Stuff & Things6
Student Privacy8
AVID Report Card10
VSCOGirls14
SPOTLIGHT:Vaping16
MediaRepresentation20
Tik Tok Popularity22
MBMSSports26
MiddleSchool Dating30
FRONTCOVER : VSCO girls are taking over the world. On the front cover, VSCO girls are having a Thanksgiving meal while conversing about students vaping and a school shooting drill.
BACK COVER : To celebrate the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving, TCC photo editors have compiled what fellow MBMSstudents and staff appreciate in their lives.
MOUNTBAKERMIDDLESCHOOL
62037THAVENUESOUTHEAST AUBURN,WASHINGTON98002
Welcome,MBMSstaff and students,totheNovember edition of theCanineChronicle.
November isa crazy month! First-quarter gradesareall set in stone, which meansreport cardsand parent-teacher conferences. Conferencesalso bring half days, wherestudentscan catch up on sleep or completeprocrastinated homework.
November kicks off the holiday season. We started the month with Veterans Day, to honor those who have served. Then Thanksgiving will come, followed by Black Friday. No matter how you celebrate,makesuretohavefun and besafe(especially on Black Friday).
Thisisalso thebeginning of a brand new school year. Therearenew teachers, new classes(such as HomeEconomicsand AVID)and newpolicies.
TCCisa student publication, created for studentsby seventh and eighth-gradersin thejournalism class. TCC uses students?freedom of speech granted by the first amendment. As student journalists, TCChasthefreeexpression to sharetheir opinionsat school aslongasit doesnot interrupt learning. ThismeansTCCwill gotheextramiletoprovideaccurateand unbiased information for MBMS.
TCCstaff have prepared several articleson varioustopicsto inform and entertain. Thereare pages dedicated to VSCO girls and Tik Tok?s gain in popularity. The spotlight can help many understand what the school is doing in order to prevent vaping on campus. Also, don?t forget to check out our TCCtradition, What Grinds My Gears.
Thisisthesecond out of theseven editionsof Volume X, the tenth volume of TCC. Keep your eyes peeled for our next edition outside the office or online!
Sincerely,
EDITORS
Sarah Anderson
Lily Barton
Leah Barracoso
Jhettah Baker
Hailey Caswell
Asher Maier
JaymeSingh
REPORTERS
Joon Ahn
Rebeca
Alvarez-Flores
Kylah Braack
Jaylah Brown
Peyton Burrell
Naomi Cho
AuroraDirkx
KeiraGan
REPORTERS
Mark Gato
CadeHuffman
EricaKang
MarissaMcLean
Rory Murry
JennaNutter
KeiraPierce
AndrewShrader
Gwen Teodoro
TCCeditors(from left to right), Lily Barton, Sarah Anderson, Asher Maier, Leah Barracoso, JaymeSingh, Jhettah Baker, and Hailey Caswell, cross"Abbey Road" on their way to the"Strawberry Fields." Each of thefour editor positions corresponds to a color worn by oneof thefour Beatleson their Abbey Road album cover.
REPORTERS
Alex Toth
Kendyll Webb
GraceWheeler
ADVISER
Peter Warring
PRINCIPAL
GregBrown
The MBMSJournalism II-III class produced this open public forum student newspaper with intent to ethically report eventsaccurately, without bias. Asan open public forum for students, all decisionsmadeon content aremadeby studentsunder theguidanceof the adviser, with intent to uphold students?First Amendment rights. The opinions presented in articles are provided to represent the views and perspectives of students and individuals in our diverse student population, not necessarily the whole of the adviser, faculty, and administrators. Any material that would cause a disruption to the educational process like libel, invasion of privacy, or copyright infringement will not bepublished. TheCanineChroniclehad adopted theSPJCodeof Ethics: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accurate and transparent. The Canine Chronicle is produced using LucidPress. Photographs not taken by students havebeen utilized through aCreativeCommonsand Microsoft license. School portraits arelicensed through Dorian Photography.
Asthemost common nomineea MBMS student is recognized by both staff and students.
Nominated by MBMSstaff and principal, eighth grader Ava Mitchell waschosen asStudent of the Month by the Auburn School District at 7 p.m., Sept. 16 in the James P. Fugate Administration building.
?I think [Ava] represents our school well and has done a lot over her yearshereat Mt. Baker to deserve that.? Principal Brown said.
Out of over 17,000 students in the district, each school nominates one student to represent their school. A student is then randomly chosen by the district and by great honor, Mt. Baker?s student isrepresenting our growing community of a school as of September of the 2019-2020 school year.
?I felt very surprised and happy as to getting this award,?? Ava Mitchell said. ?I also felt happy because I didn?t know the principalsknew methat well and to see that they nominated me, that was very scary.?
Although when the district chooses a student of the month, its completely random, There are many ways to be nominated by your school. Thenomineesareall typically eighth-graders and they?re chosen in the span of every other year, but everyonehas achance.
?Just stand out,whenever you see an opportunity to help people, go up and help them,?Ava Mitchell said. ?Try your best and if you feel like giving up, don?t because there?salwaysapath tosuccess.?
Along with giving the school great pride, many recognition and ?popularity? towards her happened in not only the school environment but elsewheretoo.
?I feel likeit gavemepopularity but not so often as well because I get mentioned as student of the month in the halls but also I didn?t tell a lot of people.? Ava Mitchell said.
Ava Mitchell?s accomplishment has made everyone proud, including her family. Her dedication to making thisa morehardworking and positive school is notably exceptional.
?She devotes a lot of time into schoolwork,? her twin sister McKenna Mitchell said. ?She is happy to be associated with positiveinfluences.?
The fact that there are many people looking out for Ava, she is still pushing hard through her academics, participating in school sports, and greeting those she meetswith asmile.
?To have a student like Ava as theperson that welcomesstudents and guests into our school each morning is a principal?s dream!? Principal Brown said in an Auburn School Press article. ?She represents herself and our school in the best way possible ? with kindness and integrity.?
A MBMS student isrecognized and chosen asstudent of the month almost every other year?
Eighth-graderAvaMitchell(above)waschosenasStudentof theMonthon September 16, 2019.Accordingtothe Auburnexaminer,BulldogCrewleader,BruceVatnesaid,?Avawas selectedas a BulldogCrewmemberbecauseof her positiveleadershipskills.Avawasan instrumentalpart of our SixthGradeOrientationDay.Shemadean immediate,positive connectionwith sixth-gradestudentsin her group. They loved working with her.?
You probably hear profanity everywhere. You may hear profanity in school,out of school,and any place you can think of. However, profanity may effect us and our school environment more than you think.
Profanity may vary from how you use it and when you use it. When profanity accidentally slips out of your mouth, the consequences may be a little more lenient compared to when you useit on purpose. Still you should try your best not to say any negative words according to Ms. Kelly, a PE teacher.
?A lot of times in PE [students will use profanity when they are] playing a game or they miss the ball or something happened and it just comes out.? Kelly said. ?Usually when it?s during the games, [I would] remind them, hey watch your mouth.?
Peoplemay useprofanity just because they think it makes them look cool and tough. Different stu-
dents may have different views or opinions on this. Seventh grader, Alaina Saeteurn commented that using profanity made students seem stronger.
?Well, for [studentswho useprofanity], I think it makesthem look tough becausethey?reall by themselvesso they can [say profanity] to whoever they want.?Saeteurn said.
A teacher and astudent'sopinion may differ on thismatter. Teachers may have a wider view because they have heard from a variety of students. Teacher, Diana Kelly, explained that studentswho useprofanity frequently may accidentally sound unprofessional when pursuingacareer.
?I think if kidsareused to saying those words at home or after school, that it sometimes just comes out because they're used to saying it, " Kelly said. "I feel like if school is[supposed] to help prepare people for the future, then we should also help prepare the language. When you get a job, you can't useprofanity... I mean, imagine if the teachers were swearing.
It's not a professional type of language.?
The useof profanity may increase as students get older. When you transfer from elementary school to middle school, there isa possibility you may hear more profanity from your friends or just around school.
Sixth-grader, Aaron Horiuchi, said that he can support the fact that people around him have started using more profanity when they moved to middleschool compared toelementary school.
