The Canine Chronicle MBMS December 2021

FRONT COVER: TCCmembers: Addison Gallaway, Caleb Stolee, CallaMacDougall, Jordan Stubblefield Kaeden Morgan, and MayaPennington celebratetheholiday season by building snowmen and decorating aChristmasTree ILLUSTRATION BY L BARRCOSO, COURTESY OF F C BARTOLOME, PWARRING

BACK COVER: With theupcoming Christmas season, TCCphoto editors compiled and asked MBMSstudentsand staff what wasthe strangest Christmasgift they havereceived PHOTOSAND COLLAGE BY A FOUCHER, M GUZMAN

MOUNTBAKERMIDDLESCHOOL

62037THAVENUESOUTHEAST AUBURN,WASHINGTON98002

STAFF

EDITORS

LorrenBarracoso

ErrinBilson

AvaFoucher

AlanaGerhardt

MonicaGuzman

CallaMacDougall

MayaPennington

EDITORS NOTE

WelcomeMBMSstudentsandstaff totheCanineChronicleDecember edition!

It hascertainly been awhilesincewehaveall been abletocometotheschool in person andshare thestoriesof our peers Our December edition will bespotlighting thetransitional year back into in-person education, and thediscipline measuresneeded for MBMSstudentsto return to normal schooling.

2021 isnearingtheend of itsrun It'stimefor ustonot only reflect on ourselvesbut alsoon the crazythingsthat havehappenedover thelast twoyears

Onethingthat hascomewith thenew school year istheCOVID protocolsnecessary for playing somesports,aswell asthefootball andfast-pitchseasonswrappingup Studentsarenowfreetowalkthehallwaysoncemorewithout roundabouts.

In thisedition,wehaverevisitedthetopicof profanitytoshowhowour school hasevolvedwith its useinthepast twoyears

Theviral Tik Tok trend?DeviousLicks?hascausedseveral studentsacrossthecountry totry their handat propertytheft

Thisbeingthetransitional year back to in-person education led to different disciplinemeasures needingtobetakenduetostudentsgettingbackintotheroutine.

Inthisedition,wealsovisitedtheage-oldtopicof dresscodesandwhether it isfair for everyone

With theholiday season being in full swing again, weareableto participatein MBMSholiday traditionslikedoor decorating and caroling and to see how that haschanged dueto social distancing.

This will also be the first edition of the year to include all the classics like Locker Lottery, Like It Or Not, Horoscopes,and 140-Character Review Wehopethat you'll enjoythis edition!

Sincerely,

TheCanineChronicle

MISSION

REPORTERS

LaneyBoland

SofiaCeja

Harper Curnutt

AddisonGallaway

OliviaHupperten

KelanLacroix

REPORTERS

RichardLewis

KaedenMorgan

Yaretzi ReyesCruz

EllieShipe

CalebStolee

JordanStubblefield

ADVISER

Peter Warring

PRINCIPAL

GregBrown

TheMBMSJournalism II-III classproduced thisopen publicforum student newspaper withintent toethicallyreport eventsaccurately,without bias Asanopen publicforum for students,all decisionsmadeoncontent aremadebystudentsunder theguidanceof the adviser, with intent to uphold students?First Amendment rights The opinions presented in articlesareprovided to represent theviewsand perspectivesof students and individualsin our diverse student population, not necessarily thewhole of the adviser,faculty,andadministrators Any material that wouldcauseadisruption tothe educational processlikelibel, invasion of privacy, or copyright infringement will not bepublished TheCanineChroniclehadadoptedtheSPJCodeof 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 havebeenutilizedthroughaCreativeCommonsandMicrosoft license School portraits arelicensedthroughDorianPhotography

TCCeditors(from left to right, up to down) Errin Bilson, AlanaGerhardt, Monica Guzman, Lorren Barracoso, AvaFoucher, CallaMacDougall, MayaPennington, havebeen caught posing in front of thesecurity cameras PHOTO COURTESY OF JWEGNER

OCKER LOTTERY

WHAT WAS THE BEST MUSIC OF 2021?

KC:"JingleBells"

DB:AnyChristianSong

LD:"Watch"(BillieEilish)

C.R.: "Lucid Dreams" (Juice WRLD)

LH: "All Too Well" (Taylor Swift)

OB:"SaySo"(DojaCat)

WHAT WAS THE WORST MUSIC OF 2021?

KC:"BabyShark"

DB:Non-ChristianSongs

L.D.:Countrymusic

C.R.:JustinBieber

LH:KanyeWest

OB:Popmusic

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY MOVIE?

KC: "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"

DB:N/A

L.D.:"Daddy'sHome2"

C.R.:"TheGrinch"

LH: "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles"

OB:"ThePolar Express"

WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE HOLIDAY MOVIE?

KC:"ThePolar Express"

DB:N/A

L.D.:"TheChristmasStory"

C.R.: "The Grinch" (animated version)

LH:"SantaClaws"

OB: "The Grinch" (animated version)

WHAT WAS THE BEST TV SHOW OF 2021?

"KC:"Hawkeye

DB:"RacetotheEdge"

L.D.:"Outer Banks"(season2)

C.R.:"Spongebob"

L.H.: "The Babysitter's Club" (season2)

OB: "The Grinch" (animatedversion)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY TREAT?

KC:Pumpkinpie

D.B.:Eggnog

L.D.:Holidaycookies

CR:Chocolateicecream

LH:ChocolateChipCookies

OB:Holidaycookies

DO YOU PREFER HOT CHOCOLATE OR APPLE CIDER?

K.C.:Applecider

DB:Both

LD:Applecider

CR:Hot chocolate

LH:Applecider

O.B.:Hot chocolate

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY SCENT?

KC:Christmastrees

D.B.:N/A

LD:Christmastrees

CR:Peppermint

LH:Maple

OB:Vanillabeannoel

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITION?

KC: Brunch on Christmas day withfamily

D.B.:Thestar ontopof aChristmastree

LD: Presents on Christmas morning

CR: Spending Christmas with familyandfriends

L.H.: Spending Christmas day withfamily

The Locker Lottery is a way of gathering MBMS student?s opinions on related subjects. There are two students selected randomlyfromeachgrade.Thesixthgraders are Kylee Curtis and David Brandon. The seventh graders are Lily Dalton and Carlos Rivera. The eighth graders are Lily Harger andOusmanBojang.

O.B.:Playinginthesnow

WHAT WAS THE WORST TREND OF 2021?

K.C.: Devious Lick TikTok

Challenge

DB:N/A

LD:Bellbottomjeans

CR: Devious Lick TikTok

Challenge

L.H.:2000sfashion

O.B.:DeviousLickTikTok Challenge

Thesearethesix randomly chosen studentsfor theHoliday Edition of Locker Lottery They areprepared for theholiday season asthey areornamentson a Christmastree PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAYCOM AND DORIAN PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTO BY C MACDOUGALL

MAYAPENNINGTON&CALLAMACDOUGALL

ViralTikTokTrendsCauseDamage

SocialMediaInfluencesStudentstoDisrespectSchoolProperty

MONICAGUZMAN

Social media in 2021 has encouraged multiple students all aroundtheworldtoparticipatein poor trendsthat areleaving cruc -ial vandalism at their own sch -ools

In 2021many challengeshave been created in an app called TikTok It?san appthat many peo -plehaveand makevideosto sha -rewith others Someof thechall -engesmadearevery seriousbeca -use everyone can get in trouble Peoplemight even end up getting hurt which is not good for their safety.

?I?ve heard about them that most of them are dangerous and causedamage "said GraceAcuna, a sixth-grader at MBMS "they cause dam -age to people and property?

