October 2014 Whats the Buzz - LaGrange Highlands School District

What’s the Buzz?
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....of, by and for Highlands’ students
Highlands Middle School • LaGrange, IL • 60525 Vol. 17 Issue 1 October 2014
Miss Umsted Tells All
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by Caitlin McGarry
I got the privilege of interviewing Miss Umsted for the Buzz. She is a new teacher for 6th
grade Language Arts. She sat down with me so she could tell me about herself. I hope you enjoy
learning about Miss Umsted.
Why did you decide to come to Highlands Middle School?
“Ever since the first time I stepped into Highlands, I thought it was a great school. I also
really enjoyed meeting all of the people who work here and it felt like a positive and friendly place to work in.”
!What do you like to do in your free time?
“I like to relax with family and friends. I also like to workout, especially running on a nice day. I love being
outside as much as possible!”
!Where did you go to college?
“I went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. It is about four and a half hours away, close to Cincinnati.”
!Do you have any pets? If so what are their names?
“I have one dog named Fifi. She is a Shih Tzu and is black and white. She is only nine pounds and is very sassy
and fun.”
!Why did you decide to teach Language Arts?
“I wanted to teach Language Arts because I love reading and writing so I want to encourage all my students to
love reading and writing. I think that it’s important to have literacy skills in any career you go into.”
!What subject were you good at when you were in middle school besides Language Arts?
“I liked social studies because I like history a lot.”
!Where were you born?
“I was born in Hinsdale which is only ten minutes away, right by Western Springs.
!What’s your favorite TV show?
“One of my favorite TV shows is not on anymore but was Boy Meets World. They now have a show like it called
Girl Meets World, but Boy Meets World was a lot better.”
!What is your favorite food?
“My favorite food is pizza and I love desserts, too. I have a big sweet tooth so any kind of dessert, like
chocolate, I love!”
!What is your favorite color?
“My favorite color is turquoise.”
!What do students not know about you that you would like to share?
“I love to sing and dance so at any moment if I could, I would love to break out into a song and dance. I keep
that talent to myself…”
Did you enjoy learning about Miss Umsted? I know I had fun learning about her. She is a great Language Arts
teacher and is a great role model. I am glad she is at Highlands and hopefully for many more years to come.
Back To School Bash
by Caitlyn Cherney
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In September, Highlands had its 2nd annual
Back to School Bash sponsored by the student
council. My opinion and other opinions from
students: The Back To School Bash overall was
well put together. even though it rained on the
day that the bash took place, which meant we
couldn’t have any outdoor activities like softball,
soccer, football, etc.
Based on me asking a couple students in my grade (8th)
they said they wanted more time for basketball. I
know many people that had wanted survivor, but
many other boys wanted more basketball. An idea
would be if they could maybe make half of the
gym survivor and the other half basketball, just
so it could meet everybody’s needs. Many other
fun activities took place like face painting, the
ALS ice bucket challenge with many teachers
doing it (like Mr. A), and bean bag toss. Based
on my results of the survey more people wanted
the bean bag toss contests longer than they were.
Others said they wanted more organization of the
bash. A lot of students liked that there was free admission, but students thought there was a low supply
on the food. On the survey, most students that said
there was a low supply on food wanted more
pizza.
Many of the students wished that there would
have been different songs playing, and wanted the
songs to be played start to end. Some students
were saying that the songs were switched during
the middle and didn’t get to listen to the rest of
the song. Overall in the survey the most liked
activities were face painting, bean bag toss, and
the raffles. Activities that students hoped to be
there were board games and card games on the
lunch tables like last year so that they could play
with their friends. Most students say that there
should be more basketball hoops open, and if it
doesn’t rain next year on the day of The Back To
School Bash then, have more sports like softball,
soccer, football or maybe even kick-ball set up.
Some students did not even go to the
bash. So, for students that didn’t go, maybe Student
Council could somehow get their attention and
change their minds about going to the bash.
The New iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Are Here!
by Braeden Norris
Is the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus Better?
The new generation of iPhones are out,
and they are bigger and better than ever.
