsahl. ?I talked about her personality abit, but most of it just stayed at thefuneral.?

Addison?s great grandmother

was a fun, crazy, strong, and bold person. Shewasafun character to be around and kept striving through until the end. When she died on April 29 of last year, everybody was impacted. She still leavesamark on them today,givingthem theinspiration to bethe best person they can be.

?To some people having their great-grandmapassisnot that big of a deal, but still hard, and the only reason I say this is because maybe they didn?t know their great-grandma as much as I did,? Opsahl said. ? I had an amazing connection with her. Out of every older relative I have, she was the one I had connected with the best.?

To mark theoccasion, Addison Opsahl and Addison'sGreat Grandmother arestanding outsidetheir church for Addison'sfirst communion. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ELAINA PIERCE PICTURE AND BACKGROUND COURTESY OF DENISE OPSAHL AND JAMESLEE VIA UNSPLASH.COM

Student Doesn't TakeThingsfor Granted

Seventh-grader Experiences Hard Times After Dad's Surgery

KatherineRojo-Hernandez

In the spring of 2018, seventh-grader Calla MacDougall found out that her father, Joel MacDougall, had cancer in the back of hismouth.

?It wasn't aseriouscancer, but hehad to get surgery toremoveit,?MacDougall said.

Thecancer started asalittlewhitebump in the back of Calla?s dad?s mouth, which then turned into acancer called Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

?When we would get home from school, we would tell him about our day but he couldn't respond,? MacDougall said. According to Calla, when her father first got surgery, he would eat very liquidy foods.

?He ate things like very liquidy smoothies, hot chocolate, and things that wereeasy toswallow,?shesaid.

A few weeksafter thesurgery, hestarted toeat moresolid things.

?Hestarted to eat thicker smoothiesand mashed potatoes,?she said. ?I felt nervous but proud of him for hiscourageand how well he took it,? Calla?s mom, Crystal MacDougall,said.

A few more weeks after the surgery, Calla?s dad started to talk more. ?It sounded like he had marbles in his mouth,? MacDougall says, ?He couldn?t really open his mouth, so it was like half way open,and half way closed.?

?Sometimes, he would write things on a whiteboard like what he wanted to eat,? MacDougall said. ?He couldn't nod his head alot becausehisneck hurt?

Callaadmitted that shewasvery worried about the whole situation, because she didn?t knowhowsmall it was.

?I felt really nervous of what the outcome would be, even though I knew everything would be fine? Calla?s father, Joel MacDougall,said.

In a month, Calla?sfather had started to go back to normal, but he still had to be careful with hiseating.

?I feel like he felt trapped because he

couldn?t participate in conversations, he could only listen,?MacDougall said.

When he started to get better, he couldn?t eat spicy foods, which, Calla says, was hard for her family because her brother and mom used to makespicy food all thetime.

?I feel like my mom and brother acted

more mature about the whole situation? MacDougall said.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma is a cancer caused by an uncontrolled growth of abnormal squamouscells.

?It isdefinitely an experiencethat wewill never forget, and we learned to never take anything for granted? MacDougall said.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KATHERINE HERNANSWZ, COURTESY OF DORIAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND UNSPLASH.COM

LifeLessonsinOwningaValuableCat

TheStory of Jeremy Goodman andHisFirst Cat, Four YearsAgo

KobeSaelee

Jeremy Goodman on 12/25/16 received his first-ever cat, Rosko from his cousin as a Christmas gift.

Goodman?scousin?sboyfriend was a cat breeder and his brother always did want a cat, that is the reasoning behind the gift. Rosko had to undergo surgery to get his leg amputated because of an injury, it was either that or he had to be put down. Here?s what Goodman had to say about the situation.

?We chose to save him because my mom thought he deserved a life with us because he was very little, and my mom didn?t want him to beput down becauseof an accident when he could have a wonderful life?

Goodman?s mother?s thoughts said in an interview by The CanineChronicle

?I wasso heartbroken,it wasgoingto cost me$1,200 to amputate his leg. I seriously thought about puttinghim to sleep,thisfreekitten was now the most expensive cat. Plus all the care it was going

to require, I decided to save his life and care for him. Thank goodness we did, we love him so much?

An articletitled ?Thebenefitsof afamily pet?from Michigan State University by Tracy Trautner entails the benefits of owning a pet asthetitlesays

?There are many benefits to owning a pet. Pets teach children valuable life lessons like responsibility, trust, compassion, respect and patience. While pets offer a lot of benefits to kids, kids also havea lot to offer thepet in your

family aswell. Both kidsand pets enjoy high energy play as well as havingacuddlebuddy duringnap time?

After Goodman had seen how his dog, Rose got along with his cat bringing him home for the first time, he wanted to keep Rosko

When we first brought home Rose, sheand Rosko werefighting all day long, so much so that we had to separate them. Rosko and Rose love to sleep in the highest place at night, which happens to be my bed, as my brother and I have a bunk bed. I have the top one,and hehasthebottom.