Someof thesetrendshaveaffec -ted the school by multiple reas -ons caused by students in the buildings ?Schoolsdefinitely changeproce -dures and how they operate on how those TikTok challenges are performed so they haveto react,? said eighth-grader Oliver Nguyen ?I think the October challenge encouraged studentsto vandalize their bathrooms,? said seventh -grader, Emily Spencer ?It definitely affected theschool, for sure?

Challenges have not only affe -cted theschool but studentsand staff at schools too.

?I thinkit?sjust beenfrustrating for [staff] when students?start doing the trends at school " said Acuna

"I also think that it has been hard for the staff members,? ?Definitely, these trends disturb classes?I feel like students have not asmuch respect for peopleas theyusedto,?Spencer said

Principle Brown stated that social mediaitself hascausedstud -entsto participatein thesechall

-enges, ?trying to impress their friends?

?I think that's a lot of social media like the Tiktok challenge, you know,social mediatellingyo -u to do somethingand then you doit really,?saidBrown

?Just for popularity, views, and likes,"Ngu-yensaid

Damages caused by students participating in the viral trends cost money tofix.Just becauseit?s asmall damage,doesn? t mean the school doesn? t needtopayfor it.

? It costs money like even the graffiti, that cost money in a rou -ndabout way becausewehaveto pay thecustodiansto do theclea -ningand that?smorecleaningth -ey haveto do, so wehaveto pay themmore,?saidMr Brown

?Of course, yeah because when you aredamagingsomethingyou arebreakingit,?saidSpencer

All threegradesat MBMShave about thesameamount of people participating in the challenges. Thesechallengeshavebeen happ -ening throughout the hallways and bathrooms at Mount Baker andmanyother schools

?But if it wasn? t what gradespe -cifically, it would probably not bethepeoplewhowereconcerned about their grades and [school],? saidAcuna.

?I think it?s more seventh and eighth graders since they are the only oneslegally allowed to have Tiktok?saidSpencer

Most of these actions have stopped thanksto thehelp of the staff at MBMS Staff have been outside in the hallways during each period makingsurenothing bad occurs Due to the fact that somestudentsmakedull choices.

?Well,hopefully knowingthat I was so serious about it and whet -her therewould bereally bigcon -sequences...thefact that I helped themtorealizemost of theTiktok challenges are illegal things that they could get in troublewith the

police,? said Brown. "I think they're the dumbest thing I've ever seen," said Brown. "It frustra

-tes me that anyone would let social media dictate what they do...that'sthesignof aweakness."

MBMSboys bathroom in the 600 hall has been vandalized by students ?Some minor things like graffiti, toilet paper on the floor, bathroom poles, you know things like that,? said principal Brown (This picture was taken when no one was in the restr -ooms) PHOTO COURTESY OF K LACROIX BROOKS

?They can be funny sometimes, but the result is not worth it.?

--O LIVERNGUYEN

SchoolSecurityCamerasReduceRuleBreakage

L

ORRENBARRACOSO

Students are now back in the building, meaning thingssuch as vandalism and theft havebecome more apparent The semi-recent addition of school security camerasisnow moreuseful with the recurring bathroom graffiti and the ?Devious Lick? trend from Tik -Tok, where students steal school property to show off onsocial media

Themost troublingareasin the school arein thebathrooms, wherestudentshavebeen seeingdiferent images sprawled on the bat-hroom stalls and bathroom walls

?So thebiggest thingthat we're doing right now is if when we start seeingit, weobviously don't havecamerasinthebathroombut we have cameras outside every night.?MBMSPrincipal Greg Brownsaidinapressconference

?Sowhen dowestart seeingthat or when weseeit happen acouple

of days in a row or a couple of times in a week, our security officer Mr Wegner,hechecksthe bathroom at every passingperiod toseeif there'sanythingin there And if thereishethen goesback on the camera to look who went in and who went out And so far we've been able to catch almost everythingthat'shappened in the bathrooms?

The cameras cover nearly the entire campus, excluding inside classrooms,locker rooms,and bat -hrooms Allowing MBMS security guard Jordan Wegner to see everything that happens at MB-MS

?Therearenoblindspots,there's nospot whereyou can hidethat I can't see,? Mr. Wegner said, ?60 cameras kind of spread out all over the place. There are a few cameras that look like they're right on top of each other but they point in all different directionssoI can seethefront of theschool I can seeall different

directionsinthefront ?

TikTok trendshavealsoaffected MBMS, one in particular called ?Devious Licks?, where students steal school property, which has beenespeciallytroubling.

?I?ve seen a lot of them [on TikTok].? sixth-grader Diego Rodri- guez said, ?But I?ve never thought of doingit likeall I heard [about the trend] was in the

morningannouncement ?

Principal Brown stated that there had been one misconduct regardingthistrend but after the announcement, there have been no more incidents Students? opinions differ on the security cameras, seventh-grader Elijah Fenton feels as if they won? t do much if they cannot stop the source of the rule-breaking, the studentsthemselves

The security cameras will help with catchingstudents,but unless they can stop the students from committing other offenses, they don? t really havean effect Fenton said.

Other students like Rodriguez believe that security cameras benefit MBMS by stopping studentsfrombreakingrules.

?If somebody gets injured, may-benobody sawit [in person], but the cameras will,?Rodriguez said

The range of things that can causestudentstocommit offenses to the student handbook, one of the reasons may be due to peer pressure through social media as something cool to show off to their friends as stated by Zahir Suarez

?I think it's kids just trying to get attention,? Mr Wegner said, ?Youknow,theywant tolookcool for their friends and show what they have taken out of the bathroomor what they'vedoneto thebathroom?

The security camerasspan all acrosstheschool, including outsidethebuilding "So they arethere24/7through theweekend through spring break, winter break, summer break, so I can go back and seekind of what'sgoing on " Mr Wegner said "Citizensof Auburn do moreweird thingsthan thekidsdo They can drop off garbageand they'll kind of hang out in their carsin theparking" PHOTO COURTESY OF L BARRACOSO

"There are no blind spots, there's no spot where you can hidethat I can't see. 60 cameraskind of spread out all over theplace."

-MBMS

SECUR

ITYGUARDJORDANWEGNER

Teachers,Counselors,StudentsDescribethe

DifferencesBetweenHonors,GeneralClasses

TestScoresFactorinPlacement,WorkEthicNeededtoRemain

Despitewhat you may think, thereare not many differences between honors and general classes.

Most of thedifferencesare the expectationsof classesandworkloads. Whilehonorsstudentshavemoreindepth discussionand higher expectations,the classes,general or not,coversthesame content Themost significant differences betweenthemistheworkloadand expectations Whilethisisnot theonly thingthat honorsisbasedon,theseare someof themaindifferences Workethics anddedicationalsoplayapart ina student'sviewof theclass

?I thinkit dependsoneachindividual?s workethicandcommitment tolearning,? seventh-gradeHonorsELAteacher,Ann Durham.

Theworkloadisgenerallythesame however if astudent hasastrong commitment tothelearning,thenthe workloadmight not seemassevere ?Theworkloadvaries. Andit dependson thestudent'scommitment tolearning,? Durhamsaid

Most homeworkthat studentsreceive fromschool comesfrommathandhonors classes.However,dependingonhowa student dealswiththeamount of work, honorshomeworkcanseemtotake15 minutesinsteadof 45 Thisisall basedon thededicationtotheclass Manystudents viewhonorshomeworkinthe"it'shard" perspective,becauseof theadditional depth inthinkingandexplainingthat must go intotheassignmentsthat aregiven

?ThetwoclassesI wouldsaygivemethe most homeworkareAlgebraandUS History,?eighthgradehonorsstudent Alexa Anaya-Sanchezsaid.