The new iPhone 6 has a 4.7 inch display
and weighs only 4.55 ounces. The iPhone
6 Plus has a 5.5 inch display and weighs
6.07 ounces. A lot of people including
myself, thought the iPhone 6 Plus would
be much too big. I went to the Apple Store
to test both the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus.
Both phones are extremely light and thin.
I thought that the iPhone 6 Plus would
weigh a pretty hefty amount. Then I
noticed that the iPhone 4S weighed more
than the iPhone 6 Plus. The same goes for
the iPhone 6. Surprisingly the iPhone 6
Plus didn’t feel that big in the pocket. If I
were to choose between the iPhone 6 or 6
Plus, I would choose the 6 Plus.
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“#Bendgate” | The iPhone 6 Plus Bends?
People reported that the iPhone 6 Plus bent in their pocket after being sat on
for a long period of time. 9 buyers out of the 10 million who purchased the
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus returned a bent iPhone in the first week. The small
percentage of phones returned led some to believe it was a hoax.
UnboxTherapy, a channel on YouTube, put Bendgate to the test and tried
bending the iPhone 6 Plus. They were successful bending the phone. They
used their bare hands to bend the iPhone. To me it looked like he was putting
way too much pressure on the phone. The amount of pressure that he put on
the phone wouldn’t ever be replicated with day to day use. Here is a link to
UnboxTherapy’s video: http://bit.ly/ZciOjL
Exactly How Much Spying Does The NSA Do?
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by Dennis Didenko
About June, 2013, a huge security leak was published: the NSA was spying on
America’s own citizens — in bulk, and without court approval. They defended against this
claim saying that they were trying to find terrorists. Even after all this, people still don’t
know exactly how they do it, so we really had nothing to say back to that claim.
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The origins of the NSA go back to World War I, where a new
department was founded, one that was supposed to help the Navy
decipher intercepted communications. This organization’s name was
the “Cipher Bureau and Military Intelligence Branch”, and it was
actually founded by the executive branch without Congress’s assent.
After World War I, they relocated to New York City, and called
themselves the “Code Compilation Company”, and continued doing
activities which were not unlike what they were engaging in
previously.
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The first time the NSA, or at that time the Code Compilation Company,
actually spied on other countries was when they created the “Black Chamber” — it was
created to decipher the transmissions of other countries. It later convinced Western Union,
then the largest U.S. telegram company, to permit government officials to watch private
communications. The Black Chamber was shut down in 1929 by the Secretary of State,
saying “Gentlemen do not read each other’s mail”.
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During World War II, the SSA, or the Signal Security Agency (SSA), was created to
decipher and intercept Axis transmissions. After World War II, it was reformed as the Army
Security Agency (ASA), and yes, it was headed by the army. Later, all
departments having to do with ciphering and deciphering and
intercepting communications were merged together to create the
Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA), under the U.S.
Department of Defense. When it was failing to unify
communications intelligence, an investigation was ordered to
find why the AFSA was failing at its goals. The results?
Improvements on the infrastructure, and the name was
changed to the National Security Agency (NSA). It was
officially created in a memorandum by President Truman on
October 24, 1952. However, the document was labeled
“classified”, and the public was not informed of the creation of
such an agency. Inside the government, those who knew of it,
instead of calling it the National Security Agency, called it the “No
Such Agency” to obscure its existence further.
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One of the NSA’s first active operations was the secret operation codenamed
“MINARET”, and it’s purpose was to monitor the phone communications of two senators and
other major civil rights activists, including MLK Jr., as they were strongly speaking out
against the Vietnam War. Surprisingly, in an internal review, the NSA deemed its own project
“disreputable, if not, outright illegal”, and scrapped it.
