TAP NEWSLETTER Volume 6 Issue 2

Tappity Tap News
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2
JUNE 6, 2012
WHS’s Moment In Time: A Noteworthy Success!
By: Jacob Streif
Special points of
interest:
 News Stories
 Movie Reviews
 Games and Puzzles
On Thursday, May 17, and Friday, May 18,
Wayzata’s multiple choirs joined together and
put on a performance, worthy of a standing
ovation. The Moment in Time concert is performed twice every year at Wayzata High
school. The concert consists: Cantori, (10th
grade girls), Varsity Men, (10th-12th grade
men), Bel Canto, (11th-12th grade girls), and
the ever prestigious, Concert Choir, (which
consists of the most dedicated and talented
students from all 10th-12th grade choirs).
The concert always brings nostalgia to the
viewers and is a great experience for all. You
are invited to come next year and witness
many students sing and make history, within
a Moment In Time.
A few of the songs that were preformed were:
“Hey Jude”, written by Paul McCartney, “Viva
la Vida”, by Coldplay, “Bridge Over Troubled
Water”, by Simon and Garfunkel, and “There
is Nothing Like a Dame”, from Rogers and
Hammerstein’s musical “South Pacific”. This
year, the four part harmony version of “Viva la
Vida” was composed by student Paul Kinkade.
Inside this issue:
Online Class
By: Lukas Weil
College Visit
2
Math at Play
3
Movie Reviews
4
Games/Puzzles
6
Solutions
8
Credits
10
Global Economics: What is
it? My teacher, Mr. Spurgeon,
first met me two weeks into
fourth term. After attempting
to go through mainstream
MoPro, I wasn’t sure what to
expect. What I found was
something far better than I
could have comprehended.
The small class size combined
with the online-based work
and tests made this class incredibly comfortable and
straight-forward.
I found myself actually working on each of the assign-
ments on a regular basis. The
small class size contributed to
this. With fewer distractions,
less bodies around me, and
more space to work, I always
found myself “in the zone.”
The online based work was
very well constructed. Every
other day, Mr. Spurgeon
would have us sit down and
we would all review the sections we went over. With the
study sheets, used to help us
remember what we read,
tests and quizzes were very
easy.
Though Global Economics
did not give me the whole
“MoPro” feel, It still felt like I
learned quite a bit about economics. Overall, I believe the
school’s decision to implement this class into their curriculum was a very smart
decision. For kids that have
learning disorders, like dyslexia and ADHD, this class
and perhaps others like it
may be the best alternative
for them.
PAGE 2
TAPPITY TAP NEWS
College Trippin’
By: Elijah Hollins
The University of Minnesota is extremely
big and could be your college choice. It
has majors that you’ve probably never
heard of (over 130 undergraduate majors);
some that pay a lot of money once you’ve
graduated. Ms. Ledman’s and Ms. Bellow-
e’s College Prep class went on a campus
tour on May 22, 2012. Our teachers wanted their students to get a realistic picture
of what college is and how to survive it.
If you’ve ever wondered what college
would be like and how it would be without
your parents there to protect you, take a
campus tour. A lot of people say that campus tours are a great experience. Nick, our
presenter, said that “It’s a great school and
they have a subject about absolutely nothing.” He also informed us about ACT
standards, the cost of classes and living
expenses ($20,789 per year), and that there
are a number of smaller colleges that make
up the University.
The University of Minnesota is a great
college to go to with a national reputation
as well. They have almost every major you
could want and tons of clubs that are nationally recognized so not only are they
serious about their studies but they want
you to have a fantastic time doing it.
(More pictures on bottom of page 3)
Mortez and
Devin checking
out a classroom of tomorrow.
Eureka
By: Erik Walker
What would happen if you were
struggling with your math homework
and legendary math icons suddenly
show up in your room? You would
probably end up in an insane asylum.
Eureka takes place in the life of Sara,
a great and athletic student who is
struggling with her math. Albert Einstein and Ada Lovelace make appearances to help her because they see
that she is giving up too easily on her
homework.
Sara is our “typical teenage girl” in
this story. She loves to listen to music, dance around, hang with friends,
Facebook, and all of that good stuff.