Mathclassesgivestudentssomeof the most amount of homework,althoughit is certainlynot theonlyclass If astudent is not wheretheyneedtobeinanyhonors

class,meaningthat standardisnot being met (80percent),thenthestudent isput ontoprobationfor aquarter However, movingastudent out of thehonors programdoesn't happenveryoften throughout ayear

?It varies,but I wouldsaythey're probablythreetofivestudentsonprobation at eachgradelevel,at anygiventime.It's rarefor studentstobeexited[fromthe honorsprogram]?sixthgradecounselor, Albert Vaughnssaid

Whilst honorsclassesaredeeper in thinking,general classesstill givethe requiredinstruction Theonlythinghonors classesaddisthemoreindepth connection-makinganddiscussionswithin theclass. Thegeneral differencesarethe expectationsandrequirementsfor an

honorsclass Tomeet therequirementsfor honorsyoumust get acertainscoreon iReady,SBA,andDibelsteststoqualify ?Welookat iReadyscoresandtheSBA, and what'scalledDibels Andgenerallywe're lookingat thetop15%of students,? Vaughnssaid.

Generallyplacement comesfromtest scores,althoughthesuccessinhonorsis fullydependent ontheworkethicand dedication.

?It doesgiveasenseof pridetomyfamily, which ispleasant to think about Being in honors classes gives me a sense of achievement as well as greater responsibility? Anaya-Sanchez said.

Ahomeworkstationthat representsthework of classesthat iscompletedoutsideof school hours Suchashonorsand general classhomework PHOTOBY OLIVIAHUPPERTEN

ManyBenefitsofHomework

Whataretheyandhowdotheyhelpstudentswithlearning?

RICHARDLEWIS

Homework Youcandreadit but you can? t run from it Most studentshateit,someof themlikeit

Homework interrupts students´ homelife, but it doeshavemany benefits

From math, to ELA, to science, almost all classeshavehomework, Somestudentsmay think homework isjust an excusefor teachers toforcestudentstodomorework at home when actually, it reinforces good habits at home.

?Homework helps students to develop key skillsthat they?ll use throughout their lives,? ProConorg said, ?Such as accountability, autonomy, discipline, time management, self-direction,

critical thinking, and independent problem-solving

Studentsmay think that teachers will purposely make lots of homework just tooverwhelmstudents When in no way they should, and in no way they do.

?I think a lot of teachersreally do try to not give much homework to you guys,? Principal Brown said

If studentsthink homework is useless, it?s not Students will get better gradesandbetter test scores if they do their homework

?Research publishedin theHigh School Journal indicatesthat studentswho spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework ?scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics

subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework eachday,on average?? ProConorg said on theimprovement of student achievement thanks to homework

Somestudentsmay think they should do all thehomework immediately. Don? t do that, one, you?ll get overwhelmed, and two, you need to take a break so you don? t go from finishingschool to doinghomework immediately after

Parents also get to see how their child is doing at school Along with seeing what their childisgoodat andbadat, academically of course, and more

?Homework can also help clue parentsinto the existence of any

learning disabilities their children may have, allowingthem to get help and adjust learning strategies as needed,?ProConorg said. ?Duke University professor HarrisCooper, PhD, noted, ?Two parentsoncetoldmethey refused tobelievetheir childhadalearningdisability until homework revealedit tothem??

Nowdon? t get mewrong,there still aremany consof homework But students need to know that homework isn? t all bad, thereare still good parts So do thehomework, it will help out. Especially in High School

A young child isrecognizing animalsfor their homework. Thechild will remember theseanimalsafter completing this.

PHOTO BY J. LEWISCOURTESY OF UNSPLASH

?TisTheSeason ToBeJollyAtMBMS

MBMSCelebratesHolidayswithCaroling,DoorDecorating

YARETZ IREYESCRUZ

Since the COVID-19 pandemic came, everyone had to stay at homeandgoonlinefor ayear and ahalf

That meant that the MBMS classic holiday tradition students know and love had to be shut down.But comingback in person, most people can agree it's been insipid. But coming back into reality, we realized we had to adjust thelittlethinginschool

Moreimportantly,thelimits we hadduetoCOVID-19

Social distancing, masks at all times, sanitizing when using school items, etc. But it didn't mean theholiday traditionshere at MBMS wouldn't come to an end

"I amexcitedthat wewill beable to sing in person!" Choir teacher Mr Char said

But despitethehappinessthere aresomeprotocolsthat havetobe donefor theseperformances

Having the eighth grade choir

social distance and to keep everyone safe, and possibly have some classes come to the commons to watch the choir performwithholidayspirit

"It's a great holiday tradition sincemusicissuchamajor part of peoplesholiday experience," Char said

Even with choir's performance, thetraditionsdon't stopthere

Door decoratinghad begun for all fourth period classes. The themes for this year are holiday

characters, traditional Christmas, andwinter wonderland.

Not only that, the grand prize includes $25 for third-place, second place takes $35, the first place winner takes $50, but the grand prize takes a total of $75 It's a great a great time to get creative and use teamwork to accomplish something spectacular

And it'sa timewhereit can be competitive to the point where people will make every small

detail perfect

Apart from the eighth-grade choir singingtheir holiday songs, the eighth-grade orchestra is planned to perform amazing holidaypieces.

"I KNOW that my eighth-graders will bring their A-game and they will perform wonderfully!" orchestra teacher Mrs Whartonsaid

In addition, Wharton mentioned that there will be no problem in fitting though the hallways because since the eighth-gradeorchestrahasasmall group, it would be easier to fit through the hallway and enjoyablefor thekids.

"I love the carol tradition becauseit makesso many people happy and it'ssuch anicechange of pace," Wharton said "The last day of school always seems long so, thisissomething to break up theday."

"It's a great holiday tradition since music issuch amajor part of peoples holiday experience."

--MR. CHAR

HOLIDAYDECORATIONS

This year, some of the hallways were embellished with amazing designs from students PHOTO COURTESY OF Y REYESCRUZ

MBMSSharesHolidayTraditions

Family,Food,GivingMainFocusofWinterCelebrations

SOFIACEJA

Holidaysaregetting closer and closer and since we are in December Christmas, Hanukkah and, Kwanzaa start to get more attention the more we get into December, the more diverse it gets.

Duringwinter break,Christmas isthemainholidaystudentsfrom MBMScelebrate

Everyfamilyhasitsown traditions,seventh-grader Leah Starksaid?Wehavethispickle ornament andlikeevery Christmas,it getslikehiddenand whoever getsit,getsapresent??

Hidingaspecificornament and gettingasurpriseafter findingthe ornament isactuallyvery commonamongChristmas traditions

Seventhandeight-gradehistory teacher Mrs Sherinalsohasa traditionsimilar toStarks,?When wedoour gift exchangeyouhave tofindlikethefunniest weirdest

thing?Mrs Sherinsaid

What theyhaveincommonis that thetraditionhassomething strangeandfunnyinvolvedinit. EveryonecelebratesChristmas differently,for example, eighth-grader GastonAngulo celebratedChristmasonthe twenty-fourthinsteadof the twenty-fifth Everyone?sfamilyis different whenit comesto openingpresents?Weopenour presencesat twelveinthe morning?Angulosaid

For Hispanicfamilies,it?sa habit toopenyour presentsat 12

am,but thenagaineveryoneis different.Sherinandher family opentheir presentsonChristmas Eve.ThenonChristmasSherin andher husbandgoover toher daughter?shousetospend Christmaswithher childrenand grandchildren Themajorityof people?sfavoritepart of the holidaysisseeingdistant relatives ?Mygreat-grandma,movedfrom ArizonatohereandI?mreally excitedtoseeherethisholiday?

Starksaid

Manyfamiliestravel for the holidaysjust toseetherest of

their familiesandtospendtime withthemthat?swhyeveryone says?Familyisimportant "

OnChristmas,youseeall the different varietiesof food everyoneeats,but themost popular dishesindifferent countriestoeat onChristmasare tamales,pozole[Mexico],turkey withstuffing[America],turkey, duck,androast beef [Africa].

