CDS MATHLETES TAKE ON MATHCOUNTS
On Saturday, February 1, the CDS Mathletes competed in the MathCounts Competition
by Michael Sebastian
The CDS Mathletes spent Saturday, February 1st competing at the regional MathCounts Competition The competition took place at the Montville High School and consisted of four rounds: The Sprint Round, The Target Round, The Team Round, and The Countdown Round. The Sprint Round had 30 questions with 40 minutes to complete. The Target Round had four sets of two questions with six minutes for each set. The Team Round had 10 questions with 20 minutes that teams had to solve in a group of four. Finally, The Count Down Round had the top 10 scorers face off in a one on one competition; the first to three would advance, until there was only one person left
CDS placed 15th out of 28 teams. The CDS team consisted of Michael Sebastian, Mia Bjorkedal, Benjamin Chu, and Wynn Waterstredt. With Sofia Marcantonio and Douglas Swett competing as well, however not in the four person team section. Michael Sebastian won the “Best In School Award” scoring a total of 30 out of 38. The other scores were: Mia Bjorkedal with 26, Douglas Swett with 22, Benjamin Chu with 19, Wynn Waterstredt with 17, and Sofia Marcantonio with 11. Each member worked hard to score the most points of their capability.
Up next for the female Mathletes at the school is a girls only competition at Rutgers University. This is open to all girls from 4th-8th grade. The CDS Mathletes are losing a huge majority of their members this year with the 8th grade graduating class, so to all the younger students, join the CDS Mathletes now! It is quite possible that you could potentially win an award We look forward to the future of this team and seeing the things it can accomplish.
Model UN and UN Field Trip
by Douglas Swett
On February 13, the 8th graders were scheduled to go to the Model UN conference at William Paterson University to offer up resolutions based on their position papers. The group was scheduled to represent five different countries on a variety of committees. Sitting in the General Assembly from CDS representing the Philippines (Douglas, Erin, and Elizabeth) and Mexico (Tayt, Sofia, and Rosie). These groups were scheduled to work on Cybersecurity Meeting with the World Health Organization, CDS was set to represent Israel (Wynn, Ben, and Micheal) with their work focused on the current health crisis in the country The Security Council was where Guyana (Avery, Maddie, and Ellie) was slated to be talking about containing North Korea and Russia The Human Rights Council was where Lithuania (Mia B, Mia E, and Ainsley) was looking forward to talking about social and political empowerment Unfortunately, the meeting was cancelled due to potential weather conditions and was rescheduled to March 18th---right in the middle of the school vacation
Ahead of the conference, students visited the United Nations in NYC on Feb 11. After passing through a rigorous security screening and receiving a visitor’s pass and sticker, they entered the main building. A gift of the Rockefeller Foundation, the UN is an impressive building. While there, students saw the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Social and Economic Council. Exhibits on the Human Rights Council initiatives, the various member-states, and topics of discussion for committees were visited as well.
Well versed students easily responded to questions on the six main languages of the UN, the current number of member-states, and the main branches of the United Nations. Hopefully this will become a regular event for the Model UN team!
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Self-Piloted Fighter Jets—Risky or a Necessity?
From self-driving cars to self piloted planes
by Ilies Benhadji
Self-piloted fighter jets, like the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), raise vital questions regarding their necessity and the risks involved in modern warfare Priced at $300 million each, these advanced aircraft signify a leap in military aviation technology
The NGAD features advanced stealth technology, making it nearly invisible to enemy radar, and uniquely controls swarms of drones called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) This innovation enables integrated drone warfare, allowing human operators to manage multiple unmanned vehicles remotely
Armed with cutting-edge weaponry, including a powerful laser weapon and the Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), the NGAD enhances precision capabilities in combat. The Smart Integrated Air-toGround Weapon (SIAW) adds to its striking power against ground targets.
However, the deployment of such advanced AI in military operations raises ethical concerns. Critics warn against entrusting AI with critical decision-making in combat, emphasizing the need for human oversight as we enter an era of machines wielding significant battlefield power.
