February 29, 2012

Apple could loose the “iPad” name



Before the iPad was announced in 2010 Apple had to buy the name from a company in China named Proview.  However Proview said they did not buy the rights in China, but they have been using it there.  Proview sued Apple for $1.6 billion.  The Chinese courts have already found favor with Proview but Apple was able to get courts in Hong Kong to agree with them.  After that, Proview wanted to go even further by saying Apple acquired the trademark unfairly, which is kind of true.  Apple hired Graham Robinson to make a fake company named IP Application Development (IPAD) Ltd. so they could buy the rights to the name without any suspicion.  Proview now wants ownership of the name “iPad” world-wide and, until they get it, for Apple to stop selling iPads in China.  Shanghai courts did not make Apple stop sales, however Amazon is no longer selling iPads in China.  There is no telling were this could go but Apple has stated that the DID buy rights in China, but Proview is not honoring the agreement.  Personally I don’t think that Proview has the power to go against Apple.

That crazy Honey badger!

Hi guys! Hana here! See this?


This is the honey badger. Watch it run in slow motion. Oh, the honey badgers are just crazy! Heheh, I love that video. Kids, you’d better know what I’m talkin’ about. Oh, watch it dig! Look at that digging! Here’s a link for you guys. But I warn you, it’s pretty PG-13, my kiddies. And here's a version with no cussing, if you guys prefer that I understand. According to knowyourmeme, the video was created by Randall(God knows who that guy is), and the video is sporting a good 40 million veiws. That’s like the entire state of California watched it! Except.. more spread out. The video was created as a means of spreading awareness of endangered animals, and in fact, the actual video was created from National Geographic clips. The video’s creator urges ya’ll kiddies to take your 13-year-old hineys to the national geographic website so you youngsters can learn a thing or two about the honey badger.



Click Read more for a surprise. ;D

Skylar Diggins, New Basketball Legend



Skylar Diggins, a South Bend Native, was recruited in the eighth grade, the earliest recruit the Notre Dame women's basketball coach Randy Waldrum has ever committed. She says it was probably the most important recruit she has ever made, and maybe the most important the Fighting Irish have ever gotten. Diggins, averaging 22 points, 6 steals, 5 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 53% from the field, is one of the most competitive girls South Bend Tribune sportswriter Scott Davidson has ever seen. The young star gives her mother credit for her competitiveness. “I'm going to play until I win,” she told Davidson. Skylar Diggins was the only freshman starter on the Women's Fighting Irish basketball team, and now, as a junior, is taking lead of the team. Her teammates look up to her, and as coach Waldrum puts it, “Skylar is the life of the team, she's always happy and dancing, and when it's time for a game or practice she's the motivation for the girls.”
Diggins' fame exploded in April, 2011 when L'il Wayne tweeted “Good lukk to my wife Skylar Diggins and the Fighting Irish.” Skylar's Twitter followers jumped from 6 to 145,000 and she's now one of the most followed national athletes, up with Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. She's won countless awards and medals – including being a two time All-American. People have even started calling her one of the greats- up with Lisa Leslie and Maya Moore. One thing's for sure though- Skylar Diggins is one big deal.
                            
Heh.. they’re so cute. The widdle birdies and their adorable little piggy friends..

You know what I’m talking about. Angry birds. The game that’s basically captured the heart of every iPod/Pad owner in the world. It’s sort of expanded, though. I mean, a Rio version, a Seasonal version.. Did I mention they’re making a few angry birds theme parks? Yeah, those’ll be a hit. Oh, but what’s this?




And the winners are..!

You voted, four came out on top.



Important .. Read please

Alright, guys.. Hana here. Here’s the thing. I know I’m usually really casual with my writing, but I recently came upon something that hits close to home. Autism (Or ASD, “Autism Spectrum Disorder”).  And for all you mean kids thinking, “Oh, hahaha! She must have it!” I don’t. However, my brother does. The 2nd most common mental disease, ASD(after Mental Retardation) has piqued an interest in the neurology department of news lately. A recent study consisting of regular infants and ones with autism showed.. some interesting results. "This is the earliest study of brain development using neuro-imaging," says Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. "By six months of age, even before the symptoms [of autism] emerge, the brain networks that connect different brain regions do not develop correctly." This Dawson chick is actually pretty famous in the Autism world. She’s also one of the “big people” in Autism Speaks, a company devoted to making Autistic kids the best they can be. Another reason this hits close to home is because the study was done at UNC, everybody’s favorite university and not all that far from Smith. Long story short, they think that the cause of autism has something to do with the way the brain wires itself during the early months of a babies life- even in the womb! Their brain malfunctions, and boom- it’s irreversible. But of course, therapy and such can make it a lot better. Actually, therapy is really really helpful in most cases.