MBMSsixth-gradestudent IsabellaBeverly?sholidaytraditionis feedingthehomeless Another funtraditionisWhitneyLinks traditionisher familyandherself includedisthat theywritenotes thotheir elf andthenat night he answersthem

Astudent whotookasurvey saidthat everyChristmasthey watchthe1960?sRudolphthe red-nosedreindeer andthen duringtheholiday?sfamiliesdo religiousactslikeattending church

MBMSAVID studentscreated aproject bulletin board showing holidaysfrom all around theworld AVID teacher Ms Zaidaexplained how it wasimportant for studentsto feel culturally represented at school "Therearemany different holidaysand culturescelebrated hereat Mt Baker," Zaidasiad "Our [students] need to feel represented " PHOTO BY P WARRING

"When we do our gift exchange you have to find likethe funniest, weirdest thing.?

-Mrs.Sherin

December 2021WordSearch

WORDBANK

-Caroling

-COVID

-December

-Gifts

-Holiday

-MariahCarey

-Patience

-Profanity

-School Rules

-Security

-Shang-Chi

-Testing

-TheOffice

-TikTok

-Traditions

SCHOOLRULES:

BulldogsReturntoSchoo l

Relationshipsimportantforstudentsandstaff tore-establishroutines,disciplineforschool rules

When schools opened up again, students came back to in-person learning.In themidst of the new year, students are strugglingwithrulesin thisnew setting With thenewtransition to in-person school, it's understandablefor thingsnot to becompletelynormal

When studentstransitionedto in-person school, they had to learn and remember the way things worked around the building In the middle of this transition, they needed to also get used to having six classes again Withall acknowledgment of the criteria, what is the relationship with students and therulesnow?

"COVID upset the whole rule system But whilewe'retryingto get out of COVID, you should try to keep it as normal or as

same as possible," eighth-grader Madison Natali said.

Rules are enforced pretty much half and half. Some teachersarereally strict, some are laid back. It's pretty obviousthat kidsarestruggling with rules more now than beforeCovidand it makessense becausebeingonlinegavekidsa lot of freedom.

"So I feel that especially the phone thing definitely is transitioning into the school," sixth-grader Schmon Otis said. "Because I've seen multiple people, especially in my fourth period, I think like five people on their phonesand my fourth periodisn't evenreallyboring"

Studentsandteachersalsohad really hard connections when online Teachersused to always want kidstostop talkingbut in onlineschool, they wanted kids

to talk. Having these relationships also transitioned into in-person school because the students do not view the teachersthesame.

"Wearing masks and not gettingto seepeople'sreactions and their smileand laughter is hard I feel like it's been a strugglefor teacherstoobecause

students haven't wanted necessarily to bond with their teachers," eighth grade U.S. History teacher, Erin Carnahan said. "Wesawyour guys' avatar, it was just like robotic Like now, teachers, wewent into the profession because we like kids and we enjoy them And with them and studentsright now, I

"During online learning we all got so used to having our cellphone's next to us or even watching it with our cameras off, so it was a big change having to not use it in class, or the hallways."

-SEVENTH-GRADERHAMPREETKAUR

This pictureis an exampleof someof theschool rules kidsarestruggling following such as being on their phone during class time, having their hood on, mask being worn incorrectly, and having their headphones in

think they are kind of seen asjust abody"

Students not having this connection makes it hard for studentsto follow rules

Because of this, in-person school classes are longer now and it seems students are having a hard time sittingstill.

"I think oneof thestruggles hasjust been beingin aclass for 56 minutes again You know, we went through a time where we could get a drink of water, go to the bathroom when we wanted and now I've seen a lot of kids can't sit still and are constantly fidgeting," Carnahansaid.

Part of oneof thestruggles wastransitioning from 3 to 6 classesand seventh-grader

Whatrulesdoyouthink studentsarestruggling withthemost?

"Masks because of COVID and to prevent fromcovid But it can get alittlebit annyoing playing basketball while having a mask on"

DariusBraack

"Nohatsor hood I think that,that rule isbeingenforcedtoomuch."

NataliaSalamanca

SEVENTH GRADE

"Wearing masksproperly I seeway to many studentswith their masksbelow their noseor mouth "

MaddoxDelansig

NevaehCrowskeywasonline all year and before COVID started, she was only in 1 class!

"I think it wastheclasses I went from 1 to 3 to 6 That wasa harder transition and to have homework from multiple classes each night was a hard transition," Crowskeysaid Agreat thingis,it'sgetting later into the school year and it seems students are gettingback intothegroove of things for the most part Mr Brown has created the rule videos, and it seems that the school isdefinitely alreadygettingbetter!

EIGHTH GRADE

"Masksand I think [rules] are enforced enough because we have to stop the COVID-19spread."

ReidWatkins

SIXTH GRADE

"Social distancing, no phonesor headphones duringclassor in thehalls I'veseen alot of people go on their phones during class and most of thetimenobodyelsenotices."

EllaWagner

GRADE

PHOTO BY E SHIPE COURTESY OF O HUPPERTEN

SIXTH GRADE

EIGHTH

SCHOOLRULES:

Studentsvoiceopinionsonnewly presentedschoolrulesafter onlinelearningconcluded

AlanaGerhardt

Last year, MBMS and a multitude of other schools, were, and unfortunately still are, battlingtheworldwidepandemic, COVID-19 Over that period of time,studentsweremadetolearn at home via computer which made learning school normsand expectationsachallenge

Whereasnow, duringin-person learning many students are not yet familiar with the procedures expected at MBMS, especially when only roughly one-third of the student-body has attended MBMSprior

toonlinelearning

?I think wedoour best tomake all rules fair for all students" Dean of students, Penni Robertson said "And I do think it'sfair,I think anyonecan find a part of a rule that doesn't seem fair tothem.?

While many students may genuinelyfindissueswithrulesor

just may find themselves,or their peers, having difficulty following certain rules, othersmay find no technicalitieswith rules Someof which include, social distancing, mobile devices, wearing masks correctly,andseveral others

?Someof therulesthat I think kidsarestrugglingthemost with this year [are]... no phones or headphonesduringclassor in the halls,? said eight-grader Ella Wagner ?I'veseen alot of people go on their phones during class and most of thetimenobody else notices??

Over quarantine, studentshave become more and more dependent on technology, especially in this day and age as technologydevelops.

?I think wearein aday andage [where] a lot of people are addictedtotheir phones,andthey panic when they're not with them,?said Robertson ?And alot of students, most students, I

should say don't even remember lifewithout acell phone?

Even so,manyof thestudentsat MBMS, like Ella Wagner for example, believe that the rules should be enforced more While even a member of the staff believes that the phone rule shouldbetakenmorelightly

?I think that likeeven therule like no cell phones in the hall I would like to see that rule lessened?said Robertson"I think that if you are a good student, you're not tardy to class and you'renot runningintopeoplein the hall because you're on your phoneif youhavetosendaquick text tomom or something I kind of thinkit shouldhappen?

Many people are beginning to noticethedifficultiesof following COVID-19 guidelines. Dueto the cramped halls and masks being incorrectly worn, social distancingmandateshavebecome a difficult rule to follow for

several students.

?I'veseen alot of kidswith their masksunder their nosesoI think that ruleshould beenforced even more,? seventh-grader Brayden Hart said

Many may agree with Hart?s opinions, while others disagree. One of the controversies regarding school rules is if they are fair or not Handfuls of students propose that some rules are too harsh, and are being enforced too much On the flip side, several students are concerned about if rules aren? t being enforced enough One of whichismaskmandates

?I think somethingI seesomeof my classmates struggling with is social distancing/wearing masks? An anonymous voice said, ?I think the rules are enforced enough but sometimesjust alittle bit excessive.?

There are many other contributing factors when it

NUMBERS

AlanaGerhardt

NoHats/DressCode

What rules and/or expectations at MBMSwerethehardest toget used to returningto school this year?