Given the recent crashes in Washington, DC and Philadelphia, it highlights the need for the aviation community to look closely at the benefits and dangers of adding another component to the industry While no major airline is testing this innovation currently, there is a lot of curiosity around who will be first
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Pirates of Penzance coming to CDS
Mark Your Calendars!
by Jackson Walsh
The new CDS presents musical for the spring is Pirates of Penzance The musical is in early production right now with the cast just starting to learn the songs The show is fairly long and has a cast and crew of hard working students Each Monday and Wednesday, CDS Presents performers work on blocking, singing, and more
The play is about a man named Frederick, who has just turned 21 and wants to leave the pirates. He ended up in this situation when his caretaker, Ruth, accidentally made him become a pirate instead of allowing him to become a pilot like his dad wanted him to be. When Frederick leaves the pirates, he meets a group of girls and falls in love with one named Mabel, and later the Major General comes in and it all goes downhill when the pirates reenter the story.
The production is co-led by Mr. Gordon and Mr. Buchanan as Director and Musical Assistant. Some of the songs that are sung in the play include, "I Am the Very Model of a Major General,” “Pour Oh Pour the Pirate Sherry,” and “Oh, Better Far to Live and Die” among many others
The cast is super hyped and has a lot to say about the upcoming show When talking to Lucas Sosa, he said, “ I think it's a good choice for the musical I think my part is fine as I didn't want a solo so it’s a good place (for me) My favorite song so far is “I Am the Model of a Modern Major General ” Another actor, Nehemiah Thomas, stated, “It’s pretty good it's a great choice We are going at an amazing pace so far, and I like my part!”
Overall, the cast and crew are very excited about this year's CDS Presents musical for 2025. While it is the final show for a number of 8th graders, it is also the first production for a number of 5th graders. The play will be performed on May 9th and 10th.The whole production team is working hard and looks forward to seeing a packed house.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Super Bowl Madness
Everything about the game, the food, and even a special poll
by Wynn Waterstredt
Two weeks ago, the Eagles and the Chiefs faced off in New Orleans to see who would hoist the Lombardi Trophy The Eagles ended up coming out on top with a great performance by the defense and an outstanding performance by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was also the Super Bowl MVP The Eagles defense had standout performances from Cooper DeJean and the defensive line. As a defense, they had six sacks, six tackles for loss and two interceptions. The Eagles also managed to put up 40 points and only allowed 22, most of which were garbage time touchdowns. This was an outright dominant performance by the Eagles which helped the soar to a Super Bowl victory.
Throwing a Super Bowl party is a big deal, especially when your team is in the game. And people are hoping that the food will be good. We here at the Hawk Weekly decided on the best foods for watching the big game and this is what we came up with. We agreed that Buffalo Wings are the best and most iconic food for Super Bowl viewing. We also agreed that Nachos and Chilli are also great mains Chips and Dip, Soft Pretzels and Pigs in a Blanket are some of the best snacks for viewing the big game Cookies, cupcakes, brownies and popcorn are also some of the top desserts and snacks When throwing a party for any game, these should be some of your go-tos
Finally, Hawk Weekly staff members worked on their interviewing skills by taking a trip to the Hickory Tree Plaza and interviewing people in the Ace Hardware, Shoprite, Dunkin Donuts and Gabe's Bagel We wanted to know if people would prefer that the Super Bowl stay the same day, be moved to a Saturday, or get moved to the Sunday before Presidents’ Day. Out of 17 people surveyed, 12 wanted it to move to Saturday, four wanted it to move to Presidents’ Day and three wanted it to stay the same. The NFL should take these opinions in consideration as the people have spoken.
While the football season is over, it certainly ended with a bang and there is still a lot to come with the NFL Draft and Free Agency, make sure to watch out this spring for the biggest NFL news.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Super Bowl Commercials 2025
The Best and the Worst for $8 million
by Ryan Hughes
While 127 7 million people tuned in to watch the 2025 Super Bowl, it is well known that many of them only watch the event to see the commercials For $8 million, companies were able to purchase 30 seconds of air space during this event Here is a review of some of these commercials that made the final show
Red Bull Super Bowl Commercial 2025 Flying Penguins. Penguins try to get wings with Red Bull. What many like about this ad includes the funny statements and the cute characters.