Goodman said Rosko will sleep next to me, while Rose will sleep at my feet. Sometimes,when hegetsscared or excited, he will do what my brother calls, "big eyes," where his pupils enlarge so much his eyes arealmost completely black. Rose also does this, but not as much. I remember asking my mom, ?Can we keep him??. This is my definingmoment.

Overall Goodman?s and his family?s experience with Rosko wasvery educational in themeans of life, the experience also brought them great joy, Jeremy said.

?It impacted me by giving me another purpose in life, along with school,homework,and playingtheviolin. It showed methat I would haveto bevery responsible for thisanimal becauseif I wasn?t nad my family wasn?t that would beawaste?

Jeremy Goodman, thelast sentenceof his defining moment narrative. PHOTO COURTESY OF J.GOODMAN

Eighth-GraderSharesStoryofSisterLeaving

AlanaGerhardt

A few months ago the sister of Heidy Marquez-Tamayo packed her bags and left out of conflict with her father.

Marquez?smom and her sister?s dad got married and anew family was born. Now it was Marquez, her step-dad, her sister, her mom, and her brother. Marquez and her family already had a pretty bumpy relationship with Marquez?s sister. They fought long and hard despite the fact that they weretryingtheir best to make her feel at home. Marquez and her brother decided to play a video game with the time that they had. About forty minutes later they finished playing, and Marquez had heard fragments of the argument that would eventually be the reason that her sister left,and shedid not likeit

?You know you could tell me anything. Do you really hate me? Do you really think I didn?t fight for you asa father should?Weall suffered longand hard, weall had arguments to see what would be better for our family. Do you really not care?? said Marquez's dad towards Marquez's sister. ?Did I really just hear that right that very moment?? Marquez thought.

Marquez laid down in her cold bed. Most nights it was supposed warm and cozy, but at that point, it wasanythingbut that. Marquez was about ten pages into her new book,when her mom walked,with tears in her eyes, with something tosay.

?Your dad just isn?t in a good place right now?? Her mom looked at her one last time and asked her not to tell anyone. Two days later, her mom called down Marquez and her brother.

She explained everything and simply said, ?Your sister won?t be coming back because she doesn?t

likeit here. Shesaid that shehates your dad and doesn?t want to see him again..? Marquez looked at her brother to be sure that those words are in fact what she heard. Hisface, tearsrolling down them, at thismoment in time, sheknew what sheheard wasright.

?Did we not do enough?Did we not fight for her much?All those fights between the four of us not matter to her at all since she caused them?Wedid all wecould yet she left us because we didn?t give her expensive gifts. What have we not done enough of?? Marquez thought to herself once her sister left.

It?s been a couple of months sinceMarquez?ssister left,and the last time she saw her was in August. She doesn?t visit for birthdays or holidays either. It?s obvious that Marquez was hurt, but shewasableto cometo terms with her sister leaving, and here?s why.

?I cameto termswith it because shewasmy sister at theend of the day,?Marquez said.

Through this experience, Marquez and her brother now see their sister from a different angle than before, and I'm sure it was tough on them. In fact, I'm sure that it would betough for anyone toget over somethinglikethat.

Unfortunately, Ms.Brubaker was not available at the time of publication to discuss a matter such asthis, but wecan hear what Marquez and her brother have to say about their sister.

?She was like an actual little sister to me. I feel like she is a stranger now,? said Marquez?s brother. ?At first I wasangry with her, now it's like forgive and forget. She?s like a long lost relative,?said Marquez.

Marquez?s brother went on to explain that the most difficult thing about her leaving was not the fact that she was no longer

there, it wasthe look on hisdad?s facewhen heknewshe?d leave.

Marquez and her brother also explained if they felt as though they could have been part of the reason for her leaving.

?I think I did try hard enough to makeher stay,?Marquez?sbrother

said. ?A little bit, maybe I didn?t welcome her enough.? said Marquez.

Needless to say this event will always be a part of Marquez?s memory but one day it will be history.

Wedid all wecould yet she still left us... What have we not done enoughof?

-ROSAMARQUEZ

Seventh gradeRosa Marquez. PHOTO COURTESY OF DORIAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Journalists Share Own Defining Moments

TheDivorce

Lily Martin

One early morning, 7:oo AM to be exact. Fifth grademewasgetting ready for school. It was a normal morning, My dad made me pop tartsand my mom wasstill sleeping, I got into my dad'struck and drovetoschool.When I got to school I did the usual, put my things away and went tomy desk.

Hours pass and I finally hear the bell ring. Finally. I start walking to my dad's truck. The drive home was more quiet than normal. Just silence. But when I got home I ran to the pantry to makesuremy special chipswerestill there.

?ELIJAH YOU BETTER NOT BE EATING MY CHIPS!? Turns out he didn't eat them. I grabbed my spicy rufflesand ran straight tomy room.