So, this article is pretty much over, but I wanted to make a point. April is official Autism Awareness month, but every month is Autism Awareness when you know and love someone with the spectrum. If that sounds like you.. Here are some links to help you out.

Autism Speaks
Resource Links
Autism Society of NC

Our Names

Guys, have you ever stared at your birth certificate and thought, “Dang, my name’s awesome!” How many people other than you have thought that? Here’s a list of the most popular names in 1998, along with a list of pet names to help you rethink naming your cat Fluffy.



Little Monsters!

Holy cow, guys. You know that chick, Lady Gaga? No, not that Lady Gaga. The one with 19 million followers on twitter, You know. I was booorn this way! Yeah, her! Well, so get this. She’s got this manager, see? His name’s Troy Carter. This Troy guy and three other people made a company called BackPlane, which is set on building internet communities. Where better to start than a Lady Gaga community? Bros, it’s the next facebook.. if you don’t mind wearing a meat dress, that is. The name of the site is littlemonsters.com and it just happens to be factual that the site defines Lady Gaga completely. It’s littered with fanmail, fan pics and pics from the Gaga herself. "Backplane is about bringing together communities and Gaga's community just so happens to be the community we're using to learn about proper functionality," CEO Matt Michelsen said to Mashable, a CNN content partner. "We think we can really change the world." You can go to littlemonsters.com and you can request to be invited to the wonderful world of Lady Gaga. I know I would. Srsly.


-Hana

Pets

Pets.

Oh, yeah. You heard me right. Those fluffy little companions that keep your feet warm during the winter, or those scaly friends that are just so cool. What’s a pet, exactly? Okay, so your dog’s a pet, your cat’s a pet. But the real definition?

“A domestic or tamed animal or bird kept for companionship or pleasure and treated with care and affection.”

Do you see the last part?  Yeah, care and affection. Now, what do those words mean? No, keeping your dog locked in the garage/laundry room isn’t affection. When you lock your cat in your room, It isn’t care. It’s abuse. You guys, there’s a fine line between animal abuse and a pet. It’s a very fine line. c: Don’t abuse your pets, guys. That also includes overfeeding. Giving your pet the gift of obesity isn’t exactly nice of you.

If you don’t know how to take care of your pet, there are plenty of shelters and pounds that would be glad to take them out of your hands.

...What? Not an abuser? Good. Oh, I see. You’re looking for a pet!

Well, head on down to petfinder.com like.. right now so that you can get yourself one! Not just a dog, but you can get a cat, a horse, a gecko- that site adopts out like.. every animal that exists! Well.. Hana, out.

February 24, 2012

drawing faces in Art.



Soon 8th grade Visual Arts students will be turning these faces...


...into these faces.

Famous Mexican Actor, Chespirito Turns 83


     Chespirto does many movies but he also is a comedian. One of the most popular shows is El Chavo Del Ocho where Chespirto acts like a kid;  he is very funny and pretends to not understand a lot. El chavo del ocho is very annoying and always makes his neighbor, Don Ramon angry. El Chavo always ruins everything for example, he is constantly breaking every one’s personal belongings. El Chavo also has a friend called Kiko. Kiko likes to tease Chavo by making him jealous.  He always has something to brag about to Chavo for instance, sometimes he has, a giant lolly pop, or bouncing ball. This story got so popular that they also made a cartoon about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XKycO0dt_E&feature=related

     The other poplular show is called El Chapulin Colorado who is a super hero that helps other people.  However, he is not your ordinary super hero.  He is always afraid of the villans that he battles. Nevertheless, El Chapulin always wins. He has a “chipote chllion” which is a hammer that he always knocks people out with. He also has a magic potion that can make him very small so he can get close to the bad guys to get information. This show is very popular in Mexico and has been going on since the 70’s and 80’s. That is why today, we are celebrating Chespirtos 83rd birthday. People are memorializing everything that he has done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT_mahNF0t0

Do you have what it takes?


