Embedded Files
Fire Hydrants: HOW TO FIRE UP YOUR STREET!
By: Conor
05/09/23
Pythagoras was a sort of smart dude, but nowhere near as smart as Birdsill Holly, the man with the coolest name on planet earth and inventor of the fire hydrant. You see, this awe of engineering has been slaying mighty blazes since 1801. I don’t know what else to say, so here’s a poem:
Ja, Fire Hydrant Gelatin
Yummy Yummy GELATIN
Fire hydrants are cool
BUT NOT AS COOL AS GELATIN!
That was awesome. What should I do next?
An alternate title could be Gelatin: HOW TO FIRE UP YOUR PASTRY!
This is a miracle. Thanks to Birdsill (not really) we have the GREATEST DESSERT OF ALL TIME!!!! THIS IS INCREDIBLE.
We have decided to cut the article here. He went on to talk about grass, birdseed, hippos, Australia, and pomegranate-flavored pom-poms. He is doing alright, we think. He moved to Wyoming last week. We haven’t heard anything from him since.
Day
By: Henry
05/09/23
About a week ago, I released a google form to the public about what time of day they eat dinner, do homework, ect. The email chain turned into a disaster reported to Mr. Kish, but I got twenty-nine [valid] responses. Here were the results.
The first question asked what time people woke up in the morning. The majority was 6:00, with 34.5% and 10 of the 29 votes. Second place went to 7:00 (27.6%) and 6:30 (24.1%).
The second question asked what time people ate breakfast. Both 7:15 and 7:00 won with 24.1% of the votes each; third place went to 7:30 (13.8%).
The third question asked what time people went to school. In first place was 7:30 with a WHOPPING 55.2%! Second place went to 7:45 (37.9%).
The fourth question asked what time people arrived at school. With a close finish, 7:50 won with 34.5% of the votes. Second and third place went to 7:55 (27.6%) and a tie between 7:40 and 7:45 (17.2% each).
The fifth question asked what time people arrived at home. First place was 3:10, with 24.1% of the votes, and second place was 3:15 (20.7%), third place was 3:20 (17.2%), and fourth place was 3:25 (13.8%).
The sixth question asked what time people started homework at home. In first place was “late at night” with 17.2 percent of the votes. Second place was a tie between “15 minutes after” and “after dinner”, with 13.8% of the votes each. Third place went to “as soon as I arrive” (10.3%). It is important to mention, though, that 8 responses had a spin-off of “I don’t do homework”.
The seventh question asked what time people ate dinner. In first place was 6:30, with 20.7% of the votes. Second went to 7:00 (13.8%), and third went to 6:00 (10.3%).
Oh boy. The final question. I asked which time most people went to bed. I am not going to share the results, but I will say that I am so ashamed of my fellow Bulldogs. GUYS, TEENAGERS SHOULD GET 8-10 HOURS OF SLEEP A DAY. IT IS NOT OK THAT ALMOST ALL OF YOU GO TO BED AT 11:00 OR LATER AND THEN WAKE UP AT FREAKING 6:00!!! DO YOU NOT REALIZE THAT THAT IS LIKE 6 HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT?!?!?
Jokes aside though, I can’t control your guys' bedtimes and you can go to sleep whenever you want, but I would recommend going to bed earlier. If any of you reading this know me, you know that I have too much energy in the mornings. No, I don’t drink coffee, I just get a good amount of sleep.
Buenos días!
Summer Report
By: Sena
05/11/23
The world is endangered! From relaxation :) Summer is approaching. That means that you can sleep in during the mornings soon.
Sayonara 8th graders. Have fun in High School.
If you are bored in the summer, come check out Shakespeare in the Park.
It's August 26th in Memorial Park. There is a puppet show at the beginning for children.
Have a nice summer!
Simple Chess Openings
By: Matthew
04/12/23
Since chess is gaining more popularity, I decided to get some openings and some end game tips. The notation used is the same as the one used on chess.com and you can find how to read the notation here. Any moves that are marked with parentheses could be made but get you to the same place. (i.e. Center Game)
Italian Game
1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
This starts off the Italian game, an opening that can lead to slower positional games and more tactical battles. After this black can play Nf6 for the Two Knight Defense or Bc5 for the Giuoco Piano Game.
Center Game
1.e4(d4) e5 2.d4(e4)
Center Game, An opening with lots of possibility and one that a lot of people accept. After black takes the d4 pawn, white's next move could be Qxd4 which can lead to the Paulsen Attack or Hall Variation. Or maybe white wants to play Kf3, the Kieseritzky Variation. This opening has a lot of potential if you play it right.
Queen’s Gambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4
The Queen’s Gambit, an opening that can be turned around easily but with high risk comes high reward. Black can choose to decline the gambit but if black doesn’t then it becomes a very tactical game.
Indian Game
1.d4 Nf6
The Indian Game opening keeps white’s pawn from moving forward and develops a piece for black. White can play Nf3 for the Knights variation or the move Bf5 to make the Trompowsky attack which offers aggressive or positional movement. Overall the Indian Game is a good, strong opening for both sides.
Vienna Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3
This opening is not seen as much but it’s still a good opening. It favors white and It gives white strategically clear openings. This opening also has a lot of variations which give both sides an even fight.
Slav Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6
This counters the Queen's Gambit and defends your d5 pawn. It also can let you develop your g8-knight or c8-bishop after white moves. White can also develop a knight or take you d5 pawn.
I hope that you will remember these openings in your chess games.
15 Albums EVERYONE Must Listen To
By: Conor
04/04/23
Hello, my name is Conor, your reporter on the odd, the strange, and the obscure, here today with a topic that is none of those things. Before I dive into the list, I must warn that this list will be very biased. Because of that, I will say that this is not a list of the best albums of all time, or even my favorite. Instead, I think it would be more interesting to do a sort of to-do list of albums that I personally think are important and possibly very good.
15. A New World Record - Electric Light Orchestra
I believe that this may be one of ELO’s more well known records, but it’s so for a reason. From Telephone Line to Shangri-La, this album has only good songs. My only complaint is that the changes in tone could be a bit jarring. Other than that, my favorite track is by far Living Thing. It’s great.