Lilo and Stitch Movie Commercial--Stitch invading the pitch-Stitch invaded the pitch and crashed a car during this commercial Many viewers enjoyed this commercial because they liked seeing Stitch cause chaos
Tom Brady's Duracell batteries-Tom Brady runs out of batteries in this humorous commercial We liked the roasts of the opposition: Energizer batteries.
Little Caesars pizza-A dad’s mustache flys off after eating Little Caesars. We thought it was weird and unsanitary and not creative enough for the price.
Baja Blast-- This commercial featured people on a boat spotting seals enjoying Baja Blast We liked the music, the play on musician Seal, and the graphics in this Super Bowl were worth the money
OPINION
BEST BASEBALL GEAR 2025
by Tayt Kent
The 2025 baseball season is coming right up as MLB players are reporting to Spring Training. Here is a look at the best items for each level of baseball.
Recreational Baseball:
Bat: The best bat that I would recommend for a recreational baseball player is either a speed bat, or if you can handle a heavier bat with a bigger barrel, it would be the USA 2025 Hype Fire bat. The Easton ADV is also a good bat for recreational use due to its weight and barrel.
Glove: The best glove for recreational baseball players would be the Mizuno MVP Prime because it can be used for both infield and outfield positions as a result of the size and make
Bag: The best bag for recreational baseball would be a simple Easton bat bag.
Other items: For recreational baseball, there really is no point or reason for accessories. For helmets, I would just recommend whatever fits and feels the best for the player.
Travel/ town baseball:
Bat: The best bat for travel level baseball would be the BBCOR Cat X but only because travel baseball does not all the use of USSSA so you have to use BBCOR.
Glove: The best glove that I would recommend to a travel baseball player would be the Rawlings a2000
Bag: The best bag depends on how much stuff the player needs in their bag, but it is safe to suggest a Boombah bag or an Easton bag.
Other items: A sliding mitt or sunglasses are really the only additional things to purchase. For a helmet, I would just say the same thing as the rec helmet, whatever feels good for the player
OPINION
continued from previous page
Club Baseball:
Bat: For a bat in this division, I would recommend either the Hype Fire 2024 or the Rawlings Icon 2025 but the 2025 Demarini Zen is also a good choice.
Glove: For gloves, the best glove would be the Rawlings Heart of the Hide 11.5. It is simply the best glove in the world right now
Bag: For bags, I would recommend getting your team bag, but if your team doesn't have one or if you don't want to buy the team one, I would just recommend getting a Boombah.
Helmet: For a helmet, again I would just recommend getting your team helmet, but if that's not a thing, then get whatever feels good Evoshield helmets are a good option
Other items: Other items for club players would be sunglasses, arm sleeves, sliding mitts, and chains.
Enjoy the season!
by Tayt Kent
FEATURE
Cooper Flagg
Basketball’s Next Rising Star
Cooper Flagg has been playing basketball ever since he could walk. Cooper is currently playing D1 basketball for Duke University as a freshman and is looking like the best player in college basketball right now. It is not a risky statement to say that he will likely be the number 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Cooper is originally from Maine and grew up playing high school basketball there. Cooper attended the Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine, but he played high school basketball for Montverde Academy.
Cooper Flagg is establishing a very good reputation for himself as multiple teams appear to be tanking right now to try and secure the number 1 pick--- just so that they can get him in the draft. Cooper Flagg’s current NBA comparison, according to the NBA analysts, is Scottie Pippen. This is likely due to their similar size and just the overall way they both play/played is very similar to one another Cooper Flagg, as of now, is on pace to have an excellent career and possibly go on to be an all time great basketball player.
Cooper Flagg’s best fit in the NBA would be either the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, or the Washington Wizards. At the Hawk Weekly, we believe that the Charlotte Hornets would be the best fit for him because they recently traded their starting rookie center, Nick Richards, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for multiple picks and a guard. This means that they now need a big man which Cooper would fit right into. We will see what happens at the 2025 NBA draft!