Profanity sometimes can be ignored asaproblem. It may also affect studentsaround you in a negativeway. The person may act like it isno bigdeal when theprofanity is directed to them, but you don?t know how they actually feel deep inside.
?If... a bully is cussing someone out, like they can sometimes, [the receiver of the profanity] can get sad and cry about it.? Saeteurn said. "When someone else uses profanity another student might be doing it because they think it's
allowed."
A teachersperspectiveon theeffectsof profanity in middle school may be more elaborated because they have been in middle school longer than many of the students and have meet many different types of students. Profanity can impact what students feel about oneanother and can negatively affect students when they are in an occupation, Kelly concludes. Profanity is so frequent, that kids should know when and when not touseit.
?I think that it can lead to a lack of respect for other people, or a lack of respect for yourself, if you?re using it towards other people," Kelly said. "I don?t think it?s setting studentsup to besuccessful in life. It's not [a language] as adults in the workplace or in a professional-type setting [students] would use[in thefuture] But I also think it'sjust so common too, that, It's hard to distinguish that and I think there's maybe a better time to chooseprofanity and not a better time.?
Studentswho do not prefer to use profanity can explore their favorite alternatives to avoid swearing whileat school or anywhereelse.
Studentsin middleschool swear a majority of thetime. They may not realize how profanity could be inappropriate or how much they utilize swear words, such as eighth grader Jeremy Vargas.
?Like around 90%[of the people around me use profanity],? eighth grader Vargassaid.
On the other hand, there are many students who strictly use alternatives, like sixth grader Riley Hopkins. Avoidingsayingprofanity might be more comfortable for some.
?[I use alternatives] once every other sentence,?Hopkinssaid. People swear or use alternatives for a variety of reasons. For in-
stance, to avoid breaking school rulesor harmingothers.
?[Studentsswear] toget frustration or anger out or to show emotions toward others,? seventh grader Nikky Hatley said.
Swearing is hurtful to others and isused to be''cool?. Alternativesare a way for people to lessen the blow or to use words that are more appropriatefor school.
?[Profanity is] not ever the best way at a place like school,? Hatley said.
MBMS is filled with students swearing in the hallways, at lunch, or under their breath in class. If people didn?t swear at school, there would be an enormous change to theenvironment.
?To be honest, [middle schools] would be way safer and way less toxic,?Vargassaid.
According to the student handbook, profanity is against school
rules. Therefore, studentsthat swear at school arebreaking therulesjust tobe?cool?.
?Sometimeskidsdo it to try to be cool,but it?sjust not okay,?Hopkins said.
Some alternatives students use to replace profanity are heck, beach, shiz niz, fudge, frick, and shitaki mushroom.
?[I usealternativeswhen I?m] trying to say something, but I forget what I?m trying to say," Hopkins said.
Profanity might not be the best way to show emotions. Alternatives areaway to say thesamething, but alittlemorepolite.
?Although profanity isaway tolet anger out, there?s better ways to let anger out than using a word that is inappropriate for school,? Hatley said.
1.Frick
2.Crap
3.Shoot
4.Fluff
5.Bish
6.ChickenNoodleSoup
7.Ship
8.MotherTrucker
9.Fudge
10.Fork
"[Using profanity] can cause problems in someways, but if thestudent, isswearing or anything like that, [they are]doing it to be offensive or tobully someone..."
"Yeah. I don't know. It's just bad."
Morales
"I do. I think that it'sruining the safe environment. For most kids, they're used to going to elementary school or where they used to go to school..."
"I personally don't hear it enough to whereI would say it wasan issue... And when I do [hear profanity], I just ask them topleaserefrain."
MBMSstruggles with keeping lunch debt at a low number. Lunch debt is not the students problem, but mostly theparents.
The debt has been piled up for only three months and we are already at an extremely high number now. ?I think wealready havealmost $10,000 in debt for lunch, and that's a huge impact to our food program.? Principal Brown said.
Table Top Gaming Club joins MBMS, striking students imaginations and social skills greatly. Thisclub hasmadeanother great mark on MBMS. ?Not only do I love the hobby, I want to foster it to others.?Mr. Bratt, club director said.
This milestone of the new club is a beginningof somethingfor yearsto come. ?I want to keep [the club] going and just make this part of [our] community.?
As MBMS' population increases, the number of open lockersdecreases. Luckily, MBMSwill begainingmorelockerssoon.
?Thenewlockersaregoingto beon thebrick wall down by thegym,?Mrs. Baker said. ?There areabout 90 newlockersgoingin.?
The lockers are open to anyone who needs them, but mainly students who have multiple classesin the600 hall.
The new lockers were supposed to be added to MBMS this summer, but unfortunately, it wasdelayed. Thelockersshould beadded soon, asthebulletin board hasbeen taken down.
Hopefully, MBMS' locker problem will be solved with thisnewaddition.
With a new school year comesnew classes, oneof which istheleadership elective.
The new leadership elective allows students participating to have dedicated school time to work collaboratively with other studentsdedicated to servant-leadership. Theclassisn?t only about school leadership,however.
?Welearn about makingbetter choicesin our lives and what we can teach others [and how] wecan influencethem,?NinaBeckwith, asenator of ASB said. ?That?s the mission of leadership.?
Students in leadership speak about having a character, learning different word meanings, likekindnessand patience. People in ASB and theBulldogCrewareallowed toparticipate.
Mount Baker will continue to grow with the addition of aleadership elective,asit will teach studentstotakeastand and beconfident.
A wellnesssurvey wastaken thisyear for sixth graders. The survey is like a ?check yourself? test. All schools in the Auburn School District have students taking it. At MBMS just sixth graders have took it this year but in other schools some seventh and eighth graders have taken it. And maybenext year or other yearsto comeall gradeswill takeit at MBMS.
ThenewSLCprogram isaprogram tthat provides tailored support for a student's needs. Ms. Carlson is the new SLC program teacher. ?My kids are kids first and their needs may look different but all in all they are just kids likeeveryoneelse,"Ms.Carlson said. MBMS is an amazing environment for the SLCstudents. When Ms. Carlson wasin college, sheworked with alot of kidsthat had different needsand shesawthat not everyonelookspast their differences and it made her mad. This inspired her to takeaction and becomean SLC teacher.
KeiraGan
As the new school year has started, someadditionswithin the school?s security have affected many students?feelings.
Cameras located in the hallways have been a new addition this year. This has caught even moremisbehavingstudentsin the halls. Mr. Wenger, the campus safety officer can look over the security camerasto catch complicationsrelatingtostudents.
?[Thecameras] arespread out all over theschool,?Wenger said. ?So it?s nice to be able to go back to those if there?s a situation that there?snot an adult supervision or eyeson, you can go back and look at that.?
Although there hasn?t been an increase in students misbehaving in past years, the way that students have been misbehaving has changed. Vaping, a new trend among middle and high school students, has made its way to MBMS.
?Wehave[cameras] in thebathrooms, we have vaping sensors," Wenger said. "So, when it senses the vapors in the air it catches that and sendsanotification.?
Another security installment that theschool hasintroduced are E-hallpasses. e-Hallpassisan onlinepassthat requiresthestudent to sign in on their Chromebooks, and createapass.
?It?s kind of a hassle to open up and have to ask for permission like, ?can you stop my pass??and ?can I set up apass???eighth grader LukeSullivan said.
Other students, especially sixth graders, don?t notice the difference as it has been normal for them tousethee-Hallpass.
?I knowhowto useit,but I don?t really use it at all,? sixth grader
Audrey Han said.
Although many studentsdislike the e-Hallpasses, it has allowed teachers to know who is out on a
pass. If there is ever a time that teachers or Mr. Wenger needs to know who was out in the hall, then thee-Hallpassesmakeit easier tofind thestudent.
"I havethee-Hallpassup on my laptop in the middle of the hallway," Wenger said. "And I can see who?s going where, who?s doing what, and who?sbeen out for how long."
As students have played games
on their Chromebooks, Securly has been added in an attempt to prevent games. Securly is a software that was placed on students? Chromebooks as of last year. ?But the kids always find new ways [to play games],? Sullivan said.
?It?s just not really anything that?sproductive, so I seeno point in it,?Han said.