14. Ride the Lightning - Metallica
I understand that most people far prefer Master of Puppets to this album. Those people are wrong. Honestly, almost every song on Puppets sounds the same. However, the songs on Ride the Lightning heavily vary in sound. However, unlike the ELO album, the changes in tone are smooth and fluid. Overall, a great album.
13. Aladdin Sane - David Bowie
This album is fantastic. While not the best Bowie album, (that comes later,) this is a truly great record. His more heavy rock styling pairs perfectly with his pop sensibilities, and it shows. You can also hear him experimenting with new soundscapes which will manifest themselves in later albums such as Low.
12. Leftoverture - Kansas
This record is simply great. Its twists and turns are very much appreciated, and are done quite well. I also appreciate how it’s a short album, but still one that can be taken seriously. It seems that today people seem to think that a long album = good album, which is simply untrue. This LP proves that. From Carry On Wayward Son to Magnum Opus, it is truly fantastic.
11. In The Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson
You know your album is good when it popularizes an entire genre. Progressive rock is one of my personal favorite genres of music, and this (as I said,) is the record that kicked off the whole movement. Now, despite the fact that the title track and 21st Century Schizoid Man are two of the greatest tracks of the sixties, Moonchild does admittedly overstay its welcome, and is a bit too experimental (even for my taste).
10. Hounds of Love - Kate Bush/America - America
I didn’t expect to put two albums together on this list, or to put two albums together that are as different as these two, but I feel they hold almost the same importance as each other. They are both flawed albums which run a little slow and have some dud tracks on them but are both just as important historically.
9. Aqualung - Jethro Tull
While this record admittedly gets a little slow at the end, and most of the songs “sound the same,” the pure performances captured are worth the money. If the studio talent wasn’t enough, there’s also the live performances put on by the lead singer, who dances wildly and basically portrays the character of “Aqualung.”
8. Scream Bloody Gore - Death
I understand that the title of this release may scare some people away, but hear me out on this one. This is often considered to be the first death metal album, which is a subgenre of metal music made by taking basic elements from thrash metal and adding more harsh vocals, which are done expertly here by Chuck Schuldiner.
7. Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Next up is yet another metal trailblazer, coming in the form of Paranoid. Not only is it one of the first metal albums, but it is also considered to be one of the first proto-doom metal records. Black Sabbath had released one album before this, but it had not been even close to reaching the fame of this LP. It has War Pigs/Luke’s Wall, Paranoid, and Iron Man! My only complaint would be that the mix sounds a bit dry.
6. Breakfast In America - Supertramp
An excellent synth-rock effort by a relatively unknown band at the time. They had a pretty large success with their previous album, but this is what really put them on the map. This album is truly great, with the two best tracks being Breakfast In America and The Logical Song.
5. Close to the Edge - Yes
I don’t really have too much ro say about this one, but the three tracks are all immensely immersive, and very well performed. While this isn’t as famous as their other big album, Fragile, it is still amazing and definitely worth a listen.
4. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Get ready for a ton of Pink Floyd. This album is about the band’s grievances at the music industry. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (All Parts) is about what the industry and dark addiction did to former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett, who was good friends with every other member of the band. Fun Fact, Syd actually wandered into the studio while the band was recording this record. No one noticed him at first, as he was bald, had shaved eyebrows, and was overweight. When David Gilmour (guitar) recognized him, the whole band started tearing up and they played him this song. He didn’t seem to realize the song was about him, and soon walked out of the studio unnoticed. That was the last time most of the members would see Syd alive. Syd died due to pancreatic cancer in July 2006. The rest of the album is about how the industry takes away friends and lures young musicians into ruthless deals.
3. Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
These days, I personally prefer Wish You Were Here over this, but I will still put it ahead for historical importance. It was the first real hit Pink Floyd ever had. It was a huge success in both Britain and International Markets. The album itself is about the hardships and struggles of life. Not having enough money, time, dealing with depression, and eventually death. Fun fact, on Great Gig in The Sky, the vocalist is none of the band members but actually a woman named Claire Torry. She wanted to use her voice as an instrument, and she did a fantastic job at that. She probably laid down the most angelic, beautiful, and haunting performance possible that day. However, the label only paid her a one time payment of £30 for it, but was thankfully later recognized as a songwriter and paid a lot more.
2. The Wall - Pink Floyd
This is a double LP concept album following the journey of Pink, a rock star whose father died in World War II, gets abused in school by his teacher, and begins to build a metaphorical wall of isolation between him and everyone else around him. Because of this, he gets addicted to illicit substances, his girlfriend breaks up with him, and he almost dies (because of said substances) before a show. The doctors come to his rescue and save him, and after that he gets on stage. As he sings he pictures himself as a fascist dictator ordering the genocide of everyone in the audience (probably caused by the trauma of his father dying in WWII). Eventually he realizes that this “wall” is the cause of all of his problems, and tears it down. Not-so-fun fact, the character of Pink is somewhat based on the true life of bassist and vocalist for the band, Roger Waters. His father died when he was young, he was tormented by schoolteachers, and when touring for their previous album, Animals, he began to imagine a wall separating the band and the audience. This is widely regarded as the best concept album ever written.
Honorable Mention: Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
My dad wanted me to put this on the list, what can I say? I guess most of the songs are somewhat tolerable.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie
This is objectively the greatest album of all time. Not only are all the songs on this album good, but they are perfect. It also happens to be the only album I own on vinyl (I also didn’t know Guitar Center sold vinyl, but I went there over spring break to get some gear and I happened to stumble across a pressing of this record). It is my personal favorite.
Nicknames vs. Labels
By: Sena
04/03/23
Google definitions:
Nickname- A familiar or humorous name given to a person or thing instead of or as well as the real name.
Label- A classifying phrase or name applied to a person or thing, especially one that is inaccurate or restrictive.
Reasons:
Nicknames are more likely to be nice. Labels aren’t as nice; they categorize more general things. For example, a label would be Nerds. An example of a nickname would be if your name is Isabel and you like to be called Izzy.
Conclusion:
So before you say something to someone: think. Are you labeling them or giving them a nickname? Check to make sure it’s not hurtful. You don’t want to hurt the other person. And you should try to avoid calling them names. Maybe names that they don’t like.
Be aware that not everyone likes certain things that they might be called.