Her mother keeps telling her to do
her homework but she keeps blowing
Wayne, Jedrek, Mortez, Diante, Ashley, Devin, Sara, and Henrick on The University of
Minnesota tour. (Can you locate Elijah’s shorts?)
it off. Sara’s mom takes away her
phone until she finishes her work.
The first icon to show up is Albert
Einstein. She doesn’t take it very well
to begin with. I mean would you? A
dead math genius suddenly comes
out of your closet and helps with you
with your math? Sara finally accepted
his help once he explained he was
there to help her get a better understanding of math.
This play was decent at best. It was
definitely aimed at a younger audience; fifth or sixth graders. It did
manage to get a few small laughs out
of me; it wasn’t just god awful. Eureka was only “okay.” I respect the effort the actors put into their charac-
ters, but I was too old to enjoy the
entire play. 2 Stars.
“A DEAD MATH
GENIUS
SUDDENLY
COMES OUT OF
YOUR CLOSET
AND HELPS
WITH YOU WITH
YOUR MATH?”
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2
PAGE 3
Math at Play?
By: Drake Imholte
On April 24, 2012, Ms. Whitworth’s math
class went to the O’Shanassy Theater (St.
Kate’s College) to see the play “Eureka.”
Instead of just sitting in class, students
were given an opportunity to learn about
math in a different way.
Students are used to sitting in a desk for
almost 2 hours, looking at a smart board,
writing notes, and solving problems.
Sometimes students struggle with learning
in that environment. Eureka provided
different ways to understand and comprehend what Ms. Whitworth was trying to
teach. It was a great way to figure out how
mathematics can be used in everyday life.
The play demonstrated a method to learn
the quadratic equation in a new way. Eureka showed the formula and gave hints on
how to remember it and when it would be
used. Algebra can be difficult and to have
half of the audience better understand it,
will help students get better grades and
become better problem solvers. Eureka
was a worthwhile field trip.
Einstein, Sara, and Pascal work together to make
Math easier.
Diablo III
By: Charles Pfiffner
Blizzard Entertainment, after years of
meticulous creation, finally released
Diablo III on May 15, 2012 at the
Visual Effects Society convention.
BlizzCon has rated it as one of the top
games of the year. Diablo III is a dark
fantasy/horror-themed action roleplaying video game.
Battle Arena! A new PVP mode released and integrated into the game,
Taking the tour.
allows you battle friends online. As
Azmodan comes for the Black Soul
Stone and the world runs in terror,
Tyrael Justice, in true form, rejects
his seat on the high heavens and falls
to earth.
As humanity is losing hope you, as a
Nephilim, are called to battle against
Diablo and other dark forces. Good
Luck!
So… This is the library.
PAGE 4
TAPPITY TAP NEWS
Movie Reviews
The Avengers—PG13
By: Charles Pfiffner
The Avengers has become one of
producer Joss Whedon’s most
prominent films. It includes Samuel L Jackson (Nick Fury), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow),
and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron
Man). This film, as you may have
guessed, is an action/adventure
spectacle of visual display on an
epic level never before unleashed.
As part of a major operation, the
most famous Marvel® heroes
join together to fight against one
of the greatest tricksters in all of
history, the demi-god Loki (Tom
Hiddleston). Nick Fury leads the
team straight into a galactic war
in which they are out numbered
100:1 and seems to be a lost cause
for humanity.
This film is a marvelous creation
of genius. It brings together many
beloved characters from the history of Marvel® comics. This sequel to many previous marvel
films, Iron Man, Captain America, and The Incredible Hulk, provides a thrilling experience like
never before. In my opinion this
film deserves four stars and I recommend seeing it IMMIDIATLY!
The Avengers—PG13
By: Elijah Hollins
The Avengers is directed by Joss
Whedon and stars Robert
Downey, Jr. (Iron Man), Chris
Evans (Captain America), Mark
Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth
(Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black
Widow), Jeremy Renner
(Hawkeye), Tom Hiddleston
(Loki), and Samuel L. Jackson
(Nick Fury). The Avengers takes
place in New York City. This film
is an adventure, comedy movie
that will leave you in suspense the
whole time.
Loki’s devious plans to rule the
world included turning Hawkeye
evil and amassing an alien army.
Will the Avengers save the day?
Iron Man, Captain America and
the rest of the Marvel super heroes face an evil like no other.