Students have had a problem
with Securly blocking educational websites from the Chromebooks leavingthem tofind other waysto research.
?Therearesomeacademic pages that I would use, but then it won?t let me,? seventh grader Payton Eklund said.
Eklund included that he doesn?t play gamesduring class unless he is instructed to do so. Those who play games during class have sometimes distracted him from hisschool work.
"[Playing games] it'sjust not really anythingthat'sproductive, so I seenopoint," Han said.
Despite the fact that Securly blocksmany academic websites, it does itsjob with blocking the inappropriatewebsites.
?I guessit just keepsthekidsfocused and on what they are supposed todo,?Sullivan said.
"In thebathrooms, wehave vapingsensors, so when it sensesthevaporsin theair it catchesthat and sendsa notification."
-MR .WENGERA drawing of a student skipping classto text her friend using an E-hallpasstaken by a security camera. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY K. GAN
Doeshavingsomanysecuritymeasuresinvadeyour privacy?
"Yes, I think the extra security measures kinda invade my privacy because I don't want anyone to be like behind my back and watching everything I do. I also think there can be some good to it as well, for example something suspicious can happen in the halls and the security can prevent it from happening."
"I do, becauseI feel it is making meself conscious about when I'm being watched and I feel likeI can never really do anything without theschool knowing about it."
"Nobecauseif,like,a [person] with a weapon comesthen weneed these things."
"I thinkit benefitsour school environment becauseinawayit causesstudentstofeel theneedto behavewhichcauseslessfights betweenstudents."
"Securly mainly invadesmy privacy. It blocksanything, even if it isn't negative in any way, andI don't like how it trackseverything you do online."
"No. I think the security cameras is a good thing, it makes me feel safer in a way. For example, if there's some sort of rumor going around, or someone that's going around and doing things to people, it would be possible to check cameras and see who would be doing it."
"No. I do not misbehave in class or when I'm out in the bathroom. I don't mind having cameras in the halls, or the security guard."
"Yes, sorta. Cameras to me is just multiple eyes watching every move I take. I don't really like the fact that we are getting or have more cameras. It makes me feel like we can't be trusted. I would understand why though."
The Canine Chronicle anonymously surveyed almost 400 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders about whether or not they felt asif theschool wasinvading their privacy by taking additional security measures.The new AVID elective and procedures this year have impacted many students because of its way of changing the normal habitsstudentshavebeen using.
AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, isaprogram focused to help studentsget college-ready.
AVID was added to MBMS to help students prepare for their future, starting off with electives, special binders,and notes.
?[AVID] taught me to be more proficient with my work, and be more efficient with my tests,? eighth grader AzannaDavissaid.
Davisisapart of theAVID elective MBMS has added this year, and so far she has seen lots of
improvement.
?I have a better grade so far,? Davis said. ?Last year, I had two C?sand nowthat?sall A?sand B?s.?
This is also the case for other students. At the end of the first quarter last year, 14 percent of seventh and eighth graders had an F in at least one class. This year, thereareonly 10 percent of F'sin thefirst quarter.
Along with grade improvements, seventh grader Francine Aboy hasalso noticed changesin theway sheworked and studied.
?[AVID has] the paper to write down when assignmentsaredue,? Aboy said. ?I learned how to take notesbetter and managemy time better.?
Principal Brown mentioned that thisisjust thestart of AVID
at MBMS, and more parts of it will beadded in upcomingyears.
?Our goal isto add asixth grade [elective] next year,? Brown said. ?[We will] continue to add where we have multiple seventh grade electives and multiple eighth gradeelectives.?
Sixth grader Issac Romero agreed with the idea of having the AVID program for sixth graders to support the switch from elementary school.
?With sixth graders, thisistheir very first time being at a different school,? Romero said. ?There?s a lot of changes, and middleschool isharder than elementary school.?
Even though AVID has helped many studentsso far,someareon theother side. 26 percent of stu-
dentssaid they thought therewas no positiveimpact of AVID?saddition to MBMS. An anonymous source voiced their concerns about AVID procedures.
?AVID puts restrictions on us, from the way we take notes to what our binder lookslike,?They said. ?Who cares what my notes look like, all that matters is whether or not I know the information.?
Many students have their own opinions of AVID as well as teachers, but it is a new program that will take time to figure out and get accustomed to.
?There?s not a lot of teachers that have been taking in all [of AVID], but it has helped some kids in our school a lot.? Aboy said.
Most of MBMS students know that feeling whenever wehear the intercom come on. The ?At this time we will be going on lockdown?voice coming over the speaker. In reality it?s just them calling down sports teams. We?ve had a few threats at this school whether it?s just posting a picture of a gun or a rumor from a student. But the real question is, what would students do if there was an active shooter in the school?
Therehavebeen over 110 school shootings over the years worldwide. Thefirst ever recorded school shooting happened near Moses Lake, Washington in 1997 and themost recent happeningon November 14, 2019 in Santa Clarita, California. MBMS studentsneed tobeprepared.
Sandy Hook Elementary recently made a commercial not only to honor the victims involved in the school shooting that occurred there in 2012, but to also spread awareness about school shootings. ?It?s back to school time and you know you what that means. School shootings are preventable when you know the signs.? The commercial said.
As scary as it sounds, it is a necessity in this school environment. We?reall supposed to feel and be safe at school, but school gun violence has been getting worseand worseover the years and it?s time students prepare.
Some universities, including Lehigh University, havenot only had a drill, but also have an emergency app. The Lehigh "Hawkwatch" app is a downloadable app that allows students to be alerted and alert emergency responders and other supportive services about emergencieson campus.
Principal Brown made the statement during a conference that we will be having a ?Run, Hide, Fight Drill?coming before winter break to help students prepare for the worst. The followingareyour choices: Run.
?The number one choice is always one is that if you can run, run. I?m not goingto even tell you where to run. You just run and run and run,? Principal Brown said. ?If you run home, fantastic, if you run to Albertsons, fantastic.?
Leave your belongings and run asfast asyou can until you find a secureplacefar from thebuilding. Try to takepeoplewith you, but if they stall or don?t want to go, leave them behind and save yourself. But the running choice only goes for if there is a considerable distance between
you and thegunfire. Hide.
?A big part of the hide is that you?regoingto takeevery tablein the room, every file cabinet, and you'regonnapileit all against the door so they can?t get in.?Brown said.
If the shooter is to close to you, hide in an area out of the armed person?s point of view, and try to choose a room with thicker walls and less windows. You also will need to turn off thelights, silence your phones, and close windows, shades,and blinds.
If the shooter is outside and your only choiceisto hide, find a place that will provide protection like a brick wall or trees. But overall, whether you?re inside or outside, wait for the all clear signal from law enforcement to comeout of hiding. Fight. It will alwaysbeyour last
resort.
?If there?s a shooter that comes in thisroom, you can?t just sit and watch. You just can?t. You need to fight.? Brown said. ?You could grab the flagpole because it has a pointy tip and stab them in the eye. I mean seriously. You haveto think about everything you can createtoprotect yourself.? Along with throwing items that will disrupt the actions of the shooter likefireextinguishersand chairs, you may also act with physical aggression.
Theschool will begoingover all of the strategies possible for this situation beforewego on break in December. But also alert staff of any suspicious behavior with a student. You never know. You could be saving lives.
Six new teachershavejoined our staff at MBMSfor the2019-2020 school year, and they share their experiences.
Mr. Bratt isa seventh gradesocial studiesteacher at MBMS.
Bratt is very excited to be working in a middleschool likeMt. Baker.
"I wanted to find a position in Washington, and I taught high school for thepast twelveyears," Bratt said, "Middle schoolershaveacertain energy,and it'sfun toseethem pick up factsas you goalong."
Bratt also shared onefun fact about himself,hecan singeight different national anthemsin their nativelanguage.
Mr. Johnson is an English language arts teacher at MBMS.
Johnson explained why hecametoBaker
"I wasliving in Turkey last year, and I interviewed with Mr. Brown via Skype," Johnson said, "So, I wasreally just looking for that, an opportunity, you know. I kindahavean uniqueresumeI think that maybenot everybody would beexcited about."