Two sentence horror stories
By: Aida
03/22/23
We approached the railroad crossing just as a train approached from the left, one from the right as well. This crossing has one track.
The bathroom was occupied when I went to use it. I live alone.
I was finishing a story, so I wrote 'The End.' Then, my keyboard typed 'is already here´
completely by itself.
My daughter excitedly told me her friend who I knew to be imaginary is coming over. Then the motion detector lights came on.
I feel suffocated, nobody to talk to, I can't even move. If I had known this is what it would be like I would have been cremated instead.
She stopped laughing. “Don't turn around, you have a chance, I've already looked it in the eye”.
When I turned around its gaze was still upon me. I wish I never got this mirror.
“Are you afraid of the dark?” I wish I had said no.
She passed me a note during class. It read “Don't worry, I can see it too.”
Me and my friends played a game where for a part of it we were each assigned a number. My friend who was one is already gone, yesterday I was 10 but now it says 9.
Me and my twin feel everything else the other feels. I wish people believed us before one of us needed an amputation.
My teacher had always had us experience things we were learning about. I only wished I had a different teacher when we began learning of the medieval torture devices.
Fun fact, left handed people don’t really exist. They're just the ones that escape the mirror.
Something in the woods grabbed my eye. I never got it back.
A policeman appeared at my door saying my husband passed away in a car crash on the way home. I wish the policeman got here before the creature pretending to be my husband did.
I have nightmares of killing and burying people. I would ignore them if I didn't wake up with dirt on my arms.
I love diving into the deepest parts of the ocean where you can't even see the bottom! This time, I can't see the surface, either.
It's been 315 days since the global outbreak, 187 days since I realized I might be the only survivor, and 3 days since the two of us found each other in the wreckage of the world and regained hope. I'd been alone so long I almost forgot that hallucinating imaginary companions is the first sign of infection.
The world ending in 2012 wasn't a prophecy, it was a suggestion. We should have listened, but now it's too late.
“You look like death,” he said, brows furrowed with concern. A wide, wan smile crossed my face, flattered to be recognized.
A pandemic has wiped out over 99 percent of humanity, but don't worry. It only spreads to those who know about it.
As I watched the sunset from my villa in Paris, I received terrifying news from across the globe. The sun had set in Australia, too.
How to Plan a Party!
By:Mina
03/15/23
Step 1: Choose a day!
You must think of a day that would work for you and any guests you are thinking about inviting.
This is key incase you are planning to have a small guest list you want to be able to have as many of the invites reply as yes.
Step 2: Pick a location/theme!
You need to have a location and theme that go together. Example if you are having a Hawian themed party, have it at the beach. You need to pick a theme that is cool and intriguing as well as something that suits your personality.
Step 3: choose decorations, food, drinks and activities!
Decorations are so important that if you don’t have them your party won’t be the highlight of the day. Food: you need to pick foods that are delicious and easy to prepare but also don’t have any things anyone is allergic to. Drinks are always needed if you are planning to do something athletic or something that includes high energy use you will want some refreshments to cool you down. Activities you can’t not have; you have to have stuff to do. If you don’t, you might want to just cancel it because your party will be really boring. Activities can vary from games to watching a movie or dancing to music or sports.
Step 4: Guest List
It’s not a party without any guests so the next step is the guest list. You want to pick your friends, or family, not just any old person. The thing is that you want to pick friends or family that get along with each other so that they aren’t quarreling with each other in a corner. You also want to pick friends that will have the most fun at the party.
Step 5: Invitations
You have 2 choices this time either to send out an online invitation or hand make and mail an invitation. If you choose to make an online invitation a common site used is Evite. The thing with that is that if you choose this, then you have to get phone numbers of the people, but if you choose to hand make then you need to get their address so that you can mail it. When you are creating an invite, no matter if it is online or handmade, you need to decorate and design it to represent your party.
Now you know how to plan a party!
Now you know how to plan a party!
Always Obey
By: Aida
02/01/22
A could-be death experience
I'm sure your parents have told you before not to do something. That's a parent's job. And I'm also sure at some point you've disobeyed your parents, doing something you weren't supposed to. Most of the time the only thing you have to fear by disobeying is your parents’ anger and punishment, but other times a simple thing said not to do could be the line between life and death.
One evening around 4pm, it was storming outside, thunderstorming: normal, but the wind was crazy. No call for alarm but still a bad storm. Sometimes I like to watch storms from the safety of my garage. That day, I decided to do that. I asked my mom if I could.
She said, “Yes, but you can't leave the garage.”
And I may not be here writing this if I didn't listen to her warning.
I opened the garage, and stood 5 feet from the door, watching the wind and rain and listening to thunder. It hadn't been 2 minutes when I heard cracking above the house. It's important to note that I have a ginormous 100 year old tree right near my garage. When I say ginormous, I mean the branches are the size of regular trees, just horizontal like a branch should be. Well, one of those tree-sized branches was conveniently situated above my driveway.
After I heard crackling the branch fell 5 feet from the garage, covering my entire driveway. I didnt even think I just ran inside and closed the garage.
Weird Facts
By: Julia
01/27/23
Crocodiles cannot stick out their tongues
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards
Starfish do not have brains or blood
Australia is slightly wider than the moon
McDonald's invented a sweet-tasting type of broccoli
Roaches can live for up to a week without a head
The actors that played Mickey and Minnie are married in real life
Shrimp’s brains are in their heads
Snails can sleep for three years straight
Cashews grow in cashew apples
Google was originally called BackRub
Elephants have the best sense of smell
Strawberries aren’t actually berries but bananas are!
A giraffe's tongue is black, blue, or purple
The tallest tree is 36 feet wide and 275 feet tall
The oldest tree is around 4,853 years old
Leeches have 32 brains
The Simpsons show predicted 9/11
Sea otters have pockets
The Mona Lisa is worth US $780 million
Now you can brag about knowing these facts! (Although I don’t know how many of them are actually true…)
What is “Chess”?
By: Hussein
02/08/23
Chess is a board game made in the sixth century by some guy named Hán Xin. There are many theories of Kings inventing chess or chess being given as a gift from other countries, but I picked Hán Xin because he had the coolest name and more reliable sources can confirm that he did in fact invent chess. Most sources believe Hán Xin invented chess to show the importance of each person in battle.