  Let’s face it, we’ve all had our moments running around playing cops and robbers with the neighborhood locals as a kid but, if you really want to put down the plastic gun and pick up an official badge, you might want to be prepared for what you’re going to encounter.
First things first, in order to even qualify for a law enforcement degree you need a clean criminal record; you might also want to consider putting all your future appointments on hold because you’re going to be training for about five years and three months. During this time period you’ll learn how to apprehend different suspects, contribute to high speed chases, and learn different techniques with different weapons. It’s mandatory to take physical, mental, and writing evaluations.
 Another thing to keep in mind is that it’s very unlikely that you will get the patrol car of your dreams. In fact once you graduate, the patrol unit will assign you a regular black and white, while investigators and narcotic units have unmarked cars. New products are being developed to make your future job easier. For instance the e7 concept, (shown above) is the next generation of law enforcement. This car has the ability to follow voice commands so you won’t have to fiddle with thousands of buttons by your side. The car is also capable of providing a live HD video stream in infer-red and night vision. Another feature is its ability to automatically scan up to two hundred license plates of cars while driving
 Now it might seem like every good reason for becoming a member of your local law enforcement community is overshadowed by a lot of work but any obstacle can be avoided with a lot of hard work and dedication, So remember these useful tips when approaching your new career and always keep moving forward.

February 23, 2012

African Batman meant for US audiences






David Zavimbe a.k.a Batwing is a stereotypical man living in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  His background is what most Americans would think of a child that grew up in Africa.  Both his parents were killed by HIV/AIDS and he was stolen out of an orphanage, with his brother, to be a child solider.  As a child solider both him and his brother were fighting prodigies so they soon became assassins in General Keita’s army.  David eventually escaped the army after his brother was killed by Keita because they failed a mission.  David eventually joined the DRC police force.
Although this comic is based in Africa the target audience is America.  The story structure of a superhero is an American thing so it is odd for the comic to be based in Africa.  Also there are very few Africans who are interested in reading about superheros with advanced technology in a nerdy comic book.

Concussions go up in kids


Over the last ten years concussions have increased greatly in children.    Studies show that kids going to the emergency room for concussions have increased 60% since 2002.  This increase isn’t necessarily due to increases in concussions, but an increase in awareness of the long term harm of brain injuries.  Studies done on players in the National Football League helped raise this awareness.  Doctors are saying that it is a good thing to have this increase in children going to the E.R. because of brain injuries.  They say it is good because it can help prevent the complications that come with brain injuries. The study showed, among concussions suffered by children, 70% affected boys .  Also 70% were affected children between the ages of 10 and 19.  The leading cause in concussions for males was football while the leading cause in females was biking, soccer and basketball.  Doctors attribute the large amount of biking concussions to youth rarely wearing helmets. The increased awareness in concussions will help to drop the brain injuries in school sports.
~Louis

Dress Code


Dress Code- The word that all middle schoolers and high schoolers are going to hear at least 50 times in their adolescent years. It’s the dreaded word that’s usually paired with “not”, and  you know will be followed by a scolding and a trip to the office for a change of clothes. But how often is the dress code correct? Many believe that the dress code is flawed. The only way to settle this controversial subject is to get opinions from both sides.
To start off, I interviewed Jose. He recalls being called out for sagging, though he claims it was 100% unintentional. I asked him whether the dress code rules were fair. He replied “Kids should be able to express themselves because it’s middle school. The dress code isn’t fair, a lot of the times.”
I then ask Asuka a few questions, a victim to the biased side of the dress code. She tells me how once she got called out for her shorts, but they were definitely moderate. “The finger-tip rule for shorts isn’t fair. Some people have longer arms, and other people have shorter arms. If we base the dress-code rule off of the length of arms, then a lot of people are going to be called out for decent pants, and a lot of people are going to get away with inappropriate shorts.”
To get the opinion from the “other side”, I interviewed Mrs. Hounshell, the 6B science teacher. I tell her about a few cases of unfair dress code and she agrees that sometimes it can be unreasonable. But she then tells me why dress code needs to be enforced. “Students need to know what’s appropriate and inappropriate.”
I understand the perspective of Mrs. Hounshell and the rest of the teachers about dress code, but at the same time, I don’t. Why not adjust the dress code so that no student will be targeted? Students have been cowering in fear because of the dress code, knowing that they have no power against it, even if the dress code is unfair to them. The conclusion is that the dress-code isn’t fair/reasonable to students. Some students are at a disadvantage to the dress code, whether they know it or not. The dress code is being unfairly applied to people and that isn’t right. We will continue to work for our rights to express ourselves without having to worry about being prey to the unjust dress code.
~Joyce