Johnson shared a very interesting fun fact, that he had been in a 1980's-90'sBritish pub cover band called The Suspects, who played at local pubs.
Ms. Smith teaches kitchen science, also well known ashomeeconomics,teacher at MBMS.
Smith explained where her passion for teachingcamefrom.
"I think [my passion for teaching] stemmed from playing sportsand then coaching." Smith said. "A teacher I had also noticed that I would beagood teacher, and I considered teaching."
Smith's fun fact that she shared was that she has a brother exactly twoyearsyounger than her,samebirthday and everything.
Ms. Carlson is a Special Learning teacher at MBMS.
Carlson talks about her future here at Baker.
"I do plan to stay at Baker...I'm looking forward to developing aprogram that really emphasizeslifeskills," Carlson said. "Life skills are a big focus of special education classes, [it] pusheskidstodotheir best academically."
Carlson also sharesafun fact about herself, shehaswritten fivenovels, isworkingon asixth novel,and ishopingfor later publication.
Algebra1Teacher
Mrs. Lenway-Goucher is an Algebra 1 teacher at MBMS.
LG (short for Lenway-Goucher) was actually not well at math while growing up, and her story had opened her eyes.
"I've always really liked math, and I was actually terrible at math when I wasin middleschool." LGsaid. "I earned very poor gradesand I just didn't find myself carrying [math] at all, but eventually my eyes wereopened by ateacher whoexplained it tome."
Onefun fact LGshared wasthat shehad lived in South America for multipleyears.
Mr. Spencer is the new librarian at MBMS. Spencer hastaught at variouselementary schools such as Alpac, Chinook,and Arthur Jacobson.
Spencer shareshisteachingexperiences.
"I have taught for 30 years in elementary schools." Spencer said. "[I have taught] 11 years as a third-grade teacher... and then,19,asan elementary librarian."
Spencer has taught at various elementary schools such as Alpac, Chinook,and Arthur Jacobson.
A fun fact about Spencer isthat heused to be a professional storyteller.Hewaspaid toperform bookstokids.
Do you think having AVID improvesyour learning?
J.H.: No,becauseit?sjust thesame aslast year but with morerules and restrictions.
M.B.: No,last year my sister was hereand shesaid it wasbetter without it.
H.D.: Yes,it helpsstudentsstay moreorganized.
J.M.: Yes,becausenowmorepeopleknowabout thehandbook .
Do you think E-Hall passesare moreefficient?
J.H.: No,becauseit takeslonger to get towhereyou?regoing.
M.B.: Yes,becauseif kidsaregone for toolong,usingthebathroom, or goingtotheir locker,then the teacher can say,hey thesekidsare doingsomethingweird.
H.D.:It can beefficient,but maybe it would bebetter if therewere threepassesinstead of two.
J.M.: Yes,becauseteacherscan knowwhereyou?regoing,and
they can seeif you?retrying toget somewhereor if you?retryingtohangout with afriend.
Doeshaving anew start time affect you?
J.H.: It doesn?t affect me,because it?sjust 10 minutesand 10 minutesdoesn?t really domuch becauseI still wakeup at thesame time.
M.B.:It can help people,get ready for school and get breakfast
H.D.: It doesaffect mebecauseI get tosleep more.
J.M.: It doesn?t affect me,all it doesisgivememoretimetoget ready for school.
What hasMBMSgained by adding new teachers?
J.H.: It freesup moreopportunity for kidstolearn with moreclassroomsand subjects.
M.B.:It?sbeneficial for peoplewho want tolearn becausenewteacherscan help them.
H.D.:I likethenewelectivesbecauseI haveHomeEc. thisyear, and I didn?t haveit last year.
J.M.: Teachersmight knowmore thingsthan other teachers.
With theweek of vaping awareness, how do you think MBMSishandling vaping?
J.H.:They?rehandlingit okay
M.B:Not good becauseI?vestill seen peoplecomeout of thebathroomswith vapes.
H.D.:They?rehandlingit okay, however,teensstill vapebut it?s not theschool?sfault.
J.M.: Good because,when I wason thefootball team oneof theplayersvaped and theschool caught him.
What do you think will help stop theincreasein student lunch debt?
J.H.: Stop givingstudent?sfree lunch.
H.D.:Priceson lunchescould be
lower.
J.M.: They could chargelessfor lunch.
M.B: I don?t know.
Do you think theWIAA madea good decision on changing how all gradescould beon varsity?
J.H.: No,if sixth graderswereon varsity they may hold back the team.
M.B.:Yes,It helpspeoplewho want toplay havean opportunity toplay.
H.D.: Yeah,it opensup an opportunity for peopleat ayounger age.
J.M.: Yes
How safedo you feel at MBMS?
J.H.: Yes,I feel safe.
M.B.:I feel safe.
H.D.: I feel really safe.
J.M.: I feel pretty safebecausethe teacherswatch over usnomatter what.
Do you think thenew SLCprogram ishelping students?
J.H.: Yes,becauseit helpsnot only thedisabled kidstointeract with people,but peoplewhoaren't disabled themselves,it helpsthem around peoplewho aren't really used tobeingaround disabled people.
M.B.:I think it'sabetter change for peoplewho haveadisability becausethey can socializewith others.
H.D.: I likeit becausewe'renot separatingdifferent peoplebecauseof their abilities.
J.M.: Yeah,becausethey get the careand education they need.
Lottery is a way of gathering students' opinions on a topic by selecting random lockers from each grade, and interviewing those who own the lockers. The students interviewed are Jenny Hwang (eighth), Justin Martinez (seventh), Hayden Deschane (seventh),and Mason Brewer (sixth).
The VSCO girl trend that has increased in popularity over the past summer has gained the attention of teenagersat MBMSand theworld.
Like many other trends, the VSCOstylequickly becamepopular mostly among teenage girls. Social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have spread the trend to girls around theworld.
?I found out [about thetrend] on aYouTubechannel,?8th grade scienceteacher Ms. Davissaid.
VSCOgirlsaredefined mainly by appearance. Ordinary VSCO girlshaveaset of specificitems that they wear and use.
TheseitemsincludeHydro Flasks,scrunchies,Birkenstocks, PuraVidabracelets,and over sized shirts. SomeVSCOgirlsincorporatephrasessuch as?sksksk? and ?and I oop?intoeveryday
conversations.
?I think,HydroFlask, scrunchies,Birkenstocks,Crocs, PuraVida[areconsidered part of thetrend],?sixth grader Avery Mooresaid.
Accordingtoan all-school survey,themajority of studentsat MBMSdonot participatein the popular trend. However, 14.6
percent at MBMSstill feel the need toparticipate.
Thetrend iswell-known because of social mediaand howfast everythinggetsout tothepublic's eyes.When other trendsend,new onesbegin.
?Peopleget bored easily sothey just want tomoveon tothenext thing,?Ms.Davissaid.
Whiletherearemultiplewaysthe trend could havestarted,but social mediahelped themost. YouTuberssuch asEmmaChamberlain,Eden Cha,and SaraJoy advertised thestyleon their channels.
?I think basically likeeverythingthat wasbeachy or trendy or used in Instagram it kind of becameVSCO,?Mooresaid.
AccordingtoaVSCOgirl article that Buzzfeed wrote,aVSCOgirl is?arehash of a2000sbeach girl? but with anewtypeof style. The laid-back styleattracted many morepeopletocontributetothe trend.
?...There?salot of different styles of it,soit?snot just onething,? Mooresaid.?Everybody can kinda beVSCOin their own way.? Likeprevioustrends,theVSCO girl trend alsoreceivesbacklash. Somepeopleconsider them ?annoying?or ?basic?becauseof their outgoingpersonalitiesand outfits. ?Some[VSCOgirls] areover the top and someof them arefine,but most of them areover thetop,? seventh grader Dayton Stewart said.
Trendsaren?t forever and sometimeVSCOgirlswill havetogo away likeall theother old trends. ?I?veseen so many trendscome and gothat I?m not really worried,?Ms.Davissaid.?I mean,I knownext year it won?t bea thing,so it?sfine,for awhileit lastsand then we?ll moveon to thenext trend."
"There's a lot of different styles to it, so it's not just one thing. Everybody can kinda be VSCO in their own way."