So wait, how do you play Chess? Well Chess is played on a 8x8 grid. There are two kingdoms fighting and they both want to eliminate the King.
The king is the most important piece in the game. If your King dies then you lose (This is only for the king. If any of the other pieces get captured you don’t lose). Your King is placed in the middle of your first row. The king can move 1 piece at a time in all directions including diagonal.
Right next to your King is your Queen. The Queen is one of the best pieces in the game. If your Queen dies, you don’t lose the game, but your opponent has a better advantage of winning. Your Queen can move left, right, up, down and diagonally all spaces. The Queen is placed on the color the Queen is. For example, if you are white then you place your Queen on white and your King on black as seen in the picture below.
After the Queen is your Bishop. The Bishop can move diagonally next to the King and Queen. You have two Bishops. One is next to your Queen and the other is next to your king. Both are as important as each other but your white Bishop can only go on white spaces and your black Bishop can only move on the black spaces.
Next your Knights can move two squares vertically and one square horizontally or two squares horizontally and one square vertically, jumping over other pieces. Your Knight is the only piece that can jump over other players. The Knight is located next to your Bishops.
You also have one final piece on your last row. That piece is the Rook. The Rook can move up, down, left or right, but not diagonally. The two Rooks are located at the ends of the first row.
The Pawns are on the second row for each player. There are 8 Pawns and each Pawn can move forward twice or once for their first move, but after that they can only move forward one square at a time. If a piece is to the left or right diagonally in front of a Pawn, the Pawn can get that piece. If your Pawn makes it all the way to the other side then your Pawn will be turned into a Queen or any other piece (excluding the King and Pawn). You can then have more than one Queen on your board.
So how do you start playing? Let’s assume you are white. White always, no matter what goes first. Move your King and Queen Pawns ( the pawns in front of the King and Queen) two spaces up. After that, move your Knights to guard your Pawns. Then protect yourself and get other pieces out. Try to checkmate the other King while protecting your King. To checkmate someone is to make the King unable to protect itself from the other player. One unwritten rule is to move your Knight before your Bishop and only move your Queen if you really have to. With all of that, good luck on your first chess game!
01/09/23
By: Henry
Um so I decided on 1-9-23 to make a US states tier list. Yell at me if you want. Also email me your reasons why I am wrong at s082484@cusd200.org
Also visit H Rankings please!!! https://sites.google.com/cusd200.org/hrankings Help me!!!
Here is the tier list I made:
Dog Sledding
By: Mina
02/01/23
Dog sledding is a fairly well known sport for people who own northern breeds of dogs. This sport normally takes place in colder areas with more snow. You can participate in places without snow as well. You just don’t use sleds; you use carts. Dogs that are used to participate in the sport are bred to run. It is in their DNA. There is dog sledding as a sport for competitive fun, and there are sled demos that are demonstrations of the sport to promote dog adoption. In the olden days when nomadic people wanted to move they would use dog sledding as a way of transportation. These dogs were also used to protect the children when their parents were out collecting food.
In Nome, Alaska a long time ago, there was a disease that was killing people left and right. It was called Diphtheria. There was a cure for Diphtheria but it was far away. To get this serum back to Nome, Alaska they set up something they called the serum run. It was a relay race for life. It started in Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska. They had people set up at different places and they would keep handing off the sled and teams. So they could get the serum to Nome from Anchorage.
The top photo is the Iditarod route map for the even years; also the northern route.
The bottom photo is the Iditarod southern route for the odd years.
As you can see, dog sledding has a fascinating history and is a really cool sport.
Fun Facts of Our Presidents
By: Vivian
12/02/22
George Washington
George Washington did not have a middle name
John Adams
John Adams wrote thousands of love letters during his marriage and was the first president to live in the white house
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas was a architect he designed Virginia's state Capital
James Madison
James was the smallest, standing five foot four and weighing only one hundred pounds
James Monroe
James had a siberian husky named sebastian and a spaniel named buddy
John Quincy Adams
John kept a alligator in his bathtub
Andrew Jackson
Andrews parents immigrated from Ireland
Martin Van Buren
Martin was the first president to be a US citizen and not a british subject
William Henry Harrison
William was the oldest president to be elected at the time and on the 32 day in office he died making him the first president to die in office
John Tyler
John was the only president not to be buried under the american flag
James K. Polk
James’s favorite food was corn pone which is kind of like cornbread
Zachery Taylor
Zachery worked in the army for four decades
Millard Fillmore
Millard was one of five “accidental” presidents
Franklin Pierce
Franklin, while becoming very unpopular, moved to Europe to take care of his grieving wife
James Buchanan
He was the only president that never married
Abraham Lincoln
He’s the guy that most of you know but did you know: His wife got in trouble for spending too much money for redecorations in the white house and that's why the budget was made
Andrew Jackson
Andrew was a POW (prisoner of war) once when he fought in the revolutionary war
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses was gifted with horses and art but sadly died of tongue and tonsil cancer
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford studied at harvard and was the governor of Ohio
James A. Garfield
James grew up in poverty and originally wanted to sail
Chester Arthur
Chester was the son of a baptist preacher that migrated from Ireland
Grover Cleveland
Grover’s real name was Stephan and was distantly related to the guy that named Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin was 6’4 and the grandson of a president. He also really liked talking
William McKinley
Williams death let Theodore become president
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore was the youngest president and sadly lost his wife and mother on the same day
William Howard Taft
William was the first president to throw the first pitch of the baseball season beginning the tradition we know today
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow was the first president to have a PhD
Warren G. Harding
Warren was born on a farm and was the oldest of eight
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin was a man of few words
Herbert Hoover
Herbert was a multi millionaire he was also an orphan at age nine