February 22, 2012

Artificial clouds

In the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Russia, the weather might seem nicer due to  the new artificial clouds being made.  The clouds, named Clouds, were designed in the 2010 Aerostatic Architecture Competition by Asadov Architectural Studio.
            The Cloud’s aluminium skeleton is filled with a membrane fabric and is split into different compartments for different uses, such as a waterproof ceiling and a light source.  The energy gathered are from the daytime from solar panels on the roof are used for the light at night.  If needed, Clouds can also cool the air with rain collected from when it rains.  Clouds are connected with rigid strings for vertical stabilization. 
            This invention could improve the experience of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia and also could be mass produced for parks, playgrounds, and other outdoor areas.

~Johnny

February 21, 2012

Inmates sneak pig into Vermont Police decal, unnoticed for 2 years

A pig was recently found hidden on a cow in the Vermont police decal, on the side of 30 or so cruisers. Inmates at the work center in Windsor are supposedly to blame.


Look closely at the cow.


See the pig?

The pig was first noticed by an officer washing his car around Feb. 1, after two years of it being on there.

Jason Derulo fractures his neck


This past January, singer, Jason Derulo fractured his neck while rehearsing for his European tour. He was practicing an acrobatic move and landed directly on his head, suffering a fracture to his vertebra. He was fortunate that he was not paralyzed. In fact he only has to wear a neck brace for a few months. His injury is called a “Hang Man's Break” because it is the same bone that is broken when someone is hung by the neck. 95% of people with this injury end up paralyzed or dead. When Derulo was asked what he was feeling about his injury, his response was “To all my fans who planned to come to the Future History World Tour, the pain of letting you down cuts me way deeper than this injury I've sustained.”
“My fans mean everything to me, so I'm praying for a speedy recovery in order to perform for you in the near future.”  

February 17, 2012

Looks like these 8th grade sculpture students are still thinking about breakfast 



February 16, 2012

28 Stair Catfish


Recently on Youtube, the video sharing website, the worlds best video was discovered. This video, 28 Stair Catfish, is a absolutely amazing film. 28 Stair Catfish, was published on August 31, 2009, by a Youtube user known as beanskeens. It currently boasts a total of 36,544 views.
This video, can be discovered in many ways. As the description says that a Catfish is attempting to skateboard down 28 stairs, it can be found easily by browsing other skateboarding videos. Also, as you have now learned the name of this incredible video, you can Google, or Youtube search 28 Stair Catfish, and quickly access the awesome video. However, if you wish an easy access to this video, you can access one of the two websites created solely for the purpose of playing this video.
This video, is only 7 seconds long. During this seven seconds, a Catfish gets thrown down 28 stairs to make a perfect landing, in the middle of a road. Then, a figure runs onto the scene, and lands a solid right foot, perfectly on the Catfish.
You can access this video at one of the following links.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq_o7JjP9as
28 Stair Catfish: https://sites.google.com/site/28staircatfish/

Zerxes

I recently interviewed a student who goes here named Patrick. Patrick makes electronic music under the alias “Zerxes”, such as dubstep.

Why did you decide to start making electronic music?
Music inspires me.

Do you plan to have a career in producing in the future?
No, but I’m always looking for the opportunity, as it is my dream job.

What is your honest opinion on your own music?
I notice all the problems in my own music, more so than anybody, so I am a heavy critic of it.

What producers inspire you the most?
Deadmau5 and Skrillex

Who is/are your favorite producer(s)?
Deadmau5 and Ratatat.