FEATURE
Visit Joyful Shoppe!
New store opens in Madison, NJ
By Jackson Walsh
Local CDS parent, Jenny Stone, who has a fourth and second grader at CDS, has opened up a new shop in Madison called Joyful Shoppe The store is located at 42 Lincoln Pl in Madison It opened on February first of this year. The store is focused on several aspects of art and connecting with community.
Jenny Stone said that the store is about “promoting artists and gathering people together.” The shop offers local artisans products, knitting and yoga classes, song and poetry nights, and works with local charity vendor, Blinkhow So far, the online reviews for the shop all give it five stars! One customer, Kara Burns, says, “It is very great for local artists and I will definitely return.” Cynthia Gutierrez says, “The shop is great for local Madison events and is close to the train station.”
The shop is quite successful so far and fits right into the community. The Madison community is small and welcomes the shop The close proximity to the train, the farmer’s market, and Main Street make it a place that many should visit. The store is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11-5pm, Friday 11-6pm, Saturday 11-3pm, and closed on Sunday and Monday.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Read Across America Week
March 3-7 at CDS
by Ryan Hughes
Read Across America is coming to CDS. In the first week of March, schools across America will be celebrating books in conjunction with the National Education Association. Over the course of the week, students will read books, create books, learn how books are made, and even dress up like the characters in their favorite books. The events will take place from March 3 to March 7.
Some of the events people should expect to see around CDS include: classroom door decorations, spirit week, and Drop Everything And Read time. The friendly competitions include teachers decorating their doors like a popular book cover, book raffles, and more. The week will begin with an author visit for 4th-8th graders and will end with a day dedicated to reading.
Be sure to follow the following spirit week schedule for this special week:
March 3rd is fan fanatic day where you dress up as your favorite player or team.
March 4th is tacky Tuesday where you definitely don’t match and dress yourself and do your hair in a crazy way.
March 5th is pajama day. Bring a stuffed animal.
March 6th is dressed as our favorite movie or book character
March 7th is dress as fancy as you can.
At the end of March students will be taking part in our annual March Madness book tournament and the focus will be on poetry!
Enjoy!
CDS SPORTS
PING PONG TOURNAMENT
REVIEW
PING PONG POPULARITY SKYROCKETS
byBenChu
Intherecentmonths,thepopularityofpingpong/tabletennishasskyrocketedintheCDS communityhavingmanypeoplehookedonthesport.Thepopularsportisverysimilartotennis andpickleball,wherethegoalistohittheballintotheenemy'sareasothattheyareunableto returnyourhit Becauseofthecoldweather,manypeoplehavedecidedtostayinsideandplay withCDS'newpingpongtableduringrecess Whatseemstoattractmanypeopletoplayingis thatregardlessofyourheightorage,anyonecanplaysincethereisnomovementinvolved
Pingponghasbecomesopopularinrecentweeksthatthelatesthousechallengewasaping pongtournamentbetweenhouses.Thetournamentworkedinabracketsetup,whereeach playercompetedina1v1withsomeoneintheirbracketinordertocontinueintothefinals.The playerswerechosenbythehousesbasedonskillandpingpongability.Theoverallwinnerwas VincentLinfromIlex,theninsecondplacewasOliverBuffumfromLarix, inthirdplacewas BenjaminChufromAuroraandinfourthplacewasMiaErdoganfromLarix.Eachmatchwas verycloseandalltheplayersplayedextremelywell.