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin was distinctly related to his wife and eleven other presidents
Harry S. Truman
He was the only president in the 1900 who didn't go to college
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight was the first president to ride in a helicopter
John F. Kennedy
John was the first Catholic president
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lynden was a teacher for his first career
Richard M. Nixon
Richard was a quaker (a certain religious group connected to Christianity)
Gerald Ford
Gerald is worth 2.3 million
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy won the nobel peace prize
Ronald Reagan
Ronald loved jelly beans but hated brussel sprouts
George H. W. Bush
George met Babe Ruth while playing baseball at yale
William J. Clinton
William was president for over the longest peacetime in economic expansion
George W. Bush
George was the other George Bush’s son
Barack Obama
Barack’s favorite food was roast chicken and seafood he also was born and grew up in Hawaii
Donald J. Trump
Donald was the third president to be impeached
Joe Biden
Joe was the youngest person to be elected to senate
The Winter Season
By: Julia
12/02/22
I asked a few people what their favorite part of the winter season was. I got some good responses:
1. “Christmas and my birthday” - Conor
2. “Hot Chocolate” - Sadie
3. “Drinking hot cocoa (mainly just eating marshmallows, but you know)” - Jahnavi
4. “Christmas” - Kefa
5. “Snowball fights, forts, and sledding.” - Mia
6. “Hot chocolate and SNOW!!!!” - Esther
7. “Sledding” - Blen
8. “Snowboarding” - Nolan
9. “Snowball fights, hockey, sledding” - Henry
10. “Going sledding” - Josh
11. “Snowball fights and Christmas” - Levi
12. “The holidays and snow with cold weather.” - Tomas
13. “Playing in the snow or Christmas duh” - John
14. “Playing in the snow, hot cocoa, and Christmas” - Alice
15. “Baking Christmas cookies with hot chocolate” - Layla
16. “Holiday feeling” - Ari
17. “Christmas parties, snow, hot chocolate, and sledding” - Eoin
18. “Snow fort snowball fights” - Andrew
19. “When it snows!” - Ruven
20. “Snow ball fights/wars” - Grant
21. “My favorite part of winter is making presents. I’m not really allowed to go to any store without my parents, so I make my own. I draw wrapping paper, make ribbons, etc.” - Tessa
22. “I like to go sledding on big hills and have snowball fights” - James
Those are some things that Franklin Bulldogs like to do to enjoy the holidays! Thanks to everyone that answered my questions, and happy holidays! (Also personally, I have to agree with anyone that said hot chocolate and/or Christmas as their answer) 🎄❄️☃️🏂⛄
Happy Holidays!
Why You Shouldn't Try To Break Your Finger
By: Henry
12/02/22
Have you ever been playing catch with a football at your church gym and your friend bobbles a catch that is easy for you to snatch up with a cool-looking dive? DO NOT GO FOR IT!!! I did this exact thing and broke my pinky finger. Here is my broken finger story.
During most church services, I help with the children’s sunday school, keeping the kids in line and helping confused parents. There have been some seriously weird experiences there (That’s a story for another time). After church is over, all the kids from kindergarten to high school go to the gymnasium to play four square, basketball, dodgeball, or anything else you can think of.
A few kids, including me, played 500, if you know what that is. My friend, Jayden, got in front of me and got a hand on the ball. I kind of gave up here, until I saw that he was bobbling it. It flew out of his hands and I dove to catch it: my first mistake. (This makes sense, the gym floor is carpeted and I would land on the ball). I caught it in my right, and hurt my left hand a little bit because I crushed it underneath myself and the ball. I tossed the ball to my friend throwing it, Adam, but remained on the floor because my hand still hurt. Both my friends came up to me and asked if I was okay. I gave them both a thumbs up (2nd mistake). I then stood up, clutching my pinky, which still hurt. I thought at the time that I had jammed my finger and would need an ice pack (3rd mistake). I walked downstairs to my dad, who was guiding kids to their parents in children’s ministry. I told him I hurt my finger and would probably need an ice pack, still holding my finger and not looking at it (4th mistake).
My family then drove back home, where I was still in pain. My mom stayed home while my dad, my sister, and I drove to Urgent Care (5th mistake), where we found out that there would be a two hour wait while we were in line. Thankfully, they gave me industrial-strength ice packs and I was able to survive while we ate McDonalds and then drove back to sit in the lobby. For the first time, I stopped clutching my finger and decided to look at it. What I saw was horrifying.
My finger was pointed outwards and I was too scared to put it back into its proper place (Later I would learn that it was exactly displaced 12.8º). It immediately started throbbing and swelling, so I put it back into my icepack. We finally got called, where we did the standard doctor’s procedure. Weight measuring, heartbeat listening, blood pressure level measuring: the normal stuff. Finally, we got an expert in the room. She immediately, after feeling my finger, took me to another lady who x-rayed me. I walked the walk of shame back to the first room, where the original doctor came in. She examined the x-rays and determined that I had a sprained finger. She did mention, though, that this might actually be a fracture, and a technician came in and wrapped my hand up with a small foam splint that he said would have to be kept on for the next week (Fine).
We drove home and just hung out. About an hour later, my dad got a call from Northwestern Medicine, right after which he broke me the news (Pun intended). The doctor was wrong, and I had broken my finger.
The next few days were a mess of incredibly painful showers, sweat-drenched gauze, angry Mrs. Richters (NYSO), and hospital visits. We eventually got an appointment with a real orthopedist and she gave me a splint after this other guy tried to bend my finger way past where it was possible: maybe the most painful moment of my life. She taught me how to put it on and how to care for my finger. I did exactly as she said for the next four weeks, and eventually got it to the point where I could bend my fingers to 135 degree angles. Next was 90, then 45, while my finger slowly offset itself with a lot of buddy strapping, strapping my pinky finger to my ring finger for long periods of time.
This was my redemption story. Please remember this next time you play 500 at your church gym. If you get your pinky finger broken, IT WILL BE OKAY. For a period of time I legitimately thought that they would have to amputate my finger. Look at it now.
Also, one last thing, please visit https://sites.google.com/cusd200.org/hrankings to support me with my struggles in life.
In conclusion, thank you very much.
Caring For Animals: Amphibian Edition
By: Aida
11/30/22
First, a reminder of what an Amphibian is. An Amphibian is classified as a cold-blooded vertebrate animal. Some examples are frogs (red eyed tree frog, bullfrog), toads (Colorado river toad, Black toad), newts (Pleurodeles, Triturus),and salamanders (Axolotl, Fire Salamander).