When will your first EP be out?
I’m not working on one right now.

Grammys


 As many of you all know, the 54th Grammys spectacular took place at in the Staples Center, in Los Angeles California. Many of the artists arrived, looking glamorous as always, but one particular singer stood out from the rest, Adele. She is the new winner of six- that's right, six- Grammys. She is now the proud owner of The Best Album award, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Pop Solo Performance, Pop Vocal Album, and her producer, Paul Epworth, as best producer. The star, who had recently gotten throat surgery, performed for the first time in 4 months. Much to the audience's surprise, she killed it, and had only one pitchy error. She received a standing ovation, including from stars like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. This young artist seemed blown away by her trophies, and even dedicated one to her producer and doctors. One thing is certain though: the world has spoken, and this Tottenham-born singer is the new big thing.

Linsanity


Over the last week Jeremy Lin has gone from nobody to a house hold name.  Lin is a Taiwanese-American.  Despite leading his high school to a state championship he didn’t receive any scholarships to good basketball colleges.  He ended up going to Harvard.  At Harvard, Lin had a 3.1 GPA.  He also averaged just under 13 points over his four years in college.  Still, he went undrafted into the NBA.  Last year Lin was waived off a team, the Golden State Warriors and there were talks that he was going  to be waived off of the Knicks.
On Saturday, February 4th against the Washington Wizards Lin dropped 25 points off the bench.  Then in the next game he scored 28 points in his first career start.  On Wednesday, February 8th Lin recorded his first ever double-double, with 23 points and 10 assists.  Then two days later he played against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.  In this game he had an astounding 38 points in only 23 shots, compared to Kobe’s 34 points in 29 shots.  On February, 11th he had yet another game of 20 points.
There was much speculation whether Jeremy Lin would be able to continue his production with returning star Amar’e Stoudamire.  Amar’e came back on February 14th.  Lin did not disappoint as he had a double-double with 26 points and 11 assists.  He also hit a game winning three.  Carmelo Anthony is coming back later this week and it is yet to be seen whether Lin will be able to play well with “Melo”.
Lin is a hero for many Asian Americans and Asians alike.  He is bringing back the NBA to Asia and spreading it to other countries.  Lin has many nicknames they include Linsanity, Linsane, All I Do Is Lin, The Lin Dynasy, Linspeational, Super Lintendo, etc...

February 15, 2012

Mexican Traditions

El dia de los muertos: The day of the dead is a holiday  which is celebrated in Mexico when they remember people who have passed away. They honor them by going to the cemetery and praying. In the cemetery they have a party with all kinds of food like tamales, posole, sugar skulls and more. They also play music and celebrate the holiday with all of their friends and relatives.



Quiceanera: This is a special event for girls. When a girl turns fifteen her family hosts a big party with all of their relatives. In preparation for the party,  the girl and her family must prepare a guest list, rent a space for the party and organize suppliess. If the family is  religious there is a special only her. During the party they celebrate by dancing with there chabelanes. Chabelanes are friends or cousins who dance with you. After the dance with your chabelanes is over, you then dance with your parents. Her parents buy her a last doll, which symbolizes that she has grown up. http://www.youtube.com/user/PartyPOPTelevision?v=ZsZWUfaQ5Ug&feature=pyv



Fiestas pastronales: Fiestas pastronales are celebrations that are dedicated to saints and the virgin maria. In the town that I’m from, El Puesto Jalisco we celebrate fiestas pastronales with a fair approximately 2 blocks away of my house. There are singing contests, young people on horses doing tricks, and bull riding.. In my town these celebrations occur between December 23rd and the 29th. On the 28th famous singers sing live. Also on this day the fair is at the low price of only 20 pesos, (about 2 dollars) for each cool ride like the ones that we have at the state fair. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O7q8B4sHwY     



February 14, 2012

Dead Musician Comes Back From Living With Zombies


In Johannesburg, South Africa a Zulu folk singer claimed to come back to life.  Khulekani "Mgqumeni" Khumalo was supposed to have died in 2009 but “he” now claims that he was not dead, but held captive by zombies.  A lot of people are very doubtful (naturally) but his grandma and two of his wives believe it is actually him.  Many of his fans are storming the city and last Sunday he gave a speech to the excited crowd of his fans.  He said to them "I am Mgqumeni. And I know that some of you might not believe, but yes, it's true — it's me,"  That statement was a boldface lie.  Last Monday the police did fingerprint and DNA tests to prove that he was in fact not the man he claimed to be.  He was arrested and charged with fraud and will be in jail until the 14th.