After the Watergate scandal, a congressional hearing led by one of the very senators
they had monitored, Sen. Frank Church, uncovered that the NSA had still routinely
intercepted international communications of noteworthy anti-Vietnam War leaders. After
President Nixon resigned, more investigations followed, on the misuse of FBI, CIA, and NSA
establishments, uncovering even more horrifying information: A CIA plot, ordered by the
Kennedy administration, whose purpose was to assassinate the Cuban communist politician,
Fidel Castro. In addition, the investigations uncovered the NSA’s habit of wiretapping on
American citizens. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was passed in 1978, meant to
limit mass surveillance in the U.S. After the bombing of a Berlin nightclub, the NSA monitored
the communications of the Libyan government. President Ronald Reagan later justified the
U.S. bombing of Libya by stating that the NSA had produced “irrefutable evidence” that Libya
was behind the bombing.
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Soon after 9/11, if not immediately after, the NSA started upgrading its’ hardware and
software to keep up with the larger amounts of information being intercepted each day, via
internet and mobile phones. However, this did not yet mean that anyone could access this
data, because their data-mining program, ThinThread, stored the data encrypted, and a
warrant was required to decrypt the data.
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But the NSA’s director, Michael Hayden, chose a different program which did the exact
same thing but with one vital difference: the data did not require a warrant. The program,
Trailblazer, was cancelled in early 2004 as it was over-budget, late, and didn’t do what it was
created to do. So instead, they got a new program: Turbulence. Turbulence was created in
2005 and was created using small non-expensive “test” pieces. It helped the creation of the
ability to actually inject malware (aka viruses and spying and monitoring devices) into a
REMOTE computer. The program was later criticized by Congress in 2007 for the same
reasons that they criticized Trailblazer, but Turbulence wasn’t taken down.
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It was at this point that Edward Snowden leaked an almost literal boatload of
documents onto the internet, to multiple sources at
once. So, let me describe to you, quickly, simply the
facts of what the NSA does:
•Tracks the locations—not communications, but
locations—of hundreds of millions of phones PER DAY,
allowing them to map human movements and
relationships
•Has access to any type of communication made
through Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, YouTube,
AOL, Skype, Apple and Paltalk, and uses that access
unsparingly
*Each year, collects hundreds of millions of contact
lists, emails, and texts.
*Collects and stores data from roughly 120 million Verizon subscribers.
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More than 90% of the people the NSA targets aren’t intended victims, they’re normal
Americans. And if you think that it doesn’t matter if they get your information, the NSA spies
on some world leaders it simply doesn’t like and makes their private information and habits
public, for everyone to see, denouncing the leader. That can happen to you. Already, the NSA
have most likely logged most of your emails, lots of your texts, and almost ALL of your phone
calls. I leave you with this slightly unfortunate and somber statement: Privacy is currently
dead. But you can start being more careful about what data you put where, and how you do it.
Pros and Cons of Exercise
by Julieta Ramirez
Some people HATE exercising and some people LOVE to exercise. Exercise is an EPIC thing to do
because it keeps you healthy. Here are some pros and cons of exercising. As you can see below,
there are more pros than cons to exercising.
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Cons
-You get tired from exerting all your energy
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-Your muscles could be sore
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-You could injure yourself
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-It can be hard to schedule time out of your day to
exercise
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-Some exercising includes sports so it gets
competitive
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-It can cost money if you need equipment or belong
to a gym
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Pros
-Keeps your blood flowing to reduce heart
disease
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-Keeps you active
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-Your muscles get stronger
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-Your reflexes can get better
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-You can lose weight
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-It can increase how long you live
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-Doing sports can help you in life
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-Your mood improves because your body
releases endorphins when exercising
-You get sweaty!
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-Better memory
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-Increases your endurance
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-It relieves stress and helps with relieving
depression
Before
After
In my opinion, I think exercise is good because without exercise we could be overweight and
we might not live as long as we do now because exercise keeps our blood flowing and prevents
cardiovascular disease. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you should work
toward 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on 3-5 days of the week. Also, if we don’t exercise
we won’t gain any muscle and our reflexes could be worse. We could be in bad moods if we don’t
exercise enough. Even though exercise includes sports that can cause injuries it’s still good to
exercise.
by Maren Williams
The Top 10 Halloween Movies
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1. Hocus Pocus
2. Casper The Friendly Ghost
3. The Halloweentown Movies
4. Twitches
5. The Little Vampire
6. Ghostbusters
7. Corpse Bride
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas
9. Coraline
10. The Addams Family
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The Top 5 Halloween Party Songs
1. Thriller
2. Monster Mash
3. This is Halloween
4. Love Potion No. 9
5. Ghostbusters
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Watching! Reading! Reviews!