When caring for an amphibian there are some important things to consider. Amphibians like frogs and Salamanders breathe through their skin meaning when touched by humans they can absorb any toxin on your hands and can easily get sick, so when handling them you should clean your hands with warm or hot water but avoid soaps or cleansers. Make sure not to pet them and unless you need to, try to only have them walk around on you so the feet are the only thing touching you.
Depending on the type of amphibian, the substrate (ground material for the enclosure) may vary. A species from the desert needs a different kind of substrate than a species from the rainforest. It is also important to consider your pet’s feeding needs. Substrates can be ingested and cause impactions and blockages, so using the wrong kind can be dangerous. So it is best to specifically research for the type of amphibian you're thinking about.
Now the most fun part of creating your pets home, decorating the enclosure. Once again, this can vary. A tree frog enclosure will be more vertical with some sort of water at the bottom, but not covering it. More aquatic frogs and salamanders and newts tend to need more water and a full tank of it but don't forget to have at least a small land area, however not a dry land area.
When handling your Amphibian, it is recommended you only do this when necessary and do not try to pet them. You should not take a fully aquatic amphibian out of water. Most frogs and all toads are able to be out of water, but frogs breathe through their skin and absorb toxins meaning it will harm them, so wash your hands with water thoroughly before handling.
For more information on your Amphibian I suggest researching multiple sources to get the best and more specific information. If you're hearing them say that you need all those expensive things and you don't want to pay for that, don't get the animal. If you can't take care of it, don't get it.
School History
By: Mina
11/29/22
Have you ever wondered about the school's history? I never did either until I found this out about my house. Before the school was built where it is, there was a house there owned by John Gettleson. That house was moved to North Main Street from East Franklin Street where the school is now. My family actually bought that house in 2016. I started to wonder about the history of my house, and I found out that it was moved to build the school.
The school was built around 1950 and was finished in 1954 but wasn’t the middle school yet; it was actually called Franklin Jr. High. A junior high only has 7th and 8th grades. The school’s first yearbook that the library has information about was the year of 1952, but this was the old school. The principal’s name was Mr. Ernest E. Poe. Then in 1954 they closed the old school when the new school was ready, and they moved to the new school. The first year it was open was 1954. The clubs they had in 1952 were student council, patrol, library club, and orchestra. The sports they had were cheerleading, basketball, band, and football. In 1954 they added these clubs when they opened the new school: craft, camera, service, tennis, science, journalism, vocal, and magazine salesmen.
The school changed from a junior high to a middle school from 1983 to 1984. In 1991 to 1992, the mascot went from tigers to bulldogs. To build the school it cost $1,141,000. When Franklin Jr. High was built, it had 24 classrooms, 2 home economic laboratories, 2 science rooms, 2 arts and crafts rooms, and a general shop (workshop). We still have some of these clubs today, such as: student council, orchestra, band, vocal (chorus), basketball, craft (art), and journalism (FMS Press).
While many things have changed, some things stayed the same.
Pancakes vs. Waffles
By: Julia
11/30/22
I asked a few people which was their favorite, pancakes or waffles. Lots of people said waffles, and lots of people said pancakes. In a total count, the results were:
Pancakes (Our winner): 7 Waffles: 5
Both: 3 Neither: 1
Pancakes are the winner! Personally though, I like waffles better 😉 Some of the reasons that people chose those are:
PANCAKES
“They’re floofy” - said by one person.
“Better with syrup and butter on top” - said by one person.
One person cheated and wrote nothing multiple times.
“It is airy and fluffy and great with syrup and butter” - said by one person.
“Because” - said by one person.
WAFFLES
“Well, depending on the waffle, you can usually fill the little squares with anything you would put on a pancake, except you don't have to worry about it falling off. For example, you can do one row syrup, one row nutella, one row bananas, one row whipped cream, and one row chocolate chips. Now, you have a delicious grid of flavor" - said by one person
“They are the tastiest” - said by one person.
“I like to eat them most” - said by one person.
“It's crispier” - said by one person.
“You can put syrup on all of the holes” - said by one person.
BOTH
“Pancakes are flat and smooth and waffles have nice ridges” - said by one person.
“Pancakes are light and fluffy but a good maple syrup waffle is amazing” - said by one person.
“They are both equally good, but both are made equally so that after eating a few, you get tired of them.” - said by one person.
NEITHER
“I'm just not a fan personally” - said by one person.
Those are some of the reasons why people like either waffles, pancakes, neither, and both. Maybe I should’ve added french toast 🤔 Enjoy your waffles and pancakes or neither or both!
Cycling In the Off-Season
By: Beckett
11/29/22
If you enjoyed riding your bike in the summer months, you may be tempted to put it in the garage until spring. However, with the right clothing and attitude, you can continue riding through the winter.
For the torso, you need a base layer of some kind that can wick moisture away. Ideally you have a merino wool shirt of some kind to fit this role, but any sort of dry-fit, moisture wicking top will work. Your outer layer should be something windproof that isn’t too baggy, otherwise it may flap around in the wind.
Because cycling creates wind, you will want to cover areas that are typically susceptible to windchill, namely fingers and ears. For ears, any kind of headband or hat that can fit underneath a helmet will keep them warm. To keep fingers warm, I recommend lightweight gloves (ideally ones that block the wind).
For your legs, any lightweight synthetic pants get the job done. You might want to roll them up a little so they don’t get caught in the gears.
Lastly, a non clothing-related tip: with winter comes short daylight hours, so it is even more important to have a decent headlight and taillight to make yourself visible to cars, runners, other cyclists, et cetera.
I hope you found this helpful, and stay warm out there!
Snow Report
By: Sena
11/29/22
Breaking News!
Snow is here. The first snow landed Saturday, November 12 and more came on Tuesday and Wednesday 15 and 16. Winter is almost here with more snow to come. Before you dive into hot chocolate, there are some upcoming events.
Fall Play
Enchanted Bookshop
Come see your fellow classmates in a fun play December 6 and 8 at Franklin at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are $5 but kids 14 and under are free.
Winter Break
December 23-January 9 is off school.
Joke of the season:
What do snowmen order at Wendy’s?
Answer:
Frosties
The Connection
By: Conor
11/02/22
Hello, I am Conor (A.K.A. Your Reporter on the Odd, the Strange, and the Obscure) and this is a mini-article on the connection between skiing, cubing, violin, tennis, and chess. While these topics may seem random, there is a close connection between all of them. One note: This topic was chosen by another staff member of the press.