17%

Phonesinthehallshavebecomeanissuesinthehallsof Mount Baker MiddleSchool Withkidscomingback fromonlinelearning,theyhavebecomeaccustomedto havingtheir phoneswiththemeverywheretheygo

comes to the convenience or inconvenienceof rules,but what the staff does to enforce such rulescontributeevenfurther

?I think thisyear,teachersand administrators have tried very hard to givewarningswhenever possible?Robertsonsaid,?SoI do not think wearetoostrict here I think if youbreak arulethefirst time,99 Percent of thetime,it's a warning, and then it goes up from there for lunch detention, or detention?

Throughout previous years of MBMS, teachers weren? t as lenient when it came to rules

However, due to the incredible amount of adapting both students and teachers have to make due to COVID-19, there was a gradual progression from warnings to more harsh punishments through this school year thusfar.

?I feel teachersaregivingalot of warnings They'vereally tried

14%

NoCell Phones/Earbuds

What rules and/or expectations at MBMSwerethehardest toget used to returning to school this year?

SocialDistancing

this year from the start to not come in super strong, they're building relationships? said Robertson ?And now they are starting to give consequences and saying to refer to theoffice more because kids have had almost four monthstoget in the grooveof things?

At theend of theday,theway students adapt to rule changes and enforcements simply depends on how the rules are enforced and what teachers are doing to help prevent rule breaking

"But now, students should know the rules And we're moving to disciplining" Robertson said " Most people have had warnings, enough warnings"

What rules and/or expectations at MBMSwerethehardest toget used to returningto school this year?

14%

WearingMasks Correctly

What rules and/or expectations at MBMSwerethehardest to get used toreturningtoschool thisyear?

23%

AvoidingTardies

What rules and/or expectations at MBMSwerethehardest toget used to returning to school this year?

18%

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLIKRCOM VIA CREATIVE COMMONSLICENSE

SCHOOLRULES:PROFANITY

HowShouldTeachersDealwithProfan

Inpast yearstherehasbeenan increaseinprofanityinthehalls of MBMSwhichsomestudents andmanyteachersfinda problem Profanityisanother termfor swear words,accordingto CollinsDictionary

AccordingtotheMBMSStudent Handbook,first offensescanbe punishedwithAfter-School Detention,secondoffensescanbe punishedwithThursday-School Detention,andthirdoffensescan bepunishedwithShort-term Suspension

Unfortunately,manystudents swear andtherearesimplytoo manyoffenderstodoleout consequencestothemall

Whenaskedabout profanity, Co-Assistant Principal Steven Lewissaid,?Touseprofanityis easier thantothinkof thewords youreallymeantoexpress yourself with?

Usingaswear wordisaquick, easywaytorespond,but thiscan start argumentsasstudents interpret wordsindifferent ways

?Whenwewerebackinschool after hybrid,kidsstartedusingit more,?seventh-grader Kellen McCarthysaid,?I heardkids usingit alot out at recess?

After ayear of beingableto speakfreelywithout consequences,studentsused profanitymuchmorefrequently

Another factor of theusageof profanityistheindependenceof teenhood

?Whentheyfindmore

independenceasateenagechild,? Co-Assistant Principal Heidi Morrissaid,?theytendtodoor saythingsdifferentlyasthey exploreboundaries?

Duringonlinelearning,students werelikelyexposedtoprofanity morethanusual astheycould visit sitesor watchTVshowsor moviesat homeduringclass ?Either it'sfromtheir parentsor theInternet,?McCarthysaid

Manymoviesarefilledwith different formsof profanity, andit isalmost unavoidablein today?sworld

ity?WhyisitUsed?

Profanityisusedinmanyplaces, but therearesomeinparticular whereswearingismost common ?It seemsasthoughit'spart of casual conversation,?Morrissaid, ?duringcompetitionor just free timeduringlunch?

Profanityisespeciallycommon incompetitions,whether it?sa sportsgameor evenjust avideo game,playersuseprofanityto expresshowtheyfeel

Withmanyquestions surroundingwhether or not profanityshouldbeallowed,there isalsothequestionof howschools

shoulddeal withprofanity

?Wehavetodoabetter jobat timesteachingeverybodyhowto communicatedifferentlyor better,?Morrissaid

Whileprofanityisdiscouraged at school,toomanystudentsuseit toput anendtoit However,if studentscanbetaught to communicatebetter,profanity won? t beascommon.

"I thinkat thisagekids shouldn't reallybeusingit as muchasI hear themusingit," McCarthysaid.

CALEBSTOLEE

With moreexposureto profanity over quarantine, Moreand moreyoung children arebeginning to learn and useprofanity Unfortunately, thereislittleto bedoneabout thissinceit overwhelmsmany school systems PHOTO BY DEMIURGE 100, COURTESY OF UNSPLASH COM

SCHOOLRULES: DressCodePrompts Struggles,Solutions

AfterOnlineLearning

AvaFoucher

Dresscodes(at MBMSand worldwide) have been seen asaproblematic subject, revisedagain andagain asfashion styleshavebecomeless modest In the current society, many still believe that thedresscodeisunfair even with the numerous changes.

Thedresscodeat MBMS mainlyexistsfor safety reasons.Inthecrowded halls,blanketsand backpacksarenot safeto wear.Theytakeupmore spaceandcanquickly becometrippinghazards. Accordingtostatelaw, studentsmust wear shoesat all times.Studentscannot wear hatsinthebuilding becauseit causes identificationproblems.

?Blanketsarenot appropriateor safetowear inour crowdedschool,?the MBMSStudent Handbook states

Asmentionedabove, manythinkthat dresscodes areunfair.Oftentimes,dress codesaremeant morefor thefemalepopulationof a school.For example,there mayberulesabout the lengthof skirtsor having certainundergarments showing,andgirlsget cited for dresscodeviolations moreoftenthanmanyother groupsof people

?I definitelywouldsaythe girlsget dress-codedmore thantheboysdo If anything,theboysget dress codedfor their pants sagging,?saidEnglish teacher Mr.Cope,"But other thanthat,I don't reallysee boysgettingdress-codedas ofte-n.?

However,thereare differingpointsof viewon thesubject.Somepeopledo not thinkthat it affects certaingroupsasmuch.

?I honestlycan't tell you that it'sgirlsor boysor a certaingradelevel,it'sjust

kindof amix,?Deanof Students,Ms Robertson said,?I havenot noticedone gradelevel breakingthe dresscodemorethan another gradelevel.?

Whileseveral studentsat MBMScanagreewith Robertson?sstatement, othersmayhaveadifferent opinion.Thereisalways other controversysurroundingtheenforcement of a dresscode.Somethink enforcement islenient,and shouldbeharshened Others seeit astooharshandbelievethat thedresscode shouldbedoneawaywith entirely.

?That'suncalledfor, becausewhat doyoumean, peoplewant towear what theywear,andexpandtheir

cultureandwhat theydo, but gettingalunch detention,just howyouwere isabsurd,I think,?

seventh-grader Caden Svendsensaid.

Accordingtosome, the MBMSdresscodemaynot befair toeveryonebut there maybeasolutiontothe problem.Updatingthedress codetoreflect what isbeing soldinstoresmayerasethe issue.

?I think that wecan try to adapt our dresscodetostyle But some styles are not appropriatefor school and I think we would have to be tasteful in how wedo that,? Robertsonsaid

?Clothing must cover stomach and chest,? theMBMS Student Handbook states Theshirt pictured abovewould not fit thoserequirements, and would result in adresscode violation PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON COM

2021 : AYear inCinema

ADDISONGALLAWAY

During 2021, cinemas were temporarily closed due to COVID-19 safety precautions. Luckily, now that it isDecember, many have reopened and new movies have been gaining the same popularity that they would havebackbeforethevirus

Along with cinemasreopening, people have also been streaming many movies online, but which movies gained the most popularity?From a collection of box office reports and online reviews, therearemany different answers. Overall, there were five moviesthat seem to be getting a lot of attention both in person andonline

Out of these five movies, the least popular one at MBMS was ?Dune? According to the results of asurveygiven tostudentsfrom all three grades, only 13 percent of students had seen it, but, according to box office results, 300 million dollars were spent globally at theaters to view the movie.

