STEMIA Scoop Issue 1 2024

This newspaper was created by team A of the STEM Innovation Academy Newspaper Club Our team: Artistic Directors: Selina Krisha Graphic designers: Beatrice Meghan Reporters: Shewa Bronwyn Joel Parker Knox Editors: Chloe Hanish Photographers Daniela Ara Emma Gaargi Marketing: Rebecca Mike Ruqayyah Damola Kriti

Music of the Month: October By: Shewa

Welcome to Music of the Month, where music is rated, and the top 3 favorite songs are recommended. If you’ve been looking for new genres to try, look no further! Your comprehensive guide has arrived.​ This month’s genre is INDIE, or INDEPENDENT music.

Indie is music produced independently by people who aren’t signed with record labels. It tends to be unique and mixes mainstream and alternative sounds to create something new.​ Without further ado, let’s get into the ratings!​ 3. I Won’t – AJR​ I Won’t is an upbeat song with relatable and down-to-earth lyrics about choosing not to conform to societal expectations. It incorporates quirky sounds, instruments, and unique backing vocals. Overall, an awesome song. It gets a solid 8/10.​ ​2. Achilles Come Down – Gang of Youths ​ Achilles Come Down is a darker song that discusses suicide and analyzes the weights of mortality and immortality through the character Achilles, a Greek god who is almost invincible, but not quite. This song is heavy but beautiful, incorporating winding violinic melodies. It gets a 9.5/10.​ ​1. Alarm Call – The Correspondents​ Alarm Call is a song with a unique sound and solemn lyrics.

It was created to bring awareness to epilepsy, a condition that causes unprovoked seizures. The melody incorporates the sound of an alarm throughout, combined with a jazz themed undercurrent. It earns a 10/10.​

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Volleyball Progress By: Bronwyn

The new grade 9 volleyball team this year is going very well so far. Thanks to Melina Pinnell and Sophie Li, who allowed me to interview them and get some information on how volleyball is going. The whole team seems to be enjoying playing games and using teamwork to create new strategies and practice for their upcoming games. ​ Melina says their "friendship and how we are able to communicate with each other effectively” is what makes their teamwork great. Sophie says, "I can tell our team has gotten a lot closer already, and we have been doing pretty well on our games so far.” They seem to be having lots of fun getting to know each other on and off the court. According to Sophie, when they started to prepare for their upcoming games, “we have been working on blocking in practices so we can include that in our gameplay; ... getting good passes to our setters and hitters.'' And Melina says, “Based on previous games we decided to work on what we had struggled with” ​ The team stays very positive towards each other to make everyone feel welcome. Overall, the volleyball team seems to be doing well and has been having lots of fun getting to know each other and encouraging each other to try hard and do their absolute best. ​

Candy draw Brought to you by the extraordinary marketing team Please fill out this short form for a chance to win 1 of 5 Candy bags. Entries end November 3 so make sure you submit before then.​ Go to the link or scan the QR code.

https://forms.office.com/r/G0qFPUt6qz​ ​

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Movie Review (Taylor’s Version)

By Knox

Dear Reader: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has been something fans will remember for the decades to come. Although her record-breaking tour is complete for 2023, she has decided to finish it in Style in 2024. Taylor’s fans have been so supportive that she decided to release a Thank You documentary, which follows three live performances of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.​ Fans rushed into theatres in full costume, making their Wildest Dreams come true. Fans began to sing their hearts out; the dancing and choreography of the film was right on point. Swifties were drowning in Happiness! I was lucky enough to get some interviews from the premier and found that many fans “personally loved seeing everything front and center and getting to appreciate the details of the outfits.” A large amount of Swifties, found that in the documentary you can see “stunning things that you miss when you’re there live.” Taylor created a judgment-free environment where fans could take all the negative energy of their daily lives and Shake It Off. The film has an overall rating of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, capturing the concert event of the year. ​ I recommend jumping in a Getaway Car as fast as you can to see this movie, because nothing beats seeing an energetic, music filled, unforgettable performance on the big screen. Taylor Swift was able to produce an astounding masterpiece of a tour and take it one step further by releasing a documentary for those of us who are not lucky enough to see her live!​

Sorry the quality is so bad. I tried.

(Made by Meghan) This is Tim. Say hi, everyone, otherwise Tim will judge you for all eternity. Tim wants to know if you can do the crossword and word search before he can.

Are you up to it?

It appears that Tim is not willing to share the answers. Hopefully you are confident in the answers you procured.

P.s. Sorry again for the low quality images. My condolences.

Cross-coutry team By: Joel

Cross-Country is a no-cut team where athletes run on open dirt or grass, as opposed to a closed track. It usually includes a course over rough terrain and can be from 2- 12 kilometers long. Here, I have interviewed a few students on the team on their overall experience.

They are Ram P. (8A) and Lexi E. (7D)​ 1. How was your experience on the Cross-Country team?​ Grade 8: The experience was nice especially when we were running in the race. The races were great to run in with your friends and people you never met before, so this can help you make new connections and really understand where you stand in the athletic world ​ Grade 7: I loved cross country. It was hard work, but the cross-country coaches managed to make the experience enjoyable.​ ​ 2. Have you ever been on it before?​ Grade 8: I have been on the team before, and this helped me be more active and fit.​ Grade 7: I have never done cross-country before. This is my first year at STEM and the school I went to before did not have any school sports. ​ ​ 3. What’s one of the drills you use to practice running?​ Grade 8: Most of the drills for the warm-up are for warming up your calves, thighs, and hamstrings. An example of all of these in one drill is high knee jumps.​ Grade 7: The most effective drill in practice was probably the high-intensity interval training. We had to sprint run and jog consecutively. ​ ​ 4. And finally, would you recommend this to others?​ Grade 8: Yes, I would recommend it! This would help you a lot when you are trying to do something new and be healthy. It would really improve the strength in your legs and ankles​ Grade 7: I would definitely recommend it to others because it is fun but also great exercise.​ ​ This sport is good for people who like to run outdoors, on natural terrain, and for long distances especially. As mentioned by the athletes, it's not only fun, but also a good exer-

The First Year At A New School; Teacher Perspective!

By: Parker

Everyone knows that the first day of school may be nerve-wracking for all students! But have you ever thought if teachers are just as nervous as we are on the first day? The following is an interview of one of STEM's new teacher in the 2023-2024 school year!​ "How do you feel about new students arriving at STEM? Happy? Nervous? Excited?"​ 'I am so excited! I have been looking forward to this for a long time. Because I got my teaching certificate in the United States, I was not sure if I would be able to teach here in Canada. I almost had to find a new dream. Thankfully, everything worked out, and I do not take a single day at this school for granted.'​ "Is this your first year at STEM? Where have you taught before? For how many years have you been teaching?"​ 'I taught grade 7 before when I lived in Memphis, Tennessee. Then I moved back to Canada, and I was an educational assistant to grades 1 and 2 while I completed my master’s degree. Now I am back to teaching in Jr. High, and I love it!'​ ​ "What is your favorite grade to teach? Why?"​ 'Nice try! I teach both grade 8 and grade 7 and I am not picking a favorite!'​ ​ "What are you most excited for this school year?"​ 'I am mostly looking forward to learning from my students. I know y'all have a lot you can teach me!'​ ​