First, some people may not know what all of these topics are, especially cubing. Cubing is the art of solving twisty puzzles. Twisty puzzles are the insider name for “Rubik’s Cubes.” The community can range from collecting different puzzles, to modifying puzzles, to solving puzzles in mere seconds.
Now that everyone is on the same level about the topics, it’s time to get to the actual connection. The one thing that connects skiing, cubing, violin, tennis, and chess:
Precise and quick thinking.
In skiing, one must move themselves with maximum precision; in cubing, one must perform algorithms with speed and accuracy. In violin, one must maneuver between notes with both alacrity and punctuation. In tennis, one must move the ball with the racket while still constantly adjusting one’s perception of the ball. Finally, in chess, one must not only think of their own movements, but also the movements of their opponent.
This goes to show that mastering simple skills like this can help someone win many games and connect with many more communities than anyone could ever guess.
The Rules of Curling
By: Conor
10/03/22
Hello, my name is Conor and by the end of this article you will know the basic rules of curling. One may assume that curling’s rules are strange and confusing, and they would be right, but with some coaching and practice I promise that you will have the rules down in no time.
Section 1: What is Curling?
Curling is a winter sport that started in Scotland in the 16th century, where it was played on frozen lochs. However, today it is played on a sheet of ice. That sheet is typically 146 to 150 feet long. It is made of many smaller layers frozen together in a process called flooding, but that information isn’t important right now. All you need to know is that there are little bumps of ice on the sheet called pebbles. As you will find out later, they are very important. Alsol, on each side of the ice there is a target of sorts called the house.
Section 2: How Does One Curl?
Now that you know what a curling sheet is and what it looks like, it is time to get into the actual rules of the game.
Section 2.1: The Teams
A standard curling team is made up of four people. There is a lead, a second, a
vice, and a skip. Each team has eight stones to throw. Every member of the team except for the skip also sweeps. Sweeping is important because it melts the previously mentioned pebbles momentarily, making the ice like a slip-n-slide for the stone. The teams alternate throwing these stones. The lead throws the first two stones, and sweeps for the rest of the end (rounds in curling are called ends. For instance, instead of saying “I played three rounds” one would say “I played three ends.”) The second sweeps the lead’s stones, throws the third and fourth stones, and sweeps for the rest of the end. The vice is in charge of keeping score, the coin flip and helping the skip, (which I will touch on later,) sweeping, and throwing the fifth and sixth stones. Last but certainly not least, the skip. The skip is in charge of calling the teams shots. They also throw the last two stones.
Section 2.2: The Game
Now, finally, after all the weird and confusing stuff, we get to the really weird and confusing stuff, how to actually play. Before the game, the vices will perform a coin flip. The coin flip will decide which team gets hammer for the first end. Hammer is the privilege of throwing the last stone of the end. The end starts with the team that lost the coin flip. They throw, the other team throws, etc. There are three types of throws. There is the guard to try and block the house, the draw to try and score, and the takeout to try and hit the opponent's stone out of the house. On each sheet, there is a hog line. If the stone does not pass over this line, it will not count. Throughout the end, every teammate will do their respective job. Then, it is time to decide who scored. The scoring system is simple enough.
For example, in the image below, there are three stones in the house. Earlier I said the house is like a target, and I still stand by my statement. The white center is called the button, and is like the bullseye in darts. The closer a stone is to the center, the more likely it is to score. In this picture, there are three stones in the house. The nearest yellow stone is closest to the center, meaning yellow gets one point. However, the red stone is closer to the center than the second yellow stone. Therefore, the yellow team only gets one point, winning the end. This repeats for every end. As with everything in this article, scoring is a little confusing at first, but will make more sense with practice.
If a team loses an end, they will get hammer the next end. As well, when sweeping it is standard for the skip to yell at the sweepers, giving them instructions. It is important as skip to not be afraid to scream at the top of one’s lungs. Also, as a sweeper, it is important to never get angry with the skip. This altercation will lead to many problems in the game.
Section 2.3: Addressing The Odd Things
While most of curling’s rules are rather straightforward, there are some weird oddities. For example, a takeout can not be thrown until five total stones have been thrown. This is mostly due to a team back in the day that would just throw takeouts, which would lead to them always winning. However, when first starting out, it is not necessary for one to know all these rules.
Section 3: Wrapping Things Up
Curling is, as I said before, a somewhat complicated game. However, it becomes much easier with practice. So I encourage you to contact your nearest curling club, and schedule a lesson with some friends. While I covered as much as I could in this article, that doesn’t mean I could cover everything. For example, if I told you how to throw a stone, it wouldn’t make much sense, considering I can’t show you how to do it. So go out, grab some friends, and do some curling!
Girl scouts in the 1900s
By: Noelle and Vivian
10/05/22
March 12, 1912, when Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first Girl Guide troop meeting of 18 girls in Savannah, Georgia. This was the beginning of girl scouts. At the time when girl scouts started women were not able to vote. Girl Scouts in different parts of the country continued to bake their own simple sugar cookies with their mothers and with help from the community. These cookies were packaged in wax paper bags, sealed with a sticker, and sold door-to-door for 25 to 35 cents per dozen. Enthusiasm for Girl Scout Cookies spread, and by 1937, more than 125 Girl Scout councils reported holding cookie sales. In 1935, the Girl Scout Federation of Greater New York raised money through the sale of commercially baked cookies. In the 1940s, the Girl Scouts had three levels. Brownies were ages 7-9, Intermediates were ages 10-14, and Seniors were ages 14-18. In the 1940s they wore a green button down dress and a yellow or red neck tie. In the 1950s the Girl Scout Movement was well-established, with about 1.5 million girls and adult volunteers.The outfit that the girl scouts wore during this time was typically a blouse and skirt worn with the Girl Scout beret and Windsor tie. Girl Scouts in the 1960s earned new badges, and read new handbooks.The price was just 23 cents per box of 44 cookies, or six boxes for $1.24. Girls developed their marketing and business skills and raised funds for their local Girl Scout council. The Girl Scouts embraced minority groups, addressed social issues, expanded career exploration. In 1978, the number of bakers was streamlined to four to ensure lower prices and uniform quality, packaging, and distribution. As people got more interested, Girl Scouting expanded, and Girl Scouts established the Daisy level for kindergarten-aged girls. The highest award a fully aged Girl Scout can earn was named the Gold Award in 1980. As the use of computers grew, the Girl Scouts introduced the Technology badge for Girl Scout Juniors. In the early 1990s, two licensed bakers helped local Girl Scout councils with cookies for girls to sell. As you can see, Girl Scouts has come a long way!