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by Claire Williams
Have you ever really wanted to see a movie or read a book, but the reviews
say it’s awful? Do you ever just want to know what someone around your age
thinks? Well, if this situation has ever occurred, then this is the perfect article for
you!
www.thewire.com
The Giver is an amazing story, by Lois Lowry, that anyone who is
into utopian novels would love. But even if you have read The Hunger
Games or Divergent, and haven’t liked those books, don’t worry! The
Giver is nothing like them! It’s about a boy named Jonas who is about to
turn 12. In Jonas’s world, when you turn 12, you have the last of your
age ceremonies. During Jonas’s 12th ceremony he will find out what his
career will be. Will he be a nurturer, like his father? Will he work at the
Department of Justice, like his mother? No. The elders will assign him a
special job: the Receiver. In this amazing story, Jonas finds out that his
amazing world, without war or violence, came at a cost: The cost of
everything being alike. The cost of differences being bad.
Personally, I loved this story. It was nothing like the movie, but the
book was so much better. There isn’t much violence or love interests, so
if you’re not a fan of that sort of thing, this book must be perfect for you.
The only bad thing I have to say about this book is the ending was very
confusing. You can get the gist, but it still really makes your brain think.
Overall, I would give the story 4/5 stars.
studentaffairs.csun.edu
If you like quirky stories with an extremely different plot,
then you will fall in love with Each Little Bird that Sings, by Deborah
Wiles. It is a realistic fiction story like no other. Now, take my word that
this story is not about birds, or something really girly and cheesy. In
fact, the first line of the book is, “I come from a long line of dead
people.” The story is about a girl, named Comfort Snowberger, who has
been used to death her whole life. The reason is, she lives in a funeral
home. But, when her great aunt Florentine dies, everything begins to
change. The changes start with her annoying cousin coming for the
funeral, and her best friend, Declaration, becoming downright mean.
To say the least, this was one of the most memorable stories I
have ever read. With twists and turns at every corner, Each Little Bird
that Sings will make you want to keep reading even during the parts
that aren’t as exciting. Everything is really clear and straightforward. I
would gladly hand this book a 4.5/5 stars.
juniorlibraryguild.com
bestclipartblog.com
“Dolphin Tale 2” is a movie that will make you happy, sad,
and… inspired. It is the sequel to “Dolphin Tale” that will not
earn the reputation other sequels have. In the last movie, a
beached dolphin was found by a young boy, Sawyer. The
dolphin, later named Winter, had a more extreme case than
others: she was missing a tail due to an injury. The people who
worked there didn’t know if she would make it, but, with the
help of Sawyer, Hazel, and many more important characters,
she did. In this uplifting sequel, something dramatic happens
that forces Winter to be alone and depressed. Can Sawyer and
Hazel save her again? Find out by watching this film that has
already made me burst with joy.
This movie, inspired by a true story, may be one of the
best movies I have seen all year. The casting choices made for
the first movie still fit the second movie so perfectly. Most
importantly, each scene will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Finally, after seeing this movie, I want to go visit Winter even
more badly. I hope that you will, too. This movie rightfully
deserves 4.3/5 stars.
www.seewinter.com
www.thehollywoodnews.com
www.fandango.com
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“The BoxTrolls” is a funny and unique movie that any
Tim Burton fan will love. It is about a boy, Eggs, that has lived
with BoxTrolls his entire life. The creatures that all of the
townsfolk think have eaten the boy, have actually been raising
him as their own. Sadly, the BoxTroll Exterminators started
to kidnap BoxTrolls after Eggs disappeared from the upper
world. The BoxTrolls (and Eggs) have learned to live with
this, but after Fish is kidnapped, Eggs decides to find him.
During his search, he discovers something life changing.