-AVERYMOORE
HaileyCaswell
VSCOisapopular trend with variousstyles, phrases, and activities. TheVSCOtrend hascaught theattention of many teens. Whilesomepeoplesay thetrend isnot worth their time,othersthink thetrend isaway toexpressthemselves. Hereisalist of thebasicitemsneeded tobecomeaVSCOgirl.
VSCO girlsusescrunchiesfor their wristsand hair. Thetypical way to do their hair isin amessy bun with ascrunchieholdingit up. The most basic VSCO outfit is either in an over sized T-shirt or tie-dye.
2 3 4 5 6
They useareusablewater bottleand strawto?Savetheturtles?.Plastic can fracture internal organsof turtles. If they happen to consume plastic, they can becomemorebuoyant than they naturally would be, or theturtlesmight not surviveat all. Thisleadsto lessreproduction rates.
Crocs, Vans, and Birkenstocks are the shoes that VSCO girls like to wear. They normally wear Birkenstockswith tall or fuzzy socks. Their most typical choiceof Vansisslip-on vans. They wear many different kindsof Crocswith tubesocks.
PuraVidaisaclothingstorethat isapopular for VSCOgirlstoshop at. They also get Pura Vida bracelets which are bracelets made with string and/or beads. VSCO girls also make their own. The jewelry VSCO girls wear is Puka shell necklaces. They have a sort of beach theme to their style. Another place to find a VSCO girl, is at Starbucks. The most popular drink a VSCO girl is seen with is the pink drink. VSCO girls post aesthetics on the editing app called VSCO.
This is a camera that produces a printed picture within seconds. It comesin many different colorsand VSCOgirlsuseit to decoratetheir wallswith thesepictures. TheFjalraven backpack hasacasual look to it VSCOgirlswear it instead of apurse.
Air-pods are wireless headphones. Not all VSCO girls have these because they are expensive. Some of the VSCO girls that do have these decoratetheir airpod caseswith VSCO stickers. Carmex isa chapstick that VSCOgirlsuse,or asasubstitute,Burt?sBeeschapstick.
AsherMaier
Vaping has taken the United States by storm; MBMS is no exception.
Campus Safety Officer Mr. Wenger said this school year has had "twelve reports" of studentsvaping, ten of which were "caught in the act." MBMS administration has been working to prevent vaping, but Principal Brown is keeping the information confidential until the solutionsarefully implemented.
"I can?t bemorespecific about the other [new ways we?re preventing vaping] only because they?re not solidified yet and I don?t want to put it out there
until they?re for real," Brown said.
Whilemany solutionsmay be in the process of being implemented, therestill existsat least one way to detect vaping: vaping sensors in student bathrooms. Wenger said the bathrooms are the "highest area of vaping."
"There are vape detectors so when kids will smoke in the bathroom, therewill beasensor in the there for the vapors in the air and it will send us an alert to our computers and cell phones," Wenger said.
Along with the vape detectors and security cameras, e-hallpass
"There are vape detectors so when kids will smoke in the bathroom, there will be a sensor in the there for thevaporsin theair..."
hasbeen used to determinestudentswho arevapingby finding possible suspects depending on wherethevapingoccured.
"E-hallpass is a great tool for us to figure out who is in the hallway at what time, what bathroom they're in, what classroom they?re coming from if they?re meeting up with kids in a certain class," Wenger said. "E-hallpass is very helpful with
alot of our investigations."
With avariety of availableresources to use when investigating vaping, each individual investigation can beexecuted differently, depending on how the situation begins.
"...How we go about investigating situations is a little bit different [each time]," Wenger said. "We got cameras all over the place now. We got cameras
--MR .WENGER
in the hallway [and] cameras in the cafeteria so we'll go back to those when we need to. [We?ll talk to] students,teachers,whoever wecan."
Once an investigation is complete, if a student is caught vaping or in possession of avapethen they?retypically given a one day in school suspension Brown said.
Wenger said they are also required to take one of two instructional classes: a Powerpoint created by Stanford or an insight class with the Nexuscounselor,Mrs. King.
"The insight class [are] eight sessions and it basically goes over the effects of drugs and alcohol, refusal skills, and different aspects of drug and alcohol abuse," King said. "Just a
JennaNutter
1.Vapingcanweakenyourimmunesystem
2.Vapescontainsnicotine,ahighlyaddictive drugwithknownhealtheffects.
3.Nicotinecanaffect braindevelopment and functioninginyoungpeople
4.E-cigarettescancontainotherharmful substancesbesidesnicotine.
5.E-cigarettesarenot riskfree
lot of information around drugs and alcohol so that kids can be more awareof theeffectsand howthepeoplearound them affect their choices."
The insight class is used to try to prevent students from vaping in the future. However, as King said, the best thing to do to stop vaping is to "never even try."
"First time decisions are a choice," King said. "Going against a first time decision, the second time around is harder, becauseyou already madethe choice. So if you don't have the willpower to avoid doing it once, [you] better be careful, because you'll need at least double the willpower to avoid doing it again."
1. Vapingis100%betterthancigarettes
2.Vapinghasnohealthrisks
3.Vapingiscool
4.Youcan't get addictedtovaping
5.Vapingisjust watervapor *CompiledfromPennMedicineandCenter
LeahBarracoso
Underage vaping is a dilemma all over thenation. Fourteen percent of the2,000 with lung injury due to vaping are under 18, said theCDC.
Vapes?original purpose was to stop cigaretteusersfrom smoking. TheCDC(Center for DiseaseControl and Prevention) said, "Vapes work by heating up a liquid known as e-juice within the device. Thisliquid evaporatesinto a vapor that is inhaled, thus the word vape."
?The liquid can contain: nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinoid (CBD) oils, and other substances and additives,? the CDC said on their website.
?THC is the psychoactive mindaltering compound of marijuana that producesthe?high.??
Up until recently, no one knew the long-term effects of vapes. The CDC now understands that vaping can result in lung injury, which may be caused by vitamin E acetate which can thicken ejuiceand can imitateTHC.
?Vitamin E acetate usually does not cause harm when ingested as a vitamin supplement or applied to theskin,?theCDCsaid. ?However, previous research suggests when vitamin Eacetateisinhaled, it may interferewith normal lung functioning.?
Since this information is fairly new, the CDC is not completely sure whether this vitamin is the
only cause. This means there is a higher risk of gettinglunginjuries from vapes where the ingredients in thee-juiceisunknown.
The latest national and state findings suggest products containing THC, particularly from informal sources like friends, or
"When you start using nicotine products under the age of 26, nicotine actually rewires your brain..."
-PATRICIAALTWATER
Thispictureshowsthevarioustypesof e-cigarettes. Thefifth onefrom theleft istheJuul, an e-cigaretteknown for its flashy commercialsand fruity flavorsto attract younger audiences. To combat students' interest in Juuls, thecompany isremoving itsmint flavor from theshelves. PHOTO COURTESY
2051
family, or in-person or online dealers, arelinked to most of the cases and play a major role in theoutbreak,?theCDCsaid.
Thesediscoveriesonly increase the hazardous effects of vaping on minors, especially those who haven?t smoked cigarettes prior.
University of Washington?s director of health promotion, Patricia Altwater said, vapes already exposeteenagersto chemicals such as nicotine, that can ruin a middle or high school student?sfuture.
?When you start usingnicotine products under the age of 26, nicotine actually rewires your brain to predispose you to addiction for the rest of your life,? Altwater said in a video to edu-
78%
Casesof lunginjuries caused by vaping in theU.S.
44%
cateabout vaping.
Somevapelegally to copewith anxiety or to quit smoking, yet teenagers who vape illegally are putting their lives on the line.
According to MBMS?s Principal Brown, students and teenagers vape to feel ?cool? and because students are oblivious to the effects.
?I think that [the middle school age] of kids and high school age of kidsare infatuated by technology, and a vape is a piece of technology,? Principal Brown said. ?It seemscool and it seems like it?s not harmful because it?s not smoking and it doesn?t really stink and... I don?t think kids realize it?s hurting them.?