6th Graders are here!!!
By: Kefa
10/05/22
Franklin Middle School has welcomed 6th graders from Lowell, Longfellow, Hawthorne, Washington, Pleasant Hill, and other schools. Middle school can be tough, scary and stressful, especially on the first day. It is very stressful to be in a new school so I conducted a series of interviews.
How was your first day of school ?
Stressful and good
Good (said by four people)
Nerve-racking (said by three people)
Awesome
Exciting
Bad
Tiring
How was your last day of elementary school?
Fun
Good (said by three people)
Precious memories
Unforgettable
Sad (said by three people)
Sad but exciting
What is your favorite class?
Language arts (said by four people)
Math
Math lab
Orchestra
All classes
Drama
Gym
Band
Science
Why is this your favorite class?
Language arts is peaceful
Math is fun
You get to play fun pieces (orchestra)
They are fun (all classes)
I love to act (drama)
Fun sports (gym)
You can hear the music (band)
Labs (science)
What can you tell a 5th grader about Franklin?
Play kickball right
This is a good community to make friends
Everyone is so nice (said by two people)
A comforting community
There are many fun things
It’s a cool school
Nice teachers
They'll love the teachers here
It’s a fun school
As 6th graders, some things take getting used to, like:
Lockers
So in conclusion, I have observed it’s always hard to get used to a new place like a school. However, people get used to it as the time goes on. My message is that in life you should never give up.
Snake Behavior
By: Aida
09/28/22
Common beliefs of snakes
Tongue flicking
Some people believe that when a snake or some other types of reptiles flick out their tongue, this is the reptile licking or tasting. This is not the case. This is actually the snake smelling, which is commonly seen when the snake is exploring or is curious about something. A single flick may just be the snake checking something out and recognizing it therefore not having a need to to smell it. A couple spaced out flicks may just generally mean it’s checking things out around it. A ton of flicks along with intense focus means it's looking for food and probably sees food or something that may be food.
The S position
A common misconception is that when a snake is in the curvy or S like position, they are about to strike. This position is actually just a comfy position they like to be in. Usually when they are hanging or dangling they curve in an S while they look around or relax.
Hissing
Everybody knows that snakes hiss, but hissing doesn't always equal anger. Most of the time, a hiss is more of “I’m scared” or “Please leave me alone”. If you do leave them alone, they won't try to bite you.
Violins are BACK!!!
By: Henry
09/28/22
A while ago, I asked all the Orchestra students at Franklin to fill out a form asking them what the best Orchestra instrument was. Basically, I had a devious plan that failed miserably. This ended in disappointment, with Cello winning the entire thing. I thought violins were doomed forever, until I decided today to check the scores again. Somehow, now violins are in the lead with 13 responses while Cello has 12 and Viola isn’t far behind with 8. Piano has 3, and both Bass and Guitar have 2 votes. I will once again send this form out to the orchestra students to see the results afterwards.
Update, Violins have an ABSOLUTELY INSANE 30 VOTES! Cello has 27, viola with 13, Guitar 10, Piano and bass at 8.
Northside vs. Rice Pool
By: Henry
09/21/22
School’s started, and the pools are closing. There seem to be two pools that dominate the rest around Wheaton.
That’s right, this is an article about Northside vs. Rice pool. There are six categories in which I will decide which pool is better.
The first is the size. Rice Pool is for sure the better pool if you want a huge area. I think it is about double the size of Northside, if not more. Northside scores a 6/10 for size, while Rice scores a 8/10.
The second category is the temperature. This might seem like a weird category, but hear me out and you will see why it is one. The temperature of a pool ranges from 75 to 90 degrees, and I would estimate that this greatly affects people’s pool experience. For example, at my summer camp, Honeyrock, the lake water is so cold in the beginning of summer that you cannot tread water for more than 30 seconds before getting a stitch in your side. The cold water literally drains you of all your life energy. In addition, a lot of Rice Pool is in the shade. Now, Northside is just a smaller pool, which makes the sun heat it up faster. Both of these pools are relatively cold, though. Northside scores a 5/10, and Rice scores a 4/10.
The third category is the diving boards. Rice has two small diving boards and one high dive, while northside has just one regular board. You might think that Rice has the easy win, but the lines for the diving boards, especially the high dive, can be preposterous. The entire time, you are standing in the freezing cold shade, dripping wet. Northside gets a 5/10, and Rice gets a 6/10.
The fourth category is similar to the third, but this category is on the waterslides. Rice pool has three generic waterslides, the Tornado, Hurricane, and the Typhoon. On the other hand, Northside has one giant drop slide that is sure to thrill you. To be honest, I definitely prefer Northside’s slide, but it can be quite tiring to go on the drop slide over and over and over again. Northside scores a 6/10 in this category, while Rice scores a 7/10.
The second to last category would be the people. There is a completely different vibe at each of these pools, with Northside having a kind of relaxed party vibe, while Rice has a super family friendly one, with lots of kiddie areas. For a middle schooler, I think that Northside is a lot better, especially with the lifeguards being super forgiving. There is also a huge moderate depth area, with Rice having only a small portion and the entire section being incredibly crowded. Northside gets a 9/10, and Rice gets a 7/10.
The last but DEFINITELY not least category is the crowd factor. The crowds can be really bad at both pools, but I just feel like there are about half the people going to Northside. On the other hand, a lot of people go to Rice even though it is just such a ridiculously big area that it maintains its crowds well. I really do not like a crowded pool, so both Northside and Rice get 7/10s in this category.
Finally, the results. Out of 60, Northside gets a 35. Rice gets a… 36!
I guess Rice is better, though personally, I only like to go to Rice when I don’t have friends with me. If I am coming with friends, though, I go to Northside.
Click here to vote for Northside or Rice!
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