A couple more hours go by, and dinner is ready! I could smell thesteak from my room, I could tell it was going to be delicious. I got downstairs,madeaplateof food,and sat in my chair. Everyone knew it was my seat! Every-

TheFight

GracielaRosas

Oneday,asI wakeup tothenoiseof my parentsgettingready for work,I look at my phone and realizethat I wokeup earlier than usual. I walk down the hall when my mom says, ?Go back to bed, it?stoo early for you to beawake.?

AsI wakeup 2 hourslater, I walk to thebathroom and brush my teeth.

WhileI waswalkingto thelivingroom,I saw my little brother eating breakfast on the dinner tableso I joined him. After breakfast, I sat on thecouch and went on my phone. I went on Snapchat and texted my friends, after I texted them, I put my phone down and started watchingTV with my brothers.

As I got bored, I grabbed my phone and checked if my friends texted me back. As I checked, I realized that oneof my friendshad posted somethingon their story,so I opened it. Shehad posted apictureof her drinking Starbucks, so I texted her, ?Cool, what drink is that?? She replied, and we kept texting each other for 10 minutes. Then after 30 minutes, I told her something that I was upset about. I had told her, ?I hate to say this, but can you stop calling me toxic and dramatic?? After I told her that she said, ?What are you talking

thing seemed normal, but my mom and dad were just a little more quiet than normal. It just felt off. I got doneeatingand went into my brother Ethan'sroom toplay videogames.

?Hey Lily, I'm getting a little bored of this game, want to watch some tv?? Of course I wanted to watch tv! So we went to the living room and turned on some Dr.Phil. Then we hear our namescalled.

?Kidscometo thedinner table!?Wewereall confused but welistened anyway.

We all sat around the dinner table, and my mom and dad began to talk. ?So, wehavebeen married for 16 years now. That's a really long time.?I remember the exact wordsthey said. ? We still love each other, just not in the way couplesdo. You kidsaregoingto haveto move schoolsalso.?I brokeintotears.All I remember from thereisthinkingmy family wasbroken. It was very hard. Going between two houses wasvery difficult. But I got over it. In the beginningI never thought I would behappy. Divorced parentsaren't abad thing.

They just didn't work out, everything happens for a reason, and I am back to being happy even if there were really hard times. Moving away from my old school and friends was hard too, I never thought I would make new friends. But I found my best friendsthere. And now I'm happy and strong enough to tell thisstory.

about??I explained to her that every time we texted,shewould somehowcall medramatic. Wekept textingand fightingfor 15 minutes, when I said, ?You know what, I'm out.?After I said that, I looked back at my phone and checked if she had said anything, which she didn?t. Dayslater,westill wouldn?t talk to each other becauseweweremad. Two weekslater, I went to my cousin?s wife's baby shower and saw her there. We ignored each other and didn?t talk to each other at all. When thebaby shower wasover, my mom said wehad to give her a ride home, which I was upset about. Whilewewerein thecar,my mom had invited

her and her mom to our house, so when wegot to our house, I grabbed my slides, and went to my room.

I got to my room and went on TikTok for a few minutes, when my brother came in and said, ?They left already.?I walked to theliving room, sat on the couch, and watched Disney+ for the rest of the night until I got tired and went tobed.

A week later, my mom had told methat her and her family were coming over for dinner, when they arrived, I got nervous and I didn?t want to talk to her even though I knew my mom would make me talk to her. I walked to my backyard with my little brother, when I saw her on my trampoline with her other friends,so I ignored them and sat on theswing next tomy brother.

I wason theswing,and shewason thetrampolinetalking to her other friends, when their mom told them to go eat. After they finished eating,they had to leave,so wesaid goodbyeto them.

?Why didn?t you talk toher,?my mom asked. ?I don?t know,?I responded. Sincethat day we haven?t texted or talked to each other. Even though we don?t talk anymore, I still have hope that we will talk it out and forgive each other.I am still grateful that I havefriends.

PHOTO BY L. MARTIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF DORIAN PHOTOGRAPHY

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Student Survey Voices Opinion for October 2020

Surveysprovidea numerical snapshot of many schools. From Sept. 26-Oct. 6, MBMSstudents shared their opinions and unique perspective in the "October 2020 Survey" in TCC Google Classroom. Out of the over 200 members of the group, 147 MBMSstudents responded. The resultsof somemoreprominent questionsarebelow. Ask your ELA teacher how to join the googleclassroom so you can voiceyour opinion.

WHAT GRADE ARE YOU?

WOULD YOU RATHER CONTINUE SCHOOL ONLINE OR MOVE

BACK TO IN-PERSON IN THE FUTURE?

HOW EXHAUSTING IS IT STAYING IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER ALL DAY FOR DISTANCE LEARNING?

DO YOU MISS SCHOOL ATTENDING SCHOOL IN-PERSON EVERY DAY?

DOES ANYONE YOU KNOW WORK IN THE MEDICAL FIELD?