39
MBMS students that knowafamily memberwhovapes
Deathsin24states intheU.S
86%
EricaKang
Diversity is affected every day in theonlineworld, but it?s often hard to tell whether thestepssociety are takingaremovingrepresentation forwardor backward.
Some people log onto Twitter or Instagram and see celebrities, TV shows, movies, books and artwork,
and don?t necessarily see themselves. Some people open up social media and see themselves surrounded by familiar comfortingfaces.
The representation of the Asian minority, (specifically the Korean minority), saw a sharp increase in the past few yearswith the popularity of K-pop.
Bands such as BTS have
been on the rise and will likely continueto do so; but with that stardom comes a fanbase that can get creepy at times and begin to warp Korean culture.
?...I began tooverhear some disturbing comments. ?I wish I was a Korean girl so my bias would like me!??
SameeraKhan said in Affinity article?TheRiseof K-pop
and theFetishization of Korean Men.? ?...[Shouting] phraseslike?All Korean guys are so cute!?lumps all Korean men into some sort of stereotypical twisted beauty ideals one has created.?
Accompanying the K-pop trend, fans had taken to ?shipping? (pairing) members of idol groups of all
"...
really. I don't really pay attention."CameronBernard SEVENTH GRADE
"Kind of. There's somethings that represent, you know, bisexuality. But there are some that are negative, so it doesn't really feel that much representation."
To be perfectly honest, I do distance myself from media as much as I can, but I guess I feel somewhat represented... Social media is hard, becausewetend to surround ourselves with like minded people and people who have similar backgrounds... In bigger picture stuff, racially speaking, I would say no. So yeah, I guess it just depends."
genders.Someof them point at small interactions between members and scream about how gay they are, despite many of these members having never revealed their sexuality or loveinterests. It?s harmful to both Korean idolsandfans.
?How much does wishing two hot guys or girls were sleeping with each other mean that you care anything about gay rights?? wrote a Beyond Hallyu user by the pen name "sophie." ?Do the people calling Amber Liu ?oppa? know how heteronormativetheir comment is and is there even a possibility that this could pave the way for a broader acceptanceof transpeople?? Asfor LGBTQ+representation,isthecommunity
being led by a majority of heterosexual Caucasian men andwomen?
ELA teacher Mr.Cope,who identifiesasagay male, advised the Q&A Club during the 2018-2019 school year. Cope,aTaylor Swift fan,said some of his friends disagreed with the message Swift sent in her song "You NeedToCalmDown."
?I?m not saying I agree with [my friends?opinions]
but I have had friends who did watch the music video and say, ?Swift put gay people on a platform or promoted them [asa] stereotype and promoted a lot of the stereotypesof gay and queer culture,? Cope said. ?[They said] that makes them look like characters more than actual people.?
Representation has improved in some aspects, however. In the movie, It Chapter Two, the sequel to
the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King, it starts off with the murder of a gay couple. While this may not seem positive, it?s a testament to what some queer peoplestrugglethrough.
?I thought it was positive representation in the way it reminds people ?Hey, this still happens,?? Cope said. ?Even in 2019, gay couples are still being targeted and attacked. [The movie] framedit asan injustice.?
?I thought [It Chapter Two] waspositive representation in the way it reminds people ?Hey, [bigoted violence] still happens?...?
--MR.COPE
GwenTeodoro
Astheapp climbsin popularity, TikTok has been gaining many teen usersfrom all over theworld. With their short, fun, lip-sync, and original videos, the possibilities of this app are endless.
For thosewho don?t know, there was an app called Musical.ly that was created in 2014 in Shanghai. Musical.ly was originally owned by Musical.ly INC., which was founded by Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang. The app TikTok was later launched in September 2016 by ByteDance, and quickly became one of the most downloaded apps in theworld.
Then in December 2017, ByteDance purchased Musical.ly, for about one billion dollars. Then on August 2018, the two apps merged together. Musical.ly usersweresurprised that morning with a new look and name. Their app had turned into TikTok, what weall knowtoday.
?By bringingtogether thebest of TikTok and Musical.ly,?asTikTok said. ?TikTok now becomes the world?s number one go-to destination for short-form video content creation and consumption.?
Many MBMS students use the app. Many reasons why people downloaded TikTok can range from the app being fun, and originally downloading it as a joke, but then seeing that TikTok
can be very entertaining. Eighth-grader Tyler Kuemper also has another reason to have the app.
?Probably becausethevideos, its kind of like Vine. The way Vine, like blew up,? Kuemper said. ?[TikTok's] sort of that kind of energy. It's like funny videos that areentertaining.?
Vine is also a short video app that was launched in January 2013. Vinewasthereason why so many creatorsand memesbecame well known throughout pop culture. Unfortunately, in January 2016 the app was shut down. Many peopletoday missVine.
However,theother studentsthat don?t have TikTok say the app is bad and can hurt friendships. Still, others that haven?t got the app still say positive comments about TikTok. Eighth grader Uni Ukpe clearly likes to stay on the positiveside.
?If I did get a TikTok account the reason would be that its an entertaining app for when you?re bored,? Ukpe said. ?There really isn't any embarrassing TikToks everything is free, and the most weirdest cringiest videos still makeyou laugh.?
Of thestudentsthat usetheapp, a little more than half of them downloaded the app before the summer of 2019. Some even had theapp sinceMusical.ly.
?I downloaded [TikTok] when it was Musical.ly,? Kuemper said. ?And it was like super popular to
With agood amount of students downloading TikTok during the summer before this school year, somemight wonder why so many people downloaded the app, and seventh-grader Cloe Orzechowski might knowwhy.
?I saw like other people were [downloading TikTok] and I thought like it seemed cool,? Orzechowski said. ?Some people like they have gotten famous off
TikTok has been taking over many students' time, and many would say their time was not wasted. Thisfun app hasso many videosto watch, they can takeyou out of abad mood. Makingvideos too is fun for a lot of students, with friends and original ideas. Who knowshow TikTok will do in the future, but we know right now, TikTok isdoing pretty good.
COMPILEDBYKEIRAPIERCE
Disney+is Disney's new streaming service that was released on November 12., 2019. It has movies and TV shows from Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and National Geographic. Please note that these are not real Twitter accounts or Tweets,instead afaketweet generator wasused.
AsherMaier
Untitled Goose Game is a game in which you are rewarded for bothering everyonein thearea.
Thisvideo gameisan Indie game developed by House House and published by Panic.
One of the creators, Michael McMaster, was not available during the time of thepublication.
In this game, you play as a goose with one mission: to attack, bother, and annoy everyonein sight.
"It is a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible goose," Tom Marks said in the IGN review titled "UntitledGooseGameReview."
"You run around a lovely, minimalist English village honking, flapping your wings, and generally doing goosethingsasyou clear off a hand-written checklist full of
mischievoustasks."
Your goal as a goose is to torment all the villagers in the game by stealing their stuff, trappingthem, or ruining their day. The village these miserable people inhabit is made of five different locations: a garden, town, backyard, pub, and model village. Each location has their own set of tasks that "[centers] around ruining people?s days," said Nathan Grayson, author of the article, Untitled Goose Game: TheKotakuReview.
"Each environment seamlessly flows together, but you?ve got to complete most (though not all) objectiveson alist beforeyou can moveon tothenext," Grayson said.
This sandbox game opens up several waysto completea
single task. Whether it?s making a distraction, creating a trap, or a well-timed honk,every problem hasseveral viable solutions that suitsevery gamingstyle.
"
...Many of the[tasks] thrive off of flexibility, improvisation, and creative problem solving," Markssaid.
Despite the large variety of ways to solve problems, the game limits players to a few buttons. The essential buttons are used to run, grab items, and honk. Additionally,onemay crouch, flap the goose's wings, or zoom the camera. All buttons work to support a variety of play styles.
"It can be a tad frustrating at timesthat grabbingobjects with your beak is a little less precise than you?d want it to
be for a game that requires some speed and accuracy to avoid being thwarted by a pesky human," Markssaid.
Regardless of some occasionally finicky controls, Untitled Goose Game has an amazing level of attention to detail. Dom Nero, author of the Esquire article, Untitled Goose Game Is the Most Joyful Video Game of the Year, said it'san original and "special form of art."