I thought “The BoxTrolls” is a very funny movie. Even
though some of the jokes are cheesy and childish, others will
make you burst out laughing. The movie is especially funny if
you have little kids in the theater with you saying, “Jelly,”
throughout half of the movie. Also, some parts of the movie
were pretty predictable, but what would you expect from a PG
movie? Overall, “The BoxTrolls” made me laugh, put me on
the edge of my seat, and taught me a very important life
lesson. This is a movie that I wouldn’t mind going back to the
theater to see again. I would give it a 4/5 stars.
www.flixist.com
Answers & Advice
by Isabel Tuisl
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Dear Isabel,
What do you do if you are having academic and family problems at the
same time? -Puzzled Pixie
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Dear Puzzled Pixie,
I would say that if you’re having academic and family problems to keep them separate. Deal
with your academic problems at school and deal with your family problems at home. If you’re
behind on schoolwork or you need help, don’t be afraid to ask your teacher.
You can also go to homework club to get caught up on assignments or get
help. When you’re at home and you’re having problems with your family try
to talk to them about it. If that makes the problem worse talk to a teacher, a
friend at school, or Mrs. Luetkehans. Try not to bring the two problems
together, though, because that could make both of them even worse.
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Dear Isabel,
I feel like I’m losing all of my friends and nobody likes me or wants to be my friend. I’m really
sad because everyone is being mean to me and ignoring me. I am so lost with my friends and I
need help. -Lonely Lucy
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Dear Lonely Lucy,
If you think that your friends don’t like you, ask them why. Maybe you did something and you
don’t know you did it, so try talking to them. If some of your friends are ignoring you though,
they might want a break from you. Just leave them alone for a little while and maybe they’ll
eventually start to talk to you again, but don’t push it. Good luck!
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Dear Isabel,
How can I spend time with my friends that go to different schools than me?
-Frustrated Friend
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Dear Frustrated Friend,
Try to stay in contact with your friends. Text them or talk to them on the phone after school.
When you have free time during the weekends plan to hang out with them. You can plan
certain days every week when you hang out, and that way you have a reserved day each week
just for them. Hope this helped!
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Dear Isabel,
My friends are getting together after school and on the weekends without me. They come back
to school and talk about it in front of me, and I’m sad that they don’t include me in their gettogethers. I’m also mad that they talk about it with me around. What should I do?
-Furious Fred
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Dear Furious Fred,
Talk to your friends about how you’re feeling. They might not know
that what they’re doing is wrong. If they do know though, tell them
that they’re hurting your feelings. You can’t make them invite you
to things. So tell them if they’re not going to invite you, to at least
not talk about it in front of you. If they keep leaving you out of
things and talking about them in front of your face, then they’re
probably not true friends. Good luck!
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Dear Isabel,
I have after school activities and sometimes a lot of homework. I need a way to make sure that
I get my homework done, but I don’t exactly know how to do this. What should I do?
-Confused Cathy
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Dear Confused Cathy,
Right when you get home, start your homework. Keep things that will distract you like
electronics put away when you do your homework. Listening to music helps me concentrate,
so put on your favorite song and get to work. Take short breaks when you feel you need them,
but don’t get off track. If you can’t finish all of your homework that night, go into the library
early to finish it. Or, if you have to, skip your after school activity so that you can get all of
your assignments done for the next day.
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Note: All of the questions that were submitted are true. Some of them have been modified to fit
the standards of the article, but the names are made up so that no one’s identity is given
away.
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If you need advice please click this link to submit your problem.
https://docs.google.com/a/district106.net/forms/d/
1z0e_fjS7J6uKYAu16YJLl9KZ0K3ukJ4Vwqz6P1LQvuo/viewform
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Answers will be posted in the December What’s the Buzz.
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What’s the Buzz Staff
Writers: Caitlyn Cherney, Caitlin McGarry, Braeden Norris, Julieta Ramirez,
Dennis Didenko, Maren Williams, Claire Williams, Isabel Tuisl
Editor: Maren Williams
Sponsor: Mrs. Lanciloti