Viewers were drawn into this movieduetotheaspect of science fiction, and the knowledge that thepopular series?Star Wars?was heavilyinfluencedbyDune

?The way Villeneuve repeats ceremonial motifsthroughout the film is itself ceremonious

Instead of explaining its feudal, courtly world, it immerses the viewer in that world's formalist visual language?MoviecriticMel Campbell said.

Thenext most popular movieat MBMS was ?Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings?

Though this marvel movie was given a lot of attention around the time it wasreleased, only 35 percent of MBMS students have seen thismovie Alongwithmany plot twists, there was also much major character development seen inmultipleof themaincharacters that made watchers intrigued in themovie?sstoryline.

"For fansof cinematicspectacle, Shang-Chi and theLegend of the Ten Ringsofferssomeof thebest choreographed action sequences of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?CriticWenlei Mai said The third most popular movie among students at MBMS was ?Venom: Let there be Carnage? Most of those who watched this movie found parts of the story line comedic, and it caused the movieto quickly gain popularity, especiallyamongteens.

Themoviealsogainedattention due to it being the sequel to ?Venom? which was popular duringitsreleasein 2018 Many alsofoundthemovietobeboring,

but movie critic Mark Kermode disagreed

?I actually had a riot and enjoyedit.?Kerimodesaid.

Along with ?Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,? another marvel movie hasalso gotten lots of attention from fansof the ?MarvelsAvengers? series ?Black Widow? is a moviethat followstheeventsin the life of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) that takes place after the ?Captain America: Civil War? movie Movie critic Luis Martinez described the film to be ?Fun, funny, and frenetic without

beingoverwhelming.?

The most popular movie among students at MBMSwas ?Godzilla vs Kong?, with 44 percent of studentshavingseen it.

This film features two well known characters, along with many popular actors including Milly Bobby Brown and Rebecca Hall. The movie received 75 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and was one of the most popular moviesthisyear

?Exactly the blunt, escapist dazzle you need in the middle of a pandemic? Movie critic AnupamaChoprasaid.

Shang-Chi, NatashaRomanoff, King Kong, Venom, and Chani Kynes, charactersfrom fiveof themost popular movies released in 2021 All fiveof thesefilmsreceived much attention beforeand after their releases, even though most cinemaswereclosed during thefirst few monthsof theyear dueto COVID-19 COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS, LEGENDARY PICTURES, COLUMBIA PICTURES, AVI ARAD PRODUCTIONS, MATT TOLMACH PRODUCTIONS, PASCAL PICTURES,

NewspaperStaffDebatesTrendsinPopCulture

TRANSITIONFROMONLINESCHOOL

63% 53% 63% 61% 100%

Recently,many studentshaveshiftedfrom online or hybrid schooling to completely in-person. As expected, people have had learning gaps and are strugglingtobalancetheloadof sixclasses. Hasthe transition from online to in-person school been difficult for you?

2022WINTEROLYMPICS

The 2022 Winter Olympics are an upcoming winter-sport event scheduled to take place from February 4th to February 22nd in Beijing Do you plan on watching the2022 Beijing Olympics?

64THANNUALGRAMMYAWARDS

The64th Annual Grammy Awardswill betaking place in Los Angeles on January 31, 2022. It will recognize and award the best recordings, compositions,and artistsof theyear. Do you plan on watching the64th Annual Grammy'sin 2022?

SPOTIFYWRAPPED

Spotify recently released its 2021 "Spotify Wrapped", which allows Spotify users to view a compilation of data about their activity on the platform over the past year Were you surprised by anything on your Spotify Wrapped?

UPCOMINGHOLIDAYS

Asweapproach Winter Break,many holidaysare on thehorizon Are you excited for the holiday season?

NEW YEAR Horoscope

CallaMacDougall

Aries (March 21- April 19): With your competitivenature, your resolution would to workmorewithothers

Taurus (April 20- May 20): Your New Year resolution would be to try new things more oftenbecauseof your aversiontobigchange

Gemini (May 21- June 20): Due to your intelligence, your resolution would beto use your knowledge tohelpothers

Cancer (June21- July 22):You usually rely on stability and routine, so your New Year resolutionwouldbetobespontaneous

Leo (July 23- Aug 22): With your big personality, your resolution would be to be meet somenewpeople

Virgo (Aug 23- Sept 22): Your News Year resolution would be to spend more time pursuinghobbiesbecauseyoudeserveabreak

Libra (Sept 23- Oct 22): Because of your indecisiveness, your New Year resolution wouldbetomakedecisionsquicker

Scorpio(Oct 23-Nov 21): Sometimesyoucan bereserved with your thoughts, so your New Year Resolutions would be to open with others

Sagittarius (Nov 22- Dec 21): With your adventuroustraits, your New Year resolution istotravel theworld

Capricorn (Dec 22- Jan 19): Since you are such a responsible person, your resolution wouldbetodosomethingthat helpsothers

Aquarius (Jan 20- Feb 18): You thrive in large groups, so yours would be to hang out morewithfriends

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20): Your behavior usually depends on who you're with, so you wouldwant tobearoundpositivepeoplemore intheNewYear.

"THEOFFICE" HOLIDAY EPISODE REVIEW

HarperCurnutt

"TheOffice"isperhapsoneof thebest sitcom TV seriesthereis. Thereforewith theholiday season rollingaround,hereisareviewof 'TheOffice's' arguablytopfour best Christmasepisodes.

'DWIGHTCHRISTMAS '

Startingoff strongat number onewehaveDwight Christmas Who doesn? t lovean episodeall about Dwight and hisdo - abouts Thisepisodeteachesus about DutchChristmas,but inasillyDwight way

"The Office" has a great deal of substantial holiday episodes, but Dwight Christmasisat thetopfor areason

Alikewhat IGNsaid,?...thenostalgiaswirlingaroundDwight Christmaswas particularlynoticeable?

Accordingto theresponsesfrom MBMSstudents, 10.5 percent of students' favoriteepisodeis"Dwight Christmas"

'CHRISTMASPARTY '

?And oneof thebest recurringbitsistheDunder Mifflin annual Christmas party,?Vulturecomsaid

"TheChristmasParty"episodeisdesignatedasoneof theshow'smost iconic celebrations,makingit onetowatch

Theshowwouldnot bethesamewithout theChristmasparties,thusmaking thisepisodeiconic..

According to theresponsesfrom MBMSstudents, 78 percent of students favoriteepisodeis"ChristmasParty."

'CLASSYCHRISTMAS'(PARTTWO)

Part twoof Classy Christmasisan episodewhereuswatchersarereminded that all isnot lost Thenewpresenceof Holly Flax givesushopefor Michaels lovelife,andisonly thebeginningof anewlonglastingseriesof dramafilled events

AsPasteMagazinesaid,?Asweget closer totheend of Michael Scott'sstory, we?rebeinggiftedwithsomeof theshowsbest writinginalongtime?

Accordingto theresponsesfrom MBMSstudents, 07 percent of students favoriteepisode is"ClassyChristmas"

'SECRETSANTA '

At last wehaveSecret Santa,thisepisodewasall about Michael andhisSanta jealousy over Phyllis. I mean, who doesn? t love a little Michael and Phyllis drama?

Thereweresomanyhilariouspartsin thisepisode,likeTvFanaticsaid, ?The comedicmomentswererapidfire? but therewasalsoakeyplot point ?