"Whether you?re a lifelong gamer or a casual fan who hasn?t touched a controller since the Super Nintendo, Untitled Goose Game (on Switch, PC, and Mac OS) is worth every penny of its $20 pricetag." Nero said.
92% 67% 54% 88% 54%
All over YouTube, a campaign to ?Plant 20 Million Trees by 2020?is being supported by many YouTubers. Mr. Beast, The Try Guys,PewDiePie,Mark Rober,and many morehavepartnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to combat climate change with donations of 1 dollar a tree. Do you support this movement?
K-pop, originating in South Korea, isspreading acrosstheworld. Many K-pop stars are touring around the world, drawing in their many fansin other countriesand morelisteners. TheK-pop group BLACKPINK has hit over a billion views on YouTube, the first Kpop group todoso. Do you listen to K-pop?
With the trailers for the new movie FrozenII, the release of themovieiscomingup. Thecharactersthat areall known and loved arestill there,but someadditionsareleavingmany curious about the whole plot and where the protagonists will go next. Will Frozen II be better than the original?
Many gaming fans were disappointed when a black void swallowed their Fortniteplatform, which lead into Chapter 2. With the second addition to thegame, thereareeven moremapsand charactersto seek out and unlock. With thesecond season coming out in thenear future, fansarealready gearing up for another adventure. Do you play Chapter 2?
Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star had been working on a secret make-up collection and nowit?sout on theinternet for their viewers to see and to later use. Dawson revealed it in an hour-long video, oneof thecosmetic setscalled Conspiracy and another Controversy. Thepair mentioned that thisisnot theonly timethey will takepart in the beauty industry, hoping to get more setsand collections created. Are Dawson?s works helping media?
SarahAnderson
Aries (March 21- April 19): You are the person who starts debates at the table, liking to initiate a good movement.
Taurus(April 20- May20): You arelikethe Thanksgiving meal critic, wanting to risetothetop with your skills.
Gemini (May21- June20): You can?t always sit still,just liketheparty hopper
Cancer (June21- July22): With your loving nature,you arelikeagrandmother
Leo (July 23- August 22): You are the perfect football junkie with your confidence.
Virgo (August 23- September 22): The organized nature of a Virgo makes you thehost
Libra (September 23- October 22): Sinceyou give a fair hearing, you would be a table peacekeeper.
Scorpio (October 23- November 21): With your passion, you are the person who breaks the social rules and talks about politics
Sagittarius (November 22- December 21): You are very enjoyable and the person that everyoneinvitestotheir meal.
Capricorn (December 22- January 19): You are very hardworking, and would be the person who plans the games and how everyonewill think of thegamechoices.
Aquarius (January 20- February 18): You haveagreat memory, makingyou likean aunt that is only seen a few times but still knows everything about everyone.
Pisces(February 19- March 20): You always want to knowwhat othersareup to,likea littlesibling.
MBMS?s varsity fastpitch team ended itssuccessful season with a record of four wins and four losses.
In their first gameagainst Cascade, they won big, with a score of 29-7. They hit hard, pitched great and played excellent defense throughout the entire game.
During the middle of the season, they played a tough North Tapps team and Rainier team, but they didn?t give up. They rallied if they were losing and were encouraging each other when they were down. They ended their exciting season against Olympicwinning19-12.
The varsity fastpitch team learned a lot this year. They
played their hardest, and didn´t give up. Eighth grader and fastpitch player, Sophie Danielson learned an important lesson.
?I learned how to bat correctly,? Danielson said.
Mr. Carter, thevarsity fastpitch
coach, also learned a ton from coachingthesegirls. ?Varsity level fastpitch is still very instructional,? Carter said. ?They still have a lot to learn about the game, mechanics, and situations.?
This team was solid. They battled every game, even when they werelosing. So after along season, it wasobviousto Carter what the team?s strengths were thisseason.
?Speed on the basepath, and hitting,?Carter said. Carter shared a tip for future fastpitch players.
"Make sure you're using two hands when you're throwing and catching," Carter said. "Two hands on defense, hit the ball out front."
Danielson was proud and happy about how the season went.
"It went very well," Danielson said. "We all worked together. We all tried our best and I´m very proud of the work that came out of it."
MBMS´svarsity fastpitch team isplaying a homegame. Winning by seven pointsand showing a tough defenseagainst Olympic'sfastpitch team. PHOTO COURTESY OF J. CARTER"[The fastpitch season] went very well. We all worked together. We all tried our best and I'm very proud of the work that came out of it."
-SOPHIEDANIELSON
RebecaAlvarez-Flores
Thevarsity football team ended off the2019 season in third place, winning three out of six games. This season, the football team played it old school with the players playing both a offensive and defensiveposition.
The team started the season with a tremendous win against Cascade Middle School. Eighth grader Diego Flores scored the only touchdown during the first half of the game. Beginning the second half of the match, Flores again, ran a 45-yard touchdown run. TheBulldogsalsoscored on a short run performed by Daniel Johnson.
The defense played an exceptional game. Justin Aid had multiple good tackles and forced a
Cascade fumble. The varsity football team ended their openingmatch with asweet win of (2613).
In the fourth game against OlympicMiddleSchool, theBulldogscameout with avictory. The first half of the game ended with neither teams scoring. Then a beautiful pass from Daniel Johnson to eighth grader Tyson Pedro formulated thefirst touchdown of thegame.
An eleven-yard run by eigtht grader Harlem Bejar generated the second touchdown of the game. The match ended with a score of (13-7), giving the Bulldogsyet another victory.
In the sixth game, varsity came low on pointsversusNorth Tapps Middle school. Highlights of the
match includeBejar scoring a 27yard touchdown late in the firsthalf. Also, eighth grader Cade Huffman's and Johnson's amazingpassesin thesecond half.
The defense played well only letting go of one touchdown in thesecond half of thegame.
Linebacker and wide receiver Justin Aid shared histhoughtson the2019 season.
"I felt like the game we played best in was the first one versus Cascade," Aid said. "Also, theseason wasfun."
Wide receiver and defensive back eighth grader Jett Morrisexpressed his thoughts in which match the team played the best and in which games they had to work their hardest.
"The hardest team we faced was
North Tapps," Morrissaid. "Some of the games we played our best in was like the third, fourth and last one."
Along with Mr. Middleton, Mr. Kemp was the assistant coach to the varsity football team this year.
Mr. Kemp wasnot availablefor comment at the time of publication.
Head coach Mr. Middleton revealed hisfavoritepart of being a varsity coach for thispast season.
"I liketo bein chargeof thedirection of the program and then to make sure that the kids are learning things that are going to help them next year in high school."
RoryMurry
The WIAA waiver allows sixth graders in the Auburn School District to play all varsity sports, as of the beginning of the 20192020 school year.
The new WIAA waiver was put in placeto increasenumbersduring the school sports seasons throughout all Auburn schools.
?I wish they would have signed the waiver that allowed sixth graders to play sooner.? Seventh grader Addison Opsahl said.
Sixth grader Kaylie Satalich, agreeswith Opsahl?sstatement.
?If I was in that situation I would'vebeen kind of upset that I wasn't ableto play becauseof how old I was.?Satalich said. ?Knowing that many sixth graders would have been waiting for next year when they would liketo play now, or knowing that they have the talent to play as a sixth grader would befrustrating.?
Mrs. Rogers,thesportsadministrator, said that she hopes the waiver stays in place for future years in the Auburn School District.
?Auburn asked the WIAA if we could try it as a pilot program to see how it works.? Rogers said. ?With the sixth graders added in with the seventh and eighth, they said yes.?
Rogers also said that the new waiver brings more students into the sports programs, increasing thenumbersof playersand teams. Opsahl said that with sixth graders playing sports it offers moreopportunities.
A pro to thenewWIAA waiver was that it increased numbers in thesportsteams. ?Soccer numbers have improved.? Rogers said. ?It definitely improved our numbers in fastpitch. We were barely the last couple years, having enough girls for one team and we had plenty for threeteams.?
But eighth grader Darius Drake
disagreeswith thenewrules. Drake believe that sixth graders should not be able to play all school sports. ?It?s frustrating because some of the sixth graders aren't asgood so they just takeup space?Drake said. ?Some of them aresmall, or new to thesport and
it might betough for them to play with theolder kids.?