Loki (Thor’s brother) declares
war against earth. Although it
seems like earth might fall, the
Avengers come to the rescue.
The Avengers provides great action and the special effects were
incredible. There are also humorous moments as you are let into a
super heroes life. Four stars.
Men In Black 3 (MIB 3) - PG13
By: Erik Walker
Men in Black 3 (MIB 3) again
stars Will Smith (Agent J) and
Tommy Lee Jones (Agent K). The
setting of the movie takes place
mostly about forty years prior to
the events of Men in Black; lots of
time travel in this movie. This
movie is a sci-fi buddy cop movie.
A new villain by the name of Boris
the Animal breaks out of prison
to get revenge on Agent K, who
put him away about forty years
back. He does so by traveling
back in time to kill the younger
Agent K. That way, future K
would not exist and the world
would be changed.
MIB 3 didn’t seem promising at
first. Later, the movie gets better.
The special effects are the best of
the three. MIB 3 lacked in story,
the plot was too simple. 2 Stars.
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2
PAGE 5
Chernobyl Diaries—R
By: Drake Imholte
The Chernobyl Diaries is a horror
film. It takes place in Pripyat
(where the Chernobyl nuclear
disaster took place). It stars Uri
(Dimitri Diatchenko), Zoe (Ingrid
Berdal), Chris (Jesse McCartney),
and Paul (Jonathan Sadowski).
A group of friends plan to visit
Paul in Moscow. Paul talks the
group into hiring an extreme tour
guide (Uri) and tour Chernobyl
instead. They find out something
is wrong when Russian soldiers
won’t let them through the front
gate. Uri insists they continue and
shows them another entrance.
What will their visit be like? What
kinds of images will they see?
What does the place, once inhabited by thousands; look like with
no people at all? Or… are there
still people there?
This is a pretty freaky film. It has
some great acting and character
choices. I was disappointed when
certain characters died so quickly
and how they died. The movie
didn’t really have a main character although the plot of this movie
was original and the setting was
very exciting. 2 Stars.
By: Jacob Streif
Pripyat was declared, “safe for
tourists”, and of course, they had
to go. Thinking that they were
alone, their visit was enjoyable at
first. At dusk, when preparing to
leave, their car suddenly died.
Slowly, the thought that they
were alone vanished like one of
their group. Are they truly alone?
Will they survive? Well you can
find that out for yourself.
Chernobyl Diaries—R
Chernobyl Diaries is a horror film
directed by Bradley Parker. Many
people have waited a long time to
see. This movie is stars Jonathan
Sadowski (Paul), Olivia Dudley
(Natalie), and Jesse McCartney
(Chris).
Chernobyl has a historical background; the movie takes place in
Pripyat, the home to the workers
of the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor.
The reactor exploded on April 26,
1986. The movie follows tourists
who will do anything, even by
illegal means. They are told that
As enticing as this movie sounds,
I must assure you that it is a complete waste of money. I regret
seeing it. I won’t rant about it,
so… 1 Star.
Chernobyl Diaries—R
By: Lukas Weil
Chernobyl Diaries is a movie depicting the city of Pripyat; once
the home of 50,000 Russian families. Most of them worked at the
Chernobyl nuclear facility. Director Bradley Parker takes the viewer into a fictional story involving
a group of friends on vacation.
The group of friends, Jesse
McCartney (Chris) and Jonathan
Sadowski (Paul), go to Moscow.
Instead, they meet a local
“extreme adventures” tour guide,
Dimitri Diatchenko (Uri), and
plan to visit Pripyat. As one may
expect from horror/thriller movies, Chernobyl Diaries has plenty
of tense moments. However, the
delivery of action and suspense is
sub-par. All of the main characters end up dying. What is irritating about that is the rate at which
they all die and how they die.
Even though, Chernobyl Diaries
had a good build up. I was stuck
on the edge of my seat the whole
movie, always expecting something big or scary to happen. Unfortunately, the movie did not
deliver. 2 Stars.
PAGE 6
TAPPITY TAP NEWS
Games and Puzzles!
Cryptoquip By: Drake Imholte
Each letter stands for another. If you think X=O, for example, it would equal O throughout the puzzle.