February 10, 2012

Rihanna and Chris Brown back together again?


Rihanna and Chris back together again?


After Chris Brown and Rihanna partied at the same club one night, the rumors about them being back together started growing more and more.
Several People said that Rihanna and Chris would meet up casually. “Whenever Rihanna goes to L.A she will go visit Chris at his place.” Says one of Chris’s closes friend.
Chris assualted her in the year 2009, threatening to kill her. He left her with a black eye, a split lip, bloody nose and bite marks on one of her arms. Could she really start to have feelings for him again and give him another chance?
They both claim they aren’t back together that they are just friends. But who knows?

Lady Gaga! :D


Holy cow, guys. You know that chick, Lady Gaga? No, not that Lady Gaga. The one with 19 million followers on twitter, You know. I was booorn this way! Yeah, her! Well, so get this. She’s got this manager, see? His name’s Troy Carter. This Troy guy and three other people made a company called BackPlane, which is set on building internet communities. Where better to start than a Lady Gaga community? Bros, it’s the next facebook.. if you don’t mind wearing a meat dress, that is. The name of the site is littlemonsters.com and it just happens to be factual that the site defines Lady Gaga completely. "Backplane is about bringing together communities and Gaga's community just so happens to be the community we're using to learn about proper functionality," CEO Matt Michelsen said to Mashable, a CNN content partner. "We think we can really change the world." You can go to littlemonsters.com and you can request to be invited to the wonderful world of Lady Gaga. I know I would.

The most hated man in America


Um in this fall, man this is very tough. In this fall I'ma take my talents to South Beach and um, join the Miami Heat.”,said Lebron James.  At the moment those words left Lebron James’ mouth he became the most hated man in America.  His name synonymous with traitor, heartless, and screw up.  His nicknames include, King James, Lebum, and the chosen one.  Lebron was a relatively liked player until his departure to the already powerful Miami Heat.  The Miami Heat had already re-signed superstar Dwayne Wade, and picked up star power forward Chris Bosh.  The nation is now divided into Heat fans, and Heat haters.  Many people jumped on the Heat bandwagon because of their new superstar filled lineup.
Lebron James has no class.  On his 27th birthday he told a baker to make him a $3,000 cake.  He was not even paying for the cake.  He was going to get the baker publicity by showing the cake at his party.  Right before his party he decides to reject the cake.  Last year alone Lebron James made almost $50,000,000, and yet he is to cheap to pay for a $3,000 cake.  That is like a man who makes $50,000 a year not paying for a $3 cake.
Another reason Lebron James is so hated is the all star calls he gets.  For example if he falls down during a shot that he misses even if he is untouched it is called a foul (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_jsyxJVAXs).  Also Lebron James gets to travel as much as he wants with his ‘crab dribble’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpQBD672HkQ).  Also clean blocks on Lebron James are considered fouls (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36nT2osudy0) .  
Those are a few of the many reasons Lebron James is the most hated man in America.

February 2, 2012

Traditions of a Middle School Elective

As eighth graders, many students have taken an elective for three years. The material gets harder, the teachers may get a little stricter but, in the end, there are some traditions that keep the class going. I asked many students who have been in classes since sixth grade, what they consider traditions of an elective. We found out about a lot of really unique traditions, that are sure to be continued for years to come.
The students who were interviewed were Blake, Neal and Emma.  After asking them what the best part about French class was, they said it is the culture not the language that makes French special.  For instance, they get to connect with people in other countries and learn about their daily life. Madame McMahon does a really good job of making sure the students are aware of French culture as well as the cultures of the entire world.
Global Connections night has always been an important event for any language class, but for all the French classes it is extremely important becuae Madame McMahon is in charge of coordinating the entire event. The students in the class are in charge of creating the French cafe. Researching and creating the ambiance of an actual cafe in France, is always one of the highlights of the year.  For the performance night, the class usually performs the song “Champs D'elysees”, with trombone solos and cheerful students. There is also usually a serious poem,  song, or play they will perform. Neal said his favorite project, from last year, was performing a poem, “L’homme Qui Te Ressemble.”(English translation of poem below) The name of the poem translates to “The Man Who Looks Like you.” The poem is about how people may judge you by the color of your skin, or the way you look, but in the end everyone is the same.