Accordingtotheresponsesfrom MBMSstudents, 14.7 percent of students favoriteepisode is"Secret Santa"

The one and only Dwight Shrute, controversially the best character in "The Office"

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON

HOLIDAYREVIEWSIN140-CHARACTERS

C

OMPILEDBY

LANEYBOLANDANDCOURTESYOFPIKPNGCOM

'Tisthe season!Lotsof studentshaveholidayfavorites;songs,movies,andevenTVshows Rangingfromoldclassicsto newer movies or songs, and raving reviews come in from TCC staff We got issues and splendid reviews! Please remember that thesearenot real Twitter reviewsor accounts,andhavebeencreatedonTweetgen.com

NewCovid-19TestingProtocolsforSports

NewProceduresforPlayerSafetyUsedforASDAthletes

KAEDENMORGAN

COVID, the word people have heard so much, but it's being talked about again today Today we are talking about COVID protocolsin sports Thesearevery important thingsto talk about to keep kids, coaches and everyone healthy

?Theteamsor peopletryingout are a lot smaller,? girl's soccer player GiselleSolterosaid. Thisisdueto someplayersnot being comfortable playing while COVIDisstill happening

"Only athletes/officials can touch the balls Students are required to wear masks on the bench but not in game or

warmingup,?WIAAcomsaid

Thisisdifferent from yearspast because usually masks are not a problem because there is not a virusspreadingall over theworld Now and in the future, it is important for players to wear maskson thebench becausethey arelessthan therequired six feet awayfromeachother

?Any player who hasa positive test at school must gotoaCOVID testingfacilitytohaveaPCRtest," varsityfast-pitch coachMr Carter said "If the PCR test is negative, they can return to school in 24 hours If thePCR test ispositive, the student follows the current recommended guidelines before returningtoschool,"

These statements from Carter support that it is important for playersto be safe and keep their distancetomakesurethey donot risk testingpositiveandaffect the team being able to play their games.

?Thetest hasanaccuracyrate in the90thpercentile,"Carter said.

With thetestsbeingsoaccurate, this is why MBMS and other schools use these tests to make surethat theyaregettingthemost accurate results These tests are also only for unvaccinated athletesandcoaches

?Basketball and gymnastics athletes must wear masks except when they are in competition," Carter said.

This is different from outdoor sports like baseball, soccer and football where the rules are different with masksbecausethey arenot inanenclosedspace

?Yes but if you want,? Soltero said.

Soltero's sport, girl's soccer, demonstratestheother sideof the coin, where masks are not required and it is the player's choice whether or not they wear them

?Weare set to havethetesting for athletes until April 1 Any guesses beyond April 1 are speculation,? Carter said

COVID hasenforced new rulesmost to do with masksand social distancing asrepresented by thispicture PHOTO COURTESY L BARRACOSO

Varsity Fast-Pitch TeamWins First Championship in13Years

KELANLACROIX

The MBMSvarsity fast-pitch team 2021-2022 season was a hit. Theywent 7-1andtookthe championshiptitle

Thefirst championshiptitle for MBMSfast-pitch in thirteen years The feat is more impressivedueto thefact it is the first fast-pitch team since

quarantine. The team hit the ball well todrivein between 12 and25eachgame.Layingdown perfect bunts in critical situations to advance runners. Putting in as much effort in practiceasif theywereagame Their seasonwent frombalmy hot weather to freezing and stormy conditions. Testing physical and mental limits

every game. Fighting well to persevere Having their own cheer squad in their dougout. Proving themselves as athletes andtheir coaches.

"One thing I would like to passed down to the future Mt Baker fast-pitch teams is the passion and unity of thegame," team captain Alayna Liliequist said

Liliequist also voted that one of the best memories of the season was Kendall Bonham singingoutfield duringagame They will be the first team to put aplaqueon theMBMSgym wall.

"I believe that every championship banner that is

put up in our gym by any tram fosters school pride, and encourages future future studentstostrivetoreach their ownpotential,"saidMr.Carter.

This is a great outlook on MBMS ' school pride and how much they should appreciate what they earn and what their fellow peersearn, because asa school, everybody represents each other. So when our teams play,varsity,junior varsity,and c-team, they all represent MBMS SoasBulldogs,weneed to show bulldog pride. They showed that the bulldogs shouldn't be messed with. It was a message to all teams in theAuburnschool district.

There is no doubt that this team will be one of the best team's MBMS has had Sadly, the team will not stay fully intact next year due to players that are moving on to high school and hopefully winning championshipsthereaswell as theydidhere.

Although this team strictly meant business, they had their leisure "We just had fun and made the most out of it," fast-pitch player Siena Cole said.

Thisissomething that many athletestruthfully forget to do. Athletes get so focused on winningevery gameor making surethey arethebest that they forget to have fun When they try to have fun and be serious about the game, there is a balance and they can still still come up on top Winning or losing. The teams that lost to MBMS this year all learned something, and will become better athletesbecauseof it

Varsity fast-pitch team during theseason. PHOTO COURTESY OF J. CARTER

"One thing I would like to passed down to the future Mt Baker fast-pitch teams is the passion and unity of thegame."

-ALAYNALIILIQUEST

VarsityFootballSeasonEndsWithBang

ERRINBILSON

Thevarsityfootball teamstarted off their season strongwith awin against Cascade Middle School

Although there was a limited number of players, they each showed compassion towards one another andawillingnesstolearn thegame

?I sawalot of friendshipsbloom and it was? it?salwaysnicebeing the leader of that group to see your teamalmost treat each other likebrothers,?CoachLarsonsaid

Many of the players hadn? t playedfootball before;thisseason being their first, but Larson explained that everybody showed awillingnesstolearn

?Wehadalot of newplayerson the team?people that hadn? t played football in their entire lives?but everybody kept an open

mind about what I was looking for,?Larsonsaid.

Despite the great start, fatigue began to seep into the players. The team was undersized as it was, with only thirteen players most of theseason when theteam required eleven There were no sub-insfor theplayersthroughout the season, meaning that everybodyplayedall thetime.

"It was bad because everybody wassotired. [TheMBMS players] were out there the entire time,? Larson said. ?Wewent up against some teams, like [North] Tapps, for example, and they had, you know, thirty or more players on their team and they weren? t tired likewewere?

At times,winningseemed more difficult than ever With an undersized team that was constantly in the trenches,

exhaustion ran rampant throughout theplayers. However, the players made it a priority to not lose hope even through the losses

?Well,you know,wealwaysjust tried to look forward and put our loss in the past,? starting center Daniel Santossaid ?Wetook what wecould from it, learned howwe could get better, and took that intothenext game?

During difficult times of the season, theplayersrelied on each other to persist through it. Although there were times that seemed hopeless and moments that were dark, the camaraderie between the playershelped them pushforward

?Our half-timeswerewhat kept us going," quarterback Ayden Mawrencesaid "Our coachtoldus to focuson the good things we'd

doneinsteadof thebad"

The team?s final game of the season against Rainier was eventful, to say the least. It took place at Mountainview High School as opposed to one of the middle schools It was dark with only lights illuminating the players' way It was intense and exhilarating, but everybody gave it their all, and the MBMSteam won19-6

?Ultimately,what I learnedfrom thisseason isto keep hope alive, even when it all seemslost,?wide receiver IsaacMospankosaid

The varsity football team may have struggled throughout the course of the season, but important lessons were learned along theway that led them to a killer final game

Varsity football team in ateam huddlebeforeoneof their gamesagainst Rainier MiddleSchool They later won thisgame12-6 With two secondsleft, agame-winning touchdown wasscored by Isaac Mospanko PHOTO COURTESY OF M GUZMAN

"Havingfunand makingfriends".

FallSeasonSportsRewind

Football, Fast-Pitch Softball Finish Strong

"Becomingateam captain."

"Winningthe championship."