Today’s cryptoquip clue:
C equals E
Answer is on page 9
“H VKECM CTCDF SHZGEC IN EDKHZHZQ, XGT H IKHM, MIZ’E AGHE. IGNNCD
ZIB KZM RHTC EVC DCLE IN FIGD RHNC KL K WVKSJHIZ.”
Super-Quiz 1 By: Erik Walker
Score 1 point for each correct answer on the freshman level, 2 points on the graduate level, and 3 points on the Ph.D. level.
Answers are on page 9
SUBJECT: FOOTBALL
Answer the football related question. (e.g., The only NFL team in Georgia. Answer: Atlanta Falcons.)
These ones should be easy. (freshman level)
1. Which team won Superbowl 46?
2. Which team had the highest winning record in the 2011 NFL Season?
3. Who beat the Green Bay Packers in the 2011 NFL Season?
A little bit harder. (graduate level)
4. There was another team who was looking at Quarterback Drew Brees in 2006. Who was it?
5. Where was Superbowl 41 located?
6. Who was the Quarterback for New England BEFORE Tom Brady?
Good luck pal. (Ph.D. level)
7. Which 2 Quarterbacks tie for the record of most Superbowl Championship wins?
8. Who did the Baltimore Ravens beat to win their first Superbowl Championship?
9. Who was the first Quarterback EVER to win the Superbowl?
Super-Quiz 2 By: Jacob Streif
Score 1 point for each correct answer on the freshman level, 2 points on the graduate level, and 3 points on the Ph.D. level.
Answers are on page 9
SUBJECT: THE BRAIN
Answer the brain related question. (e.g., Nerve fibers that send and receive electrical signals. Answer: Spinal Cord.)
Casual Thinker Level (freshman level)
1). The human brain is made of what 4 lobes?
2). What lobe of your brain is used when solving puzzles?
3). What is the most crucial part of the brain?
Formidable Brain Level (graduate level)
4). What does RAS stand for?
5). What is the Cerebral Cortex?
6). What is the part of the brain that stores most memory
and information?
Mastermind Level (Ph.D. level)
7).What is the function of an Amygdala?
8a). What is the name of the area under the occipital lobe?
8b). Bonus: Can you can name the area’s function?
9). What does the Broca and Wernicke's area do?
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2
PAGE 7
Maze 1 By: Charlie Pfiffner
Solution on page 9
Maze 2 By: Lukas Weil
Solution on page 9
PAGE 8
Word Search By: Elijah Hollins
TAPPITY TAP NEWS
Solution on page 9
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
PAGE 9
Game Solutions
Cryptoquip Solution
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”
Super-Quiz Solutions
Scoring:
18 points: congratulations, doctor
15 to 17 points: honors graduate
10 to 14 points: you’re plenty smart
4 to 9 points: you should hit the books
1 to 3 points: enroll in remedial courses immediately
0 points: who read the questions to you?
~Erik’s Football Quiz~
Answers:
1. New York Giants 2. Green Bay Packers 3. Kansas City Chiefs 4.
Miami Dolphins 5. Dolphins Stadium, Miami 6. Drew Bledsoe 7.
Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana 8. New York Giants 9. Bart Starr.
~Jacob’s Brain Quiz~
Answers.
1. Parietal, Frontal, Occipital, and Temporal. 2. Frontal Lobe. 3. Cerebrum. 4. Reticular Activation System. 5. Outer wall of the brain. 6.
Hippocampus. 7. Processing memory and emotional reactions. 8a.
Cerebellum. 8b(bonus). Motor control. 9. Comprehension and Production of Speech.
Maze and Word Find Solutions
THE ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM
David Miller—Publisher
TAP Business Teacher
4955 Peony Lane North
Plymouth, MN 55446
This newsletter was written and
assembled by Mr. Miller’s TAP
Business Communications Class.
All of the articles were written by
the students (pictured) below.
The Alternative Program is administered by Alison Nisbet. The class
and the newsletter publisher wish
to thank her for enabling us to
print this newsletter in color.
Previous Editions are online at: http://
www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/Page/10033
The newsletter staff also wishes
to thank the teachers who work
with us on a daily basis to make
education both challenging and
fun.
Tappity Tap Staff
Front: Lukas Weil. Middle: Jacob Streif. Back Row from Left: Erik Walker, Elijah Hollins, Charlie Pfiffner, and
Drake Imholte.