?I don?t think they should necessarily be able to play varsity. Opsahl said. ?I think [sixth graders] should play ?JV?for one year.?
As for a seventh grader being
allowed a varsity spot over an eighth grader, Opsahl said that if they have the potential to play at that level they should be allowed to.
?I think if they?re good enough, then I think morepower tothem.? Rogerssaid.
?Basketball is going to be run a little bit different.? Rogers also said. ?We?re going to have a varsity for thetop kids, then ajunior varsity for the next top kind of tier, then all the teams after that will bedistributed equally.?
?If they?regood enough for varsity because of their skills should be why they make or don?t make varsity,not becauseof their ageor grade" Satalich said.
Auburn School District allowsall gradesto makevarsity aswell asplay all school sports. CarolineCalkins(left) , Taylor Mentink (middle) , and Addison Opsahl (right) , areseventh graders who madethevarsity fastpitch team for thefirst sportsseason of the 2019-2020 school year with thisnew ruleapplied. PHOTO COURTESY OF J. CARTER"I think if they're good enough [to play varsity], then I think morepower to them."
-MRS.ROGERS
AlexanderToth
Thiswasavery eventful sportsseason lot of improvement in each athlete?sskills. Varsity fastpitch finished 4-4,while varsity football finished 3-3.
FASTPITCH
Varsity4-4
Junior Varsity 17-1
Junior Varsity 25-3
FOOTBALL
Varsity3-3
Junior Varsity3-3
Howdoyoufeel sixthgraderscanmakevarsity?
"Good, because they can get practiceand get better."
"They should all get a chanceand if they are good enough they should be able to."
"I think itsfair because they should be given an opportunity just like everyoneelse."
"I have mixed feelings... The one thing I'm worried about is people might get their feelingshurt... But hopefully it will bring the school together."
Mr.Brown
Over the summer, couples have been popping up out of nowhere. They walk around the neighborhood, scarring people like me for life,with their handsclenched together or an arm around ashoulder. These middle school couples are making life harder for themselves, distracted from study skills,morelikely to drop out,and relationships with friends and family broken.
First off,by beingimmersed with their relationship, they won?t focus on school and have worse study skillsbecauseof it. According to UGAToday, ??...thestudents with the highest [frequency of] dating as having the worst study skills.? When you don?t have the necessary study skills, you don?t passclasses.
Middle school is preparing you for high school, when studentsare consumed in their relationship, they won?t learn priceless skills, like studying, and life lessons for highschool. For example, when students take their SATs, they need to knowhowthey learn best. How can you do that if you don?t study because you?re hanging out with your ?soulmate??
Students who choose to date in middle school are more likely to drop out of school. UGA Today said, ?...Four times more likely to drop out of school.?Later in life, when peopleareapplying for jobs and thereisanother person with a college degree, the employer will pick the college attendees as a first choice. There is also the fact that typically jobs pay more the moreyou attend college.
Dropouts also miss the experience of college and life time friends that come with, which is more important than on-and-off two week relationships in middle school.
Lastly, dating in middle school leads to being detached from the important relationships of your friends and family. When your focusison whereyou aregoingto goafter school and when your going to see your boyfriend or girlfriend, it takes away valuable time that could be spent with your friends and family, who, again, would last longer than a middleschool couple.
Middle school is a time where students have the opportunity to explore themselves, not exploring the person they?re dating that week. Not to mention when they break up, students might feel inadequate that they just want to curl up into a ball and be left alone,without spendingtimewith their friendsor loved ones.
?I can hear some people that are
breaking their friendships when they break up with someone??
Eighth grader Taylor Paigesaid. Asyou can see,thereisnoreason todatein middleschool,but there are many reasons why not to. Raiseawarenessfor thosestudents who fill the school with public displaysof affection.
I havefaith in my fellowpeers, we would, as a school, earn better grades, have better friendships, and rid theschool of any scarring of lives if the dating stopped.
You knowwhat grindsmy gears?Coins. That?s right folks, I despise our country?s lowest form of currency, but for valid reasons!
The times have changed. We live in an era where nearly everyone has a bank account! Over the years we have developed fancy technology called credit and debit cards. You could even pay for itemsusing a watch! If all else fails, use an IOU. Whatever you do, DON?T REVERT TO THOSE PIECES OF METAL YOU CALL COINS.
We must also address that coins are the Harry Houdini of money. Imagine, you bring exactly six quarters to purchase hot cocoa at the Dog Housefor you and your two friends, only to discover one of the quarters has disappeared, never to be heard from again! You sadly return, sippingtwo hot cocoasby yourself. This proves coins are evil creatures that must belocked up!
I must present to you themost obviousreason of all. CoinsareDISGUSTING(no offense to Abraham Lincoln or any of the other heads). They are gross and dirty. No one knows where a coin has been, it could have been stuck to a wad of gum before you received it!
If coinsarebanned piggiebankswill starve to death, but that is a small price to pay for theGOOD OFHUMANITY!
And that?swhat grindsmy gears!
--LEAHBARRACOSODo you want to know what grinds my gears?Hippopotamuses. Seriously, who came up with the idea to name them ?hippopotamuses??It?s long and hard to spell, and just calling them ?hippos?makesyou seem like a
kindergartener just learningabout animals.
They?re also super fat, but they somehow have the ability to run super fast and they will attack you if you get near their home territory. This just shouldn?t be possible or allowed. Hippopotamuses should be slow, gentlecreaturesbut no. They arefast and will step on you.
They areherbivores, but they will not hesitateto kill an intruder on their land, and yet they don?t look like they would or could. Hippopotamuses are also boring, and they don?t do anythingwhen they?renot stomping on people.
I understand that they live in warmer climates, but do they really have to spend so much time swimming around in the water? And then they attack other animals that want to use that water?I?m sorry, but that?s greedy and rude! Let some other animals have a drink for a while, maybe even wash themselves in your water. But the hippopotamusesjust hoard it for themselves.
And that, my friends, is what grinds my gears.
Do you know what grinds my gears? The whole Minecraft vs Fortnite argument. Both Minecraft and Fortnite are good games, so why do we need to argue over them? Each game has their own fanbases and unique gameplay features, there?s absolutely no reason you should ridiculeor bully someonefor likingagame!
Adult men online have been harassing innocent kids just enjoying a game they like. You heard me right. Adult men. At what point in your lifewould you chooseto bully a kid for their interests!
Hot take, how about we maybe not harass kids?I thought that wascommon knowledge, but no, people decided to target kids for a small hobby.
Minecraft and Fortnite both have their strengths and their issues. Minecraft is an open-world game with almost no end, but it can get repetitive a while. They?ve even
added microtransactions. Fortnite is a third-person shooter with interesting mechanics. It?s a multiplayer based game, so it will end eventually. The fanbasecan betoxic and rude.
Even though they both have their flaws, people should be allowed to like them without beingbullied.
And THAT iswhat grindsmy gears!
You know what grinds my gears? People who stop and talk in big groups in the hallway.
Imagine you?ve just walked into the school building. Kids rush in from all over. You walk into the hall where your locker is and there lie multiple groups of people standing directly in themiddleof thehall. Likeexcuse me, I?m tryingto get to class.
Do you really have to block the ENTIRE hallway?
There are so many times you can talk to your friends other than in the hallway, and you decide to do it in the most disruptive way?
And even if you only take up part of the hallway, kidsopeningtheir lockersand waiting to get to their locker blocksit up. Teacherstry to break it up, but they just comeback thenext day. It never works.
And then, when you actually get through, usually being pushed along the way, there?s ANOTHER group of smelly, obnoxious teenagerscaused by thefirst block up. COME ON! JUST LET MEGET TOCLASS!
If this wasn?t a problem in the first place, then therewouldn?t beany moreblock ups! And that iswhat grindsmy gears.
--JENNANUTTERDisagree? The segment ?What Grinds My Gears? is presented as opinion and does not expresstheviewsof all MBMSstudentsor The Canine Chronicle. If you would like to express your opinion, writeusaletter, and you may be published in our next edition.LeahBarracoso,KeiraPierce, JoonAhn, JennaNutter