Withthepopularityofpingpongcontinuingtoclimb,Iwoulddefinitelyrecommendgivingita tryatleastonceortwice
CDS SPORTS
THE CDS GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM STAYS UNDEFEATED
THE CDS GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM KEEP THEIR UNDEFEATED
RECORD WITH A 34-13 WIN AGAINST WINFIELD AND A 34-29 WIN AGAINST RUTGERS PREP TO END THE SEASON
byMichaelSebastian
OnThursday,February13,theCDSGirls’Basketballteamincreasedtheirundefeatedrecordto 4-0withalandslidevictoryof34-13athome.MaddieRichterledinscoringpointswitha whopping14points.SofiaMarcantoniowasclosebehindwith10points,consistingoftwo three-pointers.HonorablementiontoEmmyLewiswhoscoredherfirstbasketoftheseason thisgame.OnWednesday,February20th,theywerebackinactionwhentheteamtookdown RutgersPrep34-29asaseasonfinisher.Theyendedtheseasonundefeatedwithanow5-0 record SofiaMarcantoniowasthegame-scoringleaderwith14pointsconsistingoftwothrees Undoubtedly,itwasoneofherbestperformances MaddieRichterwasaclosesecondwith10 pointsalsoconsistingoftwothree-pointers CongratulationstotheCDSGirls’Basketballteam forallthehardworkandeffortthattheyputintothisseasonandwelookforwardtothefuture ofthisteam.
CDS SPORTS
CDS BOYS’ BASKETBALL
TEAM
TAKES DOWN WINFIELD AGAIN!
CDS BOYS’ BASKETBALL TEAM DEFEATS THE WINFIELD TEAM YET AGAIN CONTINUING THEIR UNDEFEATED STREAK!
by Douglas Swett and Ben Chu
On Thursday, Feb 13th, the CDS boys’ basketball team had another exciting game against the Winfield School, this time at the Winfield School The Chatham Day School boys’ basketball team pulled off another victory, but this time the game was much closer than the last game against the Winfield School. After a previous victory of at least 10 points, this time the overall score was 34-31. During this matchup, Winfield started players who were not present at the first game, with one player being over 6 feet tall
It is safe to say that the Winfield School basketball team played much better on their home court, which was notably much smaller than a standard basketball court. Although CDS had an all-around good game, it is important to note that the younger players of the team had a very good game, with almost every 5th grader scoring at least 2 points Tayt Kent was the lead scorer with 19 points and 5th grader Sochi Nwachuku as the second leading scorer with 5 points Six players scored points for the Hawks.
The boys will play their final game at home on Friday, February 21. They are currently 3-0 and hope to end the season like the girls. Good luck!
Jeff Harmon Will Visit CDS on March 3
Jeff Harmon trains to summit Kilimanjaro alongside CDS Business Director
By Ilies Benhadji
Jeff Harmon is a New Jersey resident who was diagnosed with a degenerative nerve condition in 2006. He wrote the book My Impossible, about resilience, determination, and the fact that nothing is impossible. He is going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in September of 2025, and he is also a business coach for middle-market businesses. Mr. Harmon will be meeting with the CDS 4th-8th graders on March 3 to talk about his plans, his life, and how to make the impossible things in their lives more possible
Harmon plans to scale Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, which soars over 19,000 feet. He's part of a "More Heart Than Scars," a group that helps those with disabilities reach the highest heights. When he visits CDS, some questions students might ask include: How did you recruit people to climb with you? How has your disease impacted your life? and How can we help?
CDS is lucky to be able to speak with Mr. Harmon before and after his climb. In addition to Harmon, CDS Business Director Dan Opperthauser will be taking on the adventure. If you are interested in joining his climb or donating to support his cause go to my impossible org
HOROSCOPES
by Ryan Hughes
Scorpio-You'll bake brownies.
Virgo-You will set off the lunk alarm at Planet Fitness.
Leo-You will pay the refs at the Super Bowl.
Cancer-You will act fishy .
Libra-Your name will change to Bob the Builder .
Aries-Always look up!
Pisces-Be sure to pack your bubbles!
Taurus- You will confess to stealing someone's closet door .
Capricorn-Stop being corny!
Aquarius-You will get a triangle on your quiz.
Sagittarius-Somebody thinks that you are special!
HAWK WEEKLY STAFF:
Benjamin Chu
Michael Sebastian Tayt Kent
Michael Sebastian
Wynn Waterstredt
Ryan Hughes
Ilies Benhadji
Jackson Walsh