Global Connections is not the only time that French students get to experience the French culture. The class also celebrates the French holiday, Three King Day. This day is always lots of fun. The youngest person in the room goes under a table and starts calling out the names of people in the class. As each person’s name is called they get a piece of cake. Two of the pieces have a plastic baby figure in them. Whoever gets the babies are the king and queen of the day.  On Saint Nicholas day,  the students line up outside the class, and take their shoes off. At the end of class, when they go back outside of class there are candy canes in all of the shoes! It means Saint Nicholas paid a visit. The students also sing songs about Saint Nicholas coming, and then they go caroling around Smith and Seawell.
These traditions all mean a lot to everyone in the class. Blake says “We get to connect to the french culture and experience. We don't just learn and read about the traditions, we actually get to participate in them.  It really helps keep us motivated to learn about the culture.”
In April, a new tradition will take place for the eighth grade students. They will get to meet their pen pals, who they have been corresponding with for two years. Some students will get to host a pen pal. They will also go to WIlliamsburg, Va, and show them what it is like to be a student here at Smith.
It is safe to say that the French class has many traditions that makes the class unique. With Madame Mcmahon as their teacher, future students will continue to enjoy these traditions.            

English translation of “L”homme Qui Te Ressemble”


The man who looks like you                                             
I knocked on your door
I knocked at your heart
for good bed
for good fire
why should I push?
Open to me my brother ...

Why do you ask
if I am in Africa
if I am of America
if I'm Asian
if I am in Europe?
Open to me my brother ...

Why do you ask
the length of my nose
the thickness of my mouth
the color of my skin
and the name of my gods?
Open to me my brother ...

I am not a black
I am not a reouge
I am not a white
but I am only a man
Open to me my brother ...

Open up your door
Open up your heart
for I am a man
man of all time
man all the heavens
the man who is like you!.

GAME DAY

Hey ya'll :D Hana here, duh. So... superbowl Sunday's comin' up.. huh? Well, why don't you kick it off the right way with a pack of tortilla chips and a sweet onion dip? Y'know.. if you don't have any dip recipes, look no further! After all, homemade dip is the best.. you actually know what's in it besides all the crap and chemicals that are 'ingredients' in your chunky guac!




February 1, 2012

Shoot First, Focus Later

A new start-up company called Lytro has developed a camera that allows you to focus a picture after you take it. The technology captures light fields instead of plain light like normal cameras. Below is an example of the kind of pictures you can take with the camera. Click anywhere to focus.


You can pre-order the cameras at Lytro's website starting at $399. The cameras are only 1.61 in. x 1.61 in. x 4.41 in. and look more like telescopes then cameras.

Neat Inventions

Do you guys ever think about what it would be like in 2015? 2050? Seems like the future is filled with dreams of floating cars and robotic maids.. but what's really going to happen in forty years? Well.. I did a little bit of poking around, and I think you'll be pleased with the things people have been making so far.


Latin Class at Smith Middle School

Latin is the language of the great Romans from over a thousand years ago. What’s even more amazing is that it’s available to students at Smith Middle School! This so called “dead-language” isn’t so dead anymore. Students from the Latin class have been reliving the Roman life, participating in traditions such as weddings, funerals, and Saturnalia (the festival for the god, Saturn). I interviewed two 8th graders who have been taking Latin since 6th grade.
I first interviewed Julie who has very positive feelings towards the Latin class. She repeatedly praised Ms. Moseley for the activities that they get to do. She went on to explain that instead of always taking notes or doing textbook work, they also get to sing songs, dance, and play games to help them learn. Instead of having to just memorize the formula for conjugating, you can sing it! It’s a fun and effective way of learning. I asked Julie if she would continue Latin in high school. Without hesitation, she nodded, saying, “It will really help with vocabulary when we do the SAT’s. The roots of Latin words are usually in the English word so it makes it easier to get the general definition of the English word.”