"Scoring7touchdowns andforcing5fumbles".

"ALLIWANTFORCHRISTMASISYOU '

You know what grinds my gears!?"All I want for Christmasisyou"

Don? t misunderstand,I havenothing against MariahCareynor her singing However,withthat havingbeensaid,I garner muchhatredfor ?All I Want for ChristmasisYou? Infact,I?drather listen toaniPhonealarmonrepeat for anhour thanlistentothat songtwotimesinone day.

Her vocalsinthesongareobviously impressivebut whenever I hear it,I havea strongurgetobangmyheadagainst the wall

If it?sDecember, I?dstronglysuggest you bringnoisecancellingheadphoneswithyou asyouwalkaroundyour local Macy?s becauseall you?ll beabletoapprehendis?I don? t want alot for Christmasthereisjust onethingI need??asyouwitnesscustomer serviceJimhavingamental breakdown becausethesonghasplayedtentimesin thepast hour.

I?malmost 100%surethat these department storesdon? t realizethat other Christmassongsexist Evenmoreso by MariahCarey.

Toanychoirsor JCPenneysthat mayor maynot besinging/playing?All I want for Christmasisyou?thisholidayseason, pleasedon? t takethispersonally

AndTHATiswhat grindsmygears!

DAYLIGHTSAVINGSTIME

You know what grinds my gears!?

Daylight Savings

Disagree? The

write us a letter, and you may be published in our next edition

Whothought it wouldbeafantasticideato randomlychangeour clocksTWICEayear?

Not me

Therewasatimewhenthenationactually neededthis,but fast-forwardtonowandit isentirelyoutdated.

Thismini jet-lagmakesmysleepschedule nonexistent andit makesmefeel even moresleepdeprived Wealreadydon? t get enoughsleepeveryday,sothereis absolutelynoneedtomakethat matter worse.

Inthefall,thereisnoreasontomakeme feel guiltyabout not fallingasleepbecause thesunhadset at 4PM andit ispitch blackoutside Daylight savingsshouldbe abolishedduetothefact that it isdarkfor 90%of theday

I don? t exactlywant tospendmytime runninglapsaroundthehousetofindall of theclocksthat needthetimechange. Whichof myclocksaremanual andwhich of myclockschangeautomatically?That is thequestionweall havetoaskourselves twotimesayear.

Personally,I believethat weshouldhavea

national holidayontheMondayafter Daylight Savingsdedicatedtolettingus catchuponour sleep

AndTHATiswhat grindsmygears!

EARLYCHRISTMASDECORATIONS

You know what grindsmy gears!?Early Christmasdecorations!!!

ChristmasisinDecember,right?SoWHY dostoresreleaseChristmasdecorationsSO EARLY!!!!!!

It?sridiculous InSeptember,I?mlooking backonthesummer,checkingmyclasses, andmoaningabout havingwakingupat 6 am,I don? t want togoshoppingfor inflatableSantas!Plus,thereareTWO popular holidaysthat arestill over two monthsaway!

Of course,storemanagersdon? t seemto noticethat therearethreemonthsbetween summer andChristmas,but theyneedto consult their calendars TheChristmas

-ALANAGERHARDT

-MAYAPENNINGTON

segment 'What Grinds My Gears' is presented as opinion and does not express theviews of all MBMS students or The Canine Chronicle. If you would like to express your opinion,

ALANAGERHARDT,MAYAPENNINGTON,CALEBSTOLEE,CALLAMACDOUGALL,ELLIESHIPE,LORRENBARRACOSO

stockisjust wastingspace,andis obstructingmyviewof that cereal I?m lookingfor

Nooneisbrowsingfor Rudolphthe Red-NosedReindeer balloonswhenlooking for acostume I don? t want tolookat your roof lightswhilewatchingthe Thanksgivingfootball game

Now,I?mall for celebratingChristmas,but PLEASElet mereceivemycandyandbe grateful for what I havebeforeshovinga bunchof lightsinmyface

Thisproblemextendstoother holidays too,but Christmasisthemost serious Next year,remember that summer just ended beforebuyingChristmasdecorations

AndTHATiswhat grindsmygears!

-CALEBSTOLEE

GRAMMARLY

You know what grinds my gears!?

Grammarly

Grammarlyisthesinglemost infuriating inventiononthefaceof thisplanet I alreadyhavesixteachersI don? t need another onecorrectingmygrammar every timeI typeashort response Half of the timethesuggestionsmakeZEROSENSE.I?d rather get aBonmyRACESparagraphthan havethered linesunder mysentences giving?suggestionsfor clarity?

What?sworseiswhenyou?rewatching your YoutubevideoINPEACEand Grammarlypopsupandasksif youhave

troublewritingyour businessemails Hate tobreakit toyouGrammarly,but I?m thirteen I don? t sendbusinessemails

I mean,yes,I makemistakesandsure, I want themtobefixedbut I candothat myself I don? t needassistance Thenwhen youinstall Grammarly,youget abillionads about GrammarlyPremiumandhowit?s12 bucksamonthtoget it,alongwithall the actuallyuseful corrections

I haveeyes,Grammarly,I canseethat I addedanextraspaceinmysentence There isnoneedtounderlineit likeI just committedaClassThreeFelony

AndTHATiswhat grindsmygears!

CAILLOU

Youknowwhat grindsmygears!?Caillou Thiskidisoneof theworst thingstocome tothisplanet andontotelevision I feel bad for anyonewhohaswatchedit becauseit?s destroyingyour minds

Caillouisa4-year-oldtoddler whoNEEDS tobetaught howtobehavelikeanormal person Thiskidhasnomannersandno morals All heknowshowtodoispout and shout andthrowahugetemper tantrum. Let'stalkabout histhemesong It includesthewords,?Withmommyand daddyI'mfindingmyway!?Morelike GETTINGhisway!Alsoinanother part,it says,"Growingupisnot sotough'cept when I'vehadenough"Thisisexactlywhat I'm

talkingabout people!

Thisshowispoisoningkidsby teachingthemthewrongkindsof things

Andhisparentsdon't evencareor notice! They?rejust hisservantswhilehewreaks havoconyoungchildren?sminds DON'T BEFOOLED I?MBEGGING

LuckilytheycanceledCailloubecauseif I seethat bald-headedbrat,I will put himout of businessmyself andthat ismynicest way of sayingit

AndTHATiswhygrindsmygears!

GOTRUNOVERBYAREINDEER

You know what grinds my gears!?

?GrandmaGot RunOver ByaReindeer?.

?Grandmagot runover byareindeer, walkingbackfromour house Christmas Eve?

Woah!Givemeasecondtojust process this

You?resayingthat your beloved grandmother just diedthedaybefore Christmasandyour first instinct istomake asongabout it?

AREYOUCRAZY!!!

I?msorryif mygrandmother got runover byareindeer,I wouldbelookingfor the psychowholet their reindeer runloose!

?Youcansaythere?snosuchthingas Santa,but asfor meandgrandpawe believe?

Thenalert theauthorities!Everyone knowswhereOl?Saint Nicklives Call the copsonthismurderer!

Didyouknowthere?samovieabout this crime?

Well,guesswhat,THEREIS!Inthis editionof Santa?sacriminal,hekidnaps poor,little,oldgrandmatocover uphis mistakes.WHAT?SWRONGWITHHIM! I?msorry,just let medecidewhether kidnappingor vehicular manslaughter is worse

Also,what kindof reindeer just walksall over agrandma I?mgoingtohavetofilea complaint totheNorthPolefor their reindeer policies

Excitedtohear thisChristmassongonthe radio.Whodoesn? t loveasongabout homicide

AndTHATiswhat grindsmygears!

-LORRENBARRACOSO

-CALLAMACDOUGALL

-ELLIESHIPE "GRANDMA

Whatisthestrangest giftyouhavegivenor received?