May 2013 - Martin Luther King Jr Middle School

King
VOLUME V, ISSUE II
Cobra
KING MIDDLE SCHOOL
BUSD Names New
Superintendent
MARCH, 2013
King to Adopt New Standards
National Common Core Standards are Heading our Way
By Angie Fike
By Nina Price
After a long, arduous search across
the U.S for a new superintendent, the
Berkeley Unified School District School
Board finally announced their
unanimous choice for the position last
week -- Dr. Donald Evans, right from
our own Bay Area.
Evans has been the superintendent
of Hayward Unified School District
since 2011, before that he worked for the
school districts in Compton, Oakland,
and East Palo Alto.
“I’m really excited about continuing
the great work in Berkeley Unified and
building on the strengths of the district
to ensure that all of our students are
successful,” said Dr. Evans.
Dr. Evans is joining the district at a
time when both enrollment as well as
academic achievement is increasing. He
is also expected to help make the
transition to Common Core State
standards smooth.
School Board President Karen
Hemphill said Evans was chosen
because of the way he showed
instructional leadership, his engagement
in community matters, and his
dedication to serving all students.
These qualities will be especially
vital if Evans is to help Berkeley reach
In the next two years, 44 states,
including California, are adopting
new state standards which will flip the
current curriculum of some subjects
upside down. In light of this, major
changes to the content of math and
English classes will be put in place at
King starting next year.
States see these new standards as
a way to break away from the
teaching methods used when “No
Child Left Behind” was implemented
in 2002 under George W. Bush. While
Ms. Collins, working with Ruby Franco and
its goal to raise all test scores to a
Martina D’Ambrosio, may soon be able to
proficient level was thought to be a
slow down the pace of math lessons, when
great idea, educators saw the methods Common Core standards hit.
in reaching this goal, which centered
around testing, as a huge misstep. NCLB
shallow manner, students will be able to
had a particular affect on the math
go more in depth with fewer topics.
curriculum, forcing teachers to introduce
For students who have not yet taken
material at a racing pace with scarcely
Algebra 1, the problems they will be
any time to let the subject areas soak in.
struggling with may not be what they
“I’m really excited that, for the first
expect. The new math content will be
time in a long time, students might
made up of several integrated subjects -- a
wrestle with a math problem for three
concoction called Common Core 8. It will
days instead of (getting taught) something consist of primarily algebra and geometry
new every single day,” said Principal
but will also include more advanced high
Janet Levenson.
school subjects, like statistics.
The math program will have fewer
Algebra 1 teacher Leah Alcala is
standards to reach, which Ms. Levenson
concerned that teaching unfamiliar
believes will be an advantage. She said
subjects might be a difficult transition for
that instead of learning many subjects in a
See: Superintendant, Page 3
See: Standards, Page 3
Inside this Edition
News
Opinion
Books
Head-to-Head: Should
we have zoos?
What to read after The
Hunger Games? We
have the answer.
Puzzles/Comics
Page 16
Page 47
Coverage of issues
from around the
King Middle
School community
Page 1-12
Food
Bowl’d, on Solono Ave
is reviewed.
Can you solve the
latest Cobra
Crossword?
Page 52
Page 25
Sports
King’s baseball
team eyes
championship
Page 60
Page 2
King Cobra
King’s Library Doesn’t Stop at Books
By Megan Cole
! It’s lunchtime at King. Some kids are outside
“I think that’s its a very nice building and that it has
playing basketball, sitting around talking, or taking
a large selection of books. “It’s fantabulistic!” said
pictures in the corner of the softball field. But others are
Alecia Harger, a student at King.
going to the library, and not just to read. While students
Something some students notice, is, although the
can can play games on the computers, talk and do
library has many books, some people wish they had a
homework, the library has
larger variety. “I think the
also added some new
library is mostly good,” said
activities this year.
seventh grader Uma Channer.
“One of the things I
“But they have too many not
like about this library is,
very good, not very advanced
in addition to people
teen books that won’t let
reading, people are also
anyone’s brain grow.”
socializing,” said the head
“I think that’s there’s a
librarian, Mr. Holmes.
fairly large selection of books,
Mr. Holmes feels that
but it would be nice if there
just going to the library at
were more selection,” said
lunch exposes students to
Alecia Harger. “And more
some good things.
nonfiction.”
“They do other
Ms. Zemach agreed that the
things in the library, and it
library’s book selection could
makes people like and
use some new additions.
feel more comfortable
“I really want to expand on
around books.”
urban literature and graphic
Many of the new
novels and more true
A group os students gather around the computers in the
lunch-time actitivies
relationship stories,” said Ms.
center around art.
Zemach. “ If people want more variety, they should tell
“I’m excited about more student creative media,”
us.”
said Mr. Holmes, a librarian at King. “(Also) there is a
Either way, whether you want to check out a book,
knitting group going on.”
research a subject, or just hang out with friends, the
Many students enjoy what the library has to offer.
library is definitely a good place to go.
“I think the art projects are a great idea and it’s a
great way to keep people entertained in the
library,” said Avi Simon, a seventh grader at
King. “I think a great way to make more people
interested in the library would be to maybe
update the projects, and have better places to
sit.”
It seems the staff librarians have made it
their mission to have the library not just be a
place to check out books.
“We have art in the library program that goes
on all year,” said Ms. Zemach, the other
librarian. “Any student who has an idea about
this should contact us. There are all kinds of
activities we’re trying to do.”
She also notes that they would love to be
more connected to the other programs at the
school, such as the kitchen and garden.
The library is definitely a place where
students come to socialize more than anything.
Many students come to check out books, but it’s
less common for people to actually do any
reading. Still, the library is, and likely will
Students enjoy each other’s company in the library
always be, about books.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 3
Standards (cont. from page 1)
her and her fellow teachers. However, she still believes that
the new curriculum has its benefits.
“It presents content at an appropriate time,” she said.
“Kids forget algebra by the time they reach Algebra 2.”
As the standards are now, with Pre-Algebra coming first
in seventh grade, then Algebra (8th grade), Geometry (9th),
Algebra 2 (10th). The problems of forgetting a subject area is
a real one.
On top of students “losing” the algebra they learned in
eighth grade, Ms. Alcala believes that algebra and geometry
go hand-in-hand. She claims a barrier has been built between
the subjects by teaching them separately.
The combined subjects should not only fix both issues,
but make for a seamless math program throughout middle and
high school.
However, math isn’t the only subject that’s seeing some
changes. English -- while not nearly as extreme -- is going to
adopt an altered curriculum.
The new standards will mainly focus on reading nonfiction. Currently, apart from the non-fiction in textbooks,
English classes mainly just use fictional books to introduce
themes and analysis, as well as to connect the class to subjects
in history. Reading non-fiction will not only help accomplish
these goals, but introduce a new way to do research, which,
according to eighth grade humanities teacher Steven Conley, is
one of the most important abilities a student should possess
before entering high school.
Not only are all of these new standards coming, but so is a
whole new standardized testing system. SBAC testing, or
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, will begin to
replace the end of the year STAR tests beginning in the
2014-15 school year.
This new system being solely online may very well be the
smallest of the changes from the STAR testing.
The typical bubble sheet test that King students have been
using since second grade are going away -- and so are the A,
B, C, and D answers. The new system is not multiple choice.
There are various question types ranging from moving around
Superintendant (cont. from page 1)
its “20-20 Vision,” the goal of closing
off the achievement gap between
caucasion and minority students by the
year 2020.
“Dr. Evans has a proven track
record of meeting the needs of all
students, including under‐
achieving and high‐achieving students,
and comes to our District with a depth
and breadth of experience which will
serve us well,” said Hemphill.
School Board Vice President Josh
Daniels said that he thinks Evans is a
perfect choice for the job
"While he is a good fit for this
community for many reasons,” said
Daniels, “the quality that most stands
out for me is his belief in the value of
and his commitment to communitybased decision making."
solutions to their correct equation, to explaining your answer,
to bubbling in several yes or no answers. This new way of
testing, addresses some of the complaints people have about
current standardized testing.
“I much prefer to have a student justify their thinking
because it tells me more about what they understand,” science
teacher Akemi Hamai said. “Hopefully the new system will
really allow kids to show what they know.”
The tests will also be “adaptive,” meaning a question’s
difficulty will be adjusted as you move through the test.
“If you’re starting to miss questions, it gives you more
easy ones and tries to understand what it is exactly that you do
and don’t know.” Ms. Levenson said.
Levenson said this will give a more accurate
understanding of what areas students struggle in so teachers
can focus more on their blind spots. She continued to explain
that there is a bank of around 400,000 questions that are
selected as you move through the test.
“It’s not like these are the sixth-grade tests, seventh-grade
tests, and eighth-grade tests, like they do it now, but all the
questions are there. The grade levels blur a little bit more.”
When the new test format rolls around, one big worry for
King, and probably many other schools, is the lack of
technology.
Currently at King, each classroom has four to five
relatively ancient desktop computers, that all run on the same
tower. These computers are used for Accelerated Reader tests,
checking grades, and a few other things. If the tests are going
to be online only, as planned, it will become a matter of
having enough computers for over 900 students to test at the
same time.
Ms. Levenson believes that if the school can’t acquire
enough computers by 2014 the test may have to remain on
paper, which will take away the adaptive features.
No matter when the testing system comes, it’s up to the
teachers to teach the students what they need to learn.
“First, we have to make the curriculum strong and make
sure the teachers know how to teach it. Then, we introduce the
new testing system,” said Ms. Alcala.
The search for a superintendent
has not been a smooth one. It began in
December of 2011, but it was
relaunched in February of this year
after the the previous finalist, Edmond
Heatley, withdrew his candidacy
because of a large controversy in
Berkeley over his views on gay
marriage and emphasis on standardized
testing in schools.
Meanwhile, Evan’s appointement
was met with no controversy. Hemphill
said that his experience with students
ranges from students who are
struggling, to ones who are excelling;
from kids in elementary school to kids
in high school. She also cited his
extensive experience working for
schools in California.
“He is a person who’s very wellregarded in his current district as well
as where he had been formerly,”
BUSD named Dr. Donald
Evans as superintendent
Hemphill said. “During the
background check, people described
him as collegial and talked about his
leadership style. People like him. He
has to deal with some difficult
situations and, while we may not have
the same issues here in Berkeley, it
certainly does speak to how he would
handle complex situations.”
Evans is expected to officially
start as the superintendent on July 1.
Page 4
Favorite iSearch Topics
From Past to Present
By Ella Griego & Yuki Nagase
The iSearch.
Most students who just read that, probably sighed.
For those of you who don’t know, the iSearch is a
massive two-month project that
all eighth-graders do on a topic
of their choice. It includes an
ongoing hands-on project and a
long, thoughtful paper. It’s called
the iSearch because the student
is allowed to pick their own
topic. You can imagine how
varied the topics might be, from
things like: “How Can I Build
More Muscle;” to “How Video
Games Have Changed Over The
Years;” and “The Process Of
Opening An Italian Restaurant.”
However, occasionally someone
may have a really crazy or awesome topic like, “How Can
I Survive A Zombie Apocalypse.” The humanities teachers
at King have seen everything searched, from “depression”
to “chocolate”.
“The great thing about the iSearch is that all of the
topics are unusual,” said Ms. Carpenter. “But one of the
most unusual I've seen is when a student created and tested
a potato gun. He took the potato gun outside and the class
watched as he launched potato after potato about a hundred
yards into the field.”
Mr. Selk has also seen some pretty weird ones.
“Counterfeiting money. Psychology of cats. Parkour.
This is actually the first year that I haven’t had parkour. A
few years ago one student’s iSearch was “How Can I Get
To A High Level In Call Of Duty -- Map Kino Der Toten.
King Cobra
He even made a machinima (a movie made of video
games),” said Mr. Selk.
“My favorite iSearch was a student who trained mice.
He trained them to do mazes, and he also had them do
tightrope walking.” said Mr. Selk. “What made it really
good was he trained one mouse after another. He did a
great job of videoing and asking questions along the way.”
But not all iSearch topics are rated PG-13.
! “I had a student in class who
wanted to do his iSearch on
shoplifting.” said Mr. Selk. “We
were into the third week of the
project when he started talking
about his ‘experiments.’ ”
! One of this year’s particularly
interesting topics is being done by
Raymond Moore, an eighth-grader
in Ms. Carpenter’s class.
! “My topic is “What Is Happiness
and How Does One Achieve It?””
said Moore. “I chose this because
Amara Cohen
happiness is important to everyone,
so I thought it would be universal.”
Tashi Wangmo also has an interesting topic.
“My topic is, “What does the future hold for us?” I
chose this becaue (I am interested in clairvoyance).”
She has found many ways to research this topic.
“I am researching by (reading) books on how the
world is now, so I can see how it might change. I’ve found
out about humanoids, and I’m going to do a model of how
the future would look,” said Wangmo.
These aren’t all the crazy topics. Other ones we’ve
seen are the benefits of laughing, serial killers, horror
movies, pyrotechnics, and taxidermy. No doubt about it,
King has seen some pretty weird projects over the years.
“A great part about the iSearch is that it reflects the
diversity and different interests of the kids here at King,”
said Mr. Dalton, a former humanities teacher who now
teachers journalism and PE.
Sixth Graders Start a Glee Club
By Ceildh Welsh & Julia Ceia
King has almost 1,000 students but hasn’t had a glee
club in a long, long time.
Many students at King may have heard of “Glee,” a TV
show about a group of high school students who sing
together. They may also have seen the posters advertising
King’s very own glee club.
The glee club is a place where a small group of about
20 sixth graders meet up to sing and get to know each other.
They meet on Wednesdays during sixth grade lunch. They
are supervised by Kaci Smith, a counseling intern, and
sixth-grade counselor Amy Specter. The student leaders are
sixth graders Lillian Johnson and Corrina Bondi.
“I just told my friend Corrina that we should have a
glee club, and then we told Ms. Specter, and she thought it
was a great idea,” said Johnson.
So, they put up some posters, and soon they had their
singers.
They’ve made quite a bit of progress in the club,
although they have not gone public with a show yet.
“We sang
‘Some Nights,’ and
a ‘Same Love’
mashup, and we are
deciding on another
song,” said Johnson.
“We haven’t
performed yet, but
Students practice during Glee Club
maybe we will
sometime this year.”
Ms. Specter encouraged the creation of the club, but
said that it was really all the work of Johnson and Bondi.
“I just unlock the door,” said Ms Specter. “The girls do
everything else.”
The club, in this way, is largely led by students so that
it can be fun. They are not sure if they will expand the club
to seventh and eighth grade next year, or if it will be a thing
just for sixth graders each year, but either way, it looks like
a good, safe place to go if you enjoy singing and hanging
out.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 5
Jefferson Community Fights to Bring Student Back to Berkeley
By Angie Fike & Ruby Cross
Rodrigo Guzman and his family went on a winter
break vacation to Mexico City. But they never came back.
When they tried to return to their home in Berkeley, they
were denied re-entry to the United States due to visa
issues. There was no warning, and no chance to come
home and claim their possessions.
Rodrigo’s family moved to Berkeley in 2006, when
Rodrigo was only 18 months, where they joined his
grandmother and other relatives. They came on visas,
which they renewed often. But in the past couple of years,
they let the visas expire. When they landed in Houston on
Jan. 10 after their Mexico vacation, they were put right
back on the plane to Mexico because immigrant officials
had noticed the visas were out of date. And now they are
being told they have to wait five years before re-entering The Jefferson community has banded together to try to
bring Rodrigo Guzman home
the U.S.
Rodrigo’s friends in his fourth grade class at Jefferson
Elementary School are upset about his unexpected disappearance from the school, and they are eager to do all that they
can to fight for his homecoming. With help from parent Mabel Yee, they have launched a campaign, “Bring Rodrigo
Home: Kids for Kids.” They are on a mission to pressure the government into allowing Rodrigo’s family to come back
to Berkeley. They have written letters to representatives in Congress and to President Obama (so far with no response);
set up an online petition; and created a Facebook page. The class has also come together to make him Valentine’s Day
cards, and send him a funny video they made.
One of his classmates, Kaiya Daniels, expressed how much she wants Rodrigo to return.
“It isnt fair he is stuck in Mexico,” said Daniels, age nine, in a Berkeleyside article. “All of his classmates and all
of his friends miss him and he misses Berkeley. I want him to be able to come back to Berkeley and Jefferson.”
On March 13, the Berkeley Unified School District passed a resolution to ask the U.S government to enact a new
immigration policy that would allow Rodrigo’s family to return to Berkeley. The Berkeley City Council also
unanimously approved a similar resolution in support of Rodrigo and his family.
Everyone is truly coming together to do what they can to remedy this situation. Rodrigo and his family have
Skyped the Jefferson class to tell them how much they appreciate their involvement and support.
His teacher Barbara Wenger says she misses having Rodrigo in her class.
“I really enjoyed Rodrigo as a student and miss teaching him,” she said. “I think Rodrigo would grow into the role
of being a strong leader in our schools and community and we may have lost that opportunity. That makes me sad.”
She also said that she thinks Rodrigo will thrive wherever he lives.
“I think Rodrigo is really sharp and aware and will be a leader and successful wherever he lives -- whether here or
in Mexico,” says Wenger. “I've lived in Mexico for several years and have many friends in Mexico -- I hope that
Rodrigo takes advantage of the opportunities and beauty that Mexico has to offer and that he has the strength to face
the challenges that living in Mexico presents for many of its citizens.”
“YOU:
Hurry up
and Buy
Your
Yearbook!”
Turn in
order forms
to Mr. Dalton
or the main
office ASAP
Page 6
King Cobra
King Counselors are There to Help
By Ben Suva
Now, more than ever, mental health is a huge issue
“Counseling in middle school is essential,” said
in our country. Several mass murders have occurred due
eighth-grade Counselor Mercedes Sanders “It is a time
to lack of mental care for
of change. It is when you go
mentally unstable individuals
from childhood to adolescence
who got a hold of weapons. And
and a lot of kids need someone
while gun control been
to guide them through
questioned heavily, so too has
complexities.”
the counseling of young adults.
However, many do not
Here at King, the school has
seek help. Most teens cannot
a number of counselors available
completely trust their parents
to help kids get by. Adolescence
and sometimes not even their
is a tough time for lots of kids,
friends. Sometimes they are
and sometimes it is necessary for
worried that the counselor will
them to talk to someone they can
tell others, that people will think
trust. School counselors can be
less of them, that their counselor
the person to talk to. Seventhwill judge them, or many other
grade counselor Anthony
reasons. But school counselors
Santangelo is one of those
are very discrete and only there
persons.
to advise, not to judge.
“My job is to create a safe, School Counselor Anthony Santangelo is one of
“I am more of a teacher
confidential space where students many counselors at King to help students through than a therapist. I do not tell you
can come and talk whatever is on adolescence
what do, I teach you,” Santangelo
their mind and making sure that kids know that an adult
explains. “People come to see me because of how I act
cares about them,” said Santangelo.
with them, not what I say to them.”
And kids need it. According to the American
In recent years, people have started putting more
Association of Suicidology, as of 2010, 12.6 American
emphasis on mental health, and not just physical health.
teenagers kill themselves every day. Although it is not
Especially for growing teenagers.
always life-or-death, many teens experience depression
“We are made up of our physical bodies, but we
or just sadness. Santangelo said adolescence is a tough
also have a soul, which is equally important,” said
time for many middle and high school students, where
Santangelo. “Mental health is especially important for
kids begin to question who they really are. It is critical
middle school students because they are discovering
for kids that are having a hard time facing those
themselves. Mental health is composed of your social
challenges to have adults around to help them.
health, your academic health, your sexual health, and
more. I am here to check-in to see that is okay.”
The King Cobra would like to thank
school counselor Mercedes Sanders
for all of your hard work and
dedication to the King Middle School
Student Body.
Time is on your side -FOR NOW!
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VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 7
Run-A-Thon a Big Success
By Kelsey Hirota & Ruby Cross
The annual Run-a-Thon ran back to King last
“When I went here,
month, serving as the school’s primary way to raise
they did not have this,
money and stay fit at the same time.
but it is great for the
With each lap kids ran, money was being raised to
mindset and getting fit,”
go to things such as technology, writers coaches, aftersaid Coleman.
school activities, sports, drama, field trips, the Edible
As a reward for
Schoolyard, classroom supplies, and much more. The
being fit and raising
Former King student Caleb
Coleman, bound for Cal on a
goal of raising $35,000 was exceeded, as runners
money for the school,
scholarship out of St.
brought in $39,000.
there were prizes for the football
Mary’s high school, made an
Students participated in the Run-a-Thon on April 24
kids who turned in their appearance at the Run-a-Thon,
in their PE class. They had about 24 minutes to
pledges on time and ran shown here with 8th-graders
complete as many laps around the track as possible. To
the minimum number of Thomas Wright and Leo Ratner
earn a HOW grade of four, the kids had to run from 8-10
laps. Some of these
laps, depending on the amount oftime given.
prizes included a Target gift card, a Gioia’s Pizzeria
Of course, many kids did many more than this, like
(located on Hopkins street) gift card, the 5th generation
sixth-grader Kellen Reid. From his perspective, he
iPod touch, an iPod nano, and Beats Solo Headphones.
thought the Run-a-Thon was a
There was also another $50 dollar
good way to raise money, but
gift card to Target in a raffle for the
Run-a-Thon Lap Leaders
was also very and tiring.
top girls and boys who ran the most
6th grade boys
12 - Samantha Hilton
22 - Dylan De Lancie
12 - Kayla Hurd
“I feel that if I try to run
laps per grade.
20 - Lucca Cerny
12 - Veronica Page-Harley
another lap, I wouldn’t live,”
This year though, we needed to
20 - Kalen Pecson
12 - Hana Robertson
said Reid, after running 16 laps. 19 - Eli Kane Gift Certificate
raise over $1,000 dollars per class
12 - Johanna Staples-Ager
19 - Yael Schwarz
12 - Stella Stavro
The people who tried very
($35,000 was the goal) so every
19 - Ty Wenrick
12 - Catherine Sutton
hard to raise money are highly
eighth-grader (not just those who
18 - Noah Collier
12 - Helen Thomas-McLean
appreciated by the school
paid for it), could go on the year18 - Mael Thuillier
12 - Kanro Kubo
17 - Francesco Guiducci Ortiz
because everything is going
ending trip to Six Flags, on top of
17 - Ian Haggitt
8th grade boys
right to the welfare of the
all of the other needs in the school.
17 - Ryan Kirkman-Davis
15 - Nicholas Chan
students and teachers. In past
“The Run-a-Thon promotes fitness
17 - Ivan Whipple
15 - Samuel Eggers
14 - Billy Augustine
years, King has had special
and is good for school spirit. It
6th grade girls
14 - Harlan Brawer
guest appearances at the Run-araises money for our programs,”
19 - Marnie Lee
13 - Timothy Hanawalt
Thon, including Olympic goldsaid PTA president Christine
17 - Corina Bondi
13 - Alberto Ibort Zocar
17 - Mia Rinn Loretto
13 - Leo Ratner
medal swimmer Natalie
Staples. “It pays for the writer coach
16 - Alausi Martinez 13 - Akira Roueche
Coughlin. This year, our
program, two interns to teach
15 - Natalie Baehrend
13 - Alejandro Valdez
“celebrity” guests included
cooking and gardening, the
15 - Gina Banfield
13 - Luke Wenger
15 - Shira Cohen
Personal Best: Matthew Hatae
Caleb Coleman, a former King
lifeguards for swimming and more.”
15 - Bianca Metallo
Personal Best: Ivan Kitchen
student who is graduating from
15 - Hazel Shoemaker
St. Mary’s High School in June
15 - Hailey Watson
8th grade girls
14 - Kayla Grisby
and has been accepted to full
7th grade boys
14 - Chaia Cherques-Wyatt
football scholarship to Cal, as
15 - Otis Scott
13 - Eileen Blankenhaus
well as current members of the
14 - Paul Joseph
13 - Ruby Franco-Perez
14 - Krisna Supatra-Campbell
13 - Emilie Schwarz
Cal women’s volleyball team.
13 - Nikolai Bjork
13 - Ivan Garcia Sanchez
13 - Soren Whiting
12 - Seth Calderon-Polo
12 - Django Lindner
12 - Adam Sedlak
12 - Daichi Uzawa
King students gave a valiant
effort in the annual Run-a-Thon
last month.
7th grade girls
14 - Mackenzie Nye
14 - Katy Thomason
13 - Mary Booth
13 - Esme Goldstein
13 - Delaney Whitaker
12 - Megan Cole
12 - Francesca Comacchio
12 - Olena Gomez
12 - Amelia Huster
12 - Soha Levert
12 - Isabella Marra
12 - Sarah Paxson
11 - Nadia Allen Gardizi
11 - Kaysha Duncan
11 - Hope Fa-Kaji
11 - Hannah Fendell-Hummel
11 - Andrea Lewis
11 - Kiara Prak-Perry
11 - Christina Sun
11 - Robyn Wampler
11 - Sara Wegner
Personal Best: Isabella Forti
Lynch
8th grade lap leaders, girls & boys
Page 8
King Cobra
Five places to Hang in Berkeley
By Molly McArdle
Berkeley’s not a bad place for a kid or teen. With Berkeley
High School on the horizon for so many of us, here are just a few
places to hang near the school.
Amoeba Records
A great music store with all kinds of
stuff. A bit of a walk, but if there’s some
music you really want, it’s worth it. It’s
independent, but they also carry
mainstream music.
2455 Telegraph Avenue
amoeba.com
Moe’s Books
For those who might not mind a little
wear and tear, Moe’s is one of the
largest used bookstore you’ll ever see.
With five whole floors of quality used
books, you can find just about anything
and everything.
Also a great place to get away from 2476 Telegraph Ave
moesbooks.com
the noise of Telegraph.
Fantastic Comics
Looking to complete your collection of a
series? Interested in comics? Just browsing?
Fantastic Comics is for you. Nothing’s
extremely expensive, and if you’re into
manga, they have an enormous section
dedicated to it.
2026 Shattuck Ave
fantasticcomics.net
John’s Ice Cream
A great place for cheap ice cream, costing
only a dollar a scoop, with about 20
different flavors. The ice cream is
homemade, and they fill the whole cone,
so you don’t get cheated. Be sure to either
get there first or come late though, as
there can be big lines after classes get out.
Even the President Chews Perma-mint
2204 Shattuck Ave.
2090 Kitteredge St.
berkeleypubliclibrary.org
Berkeley Public Library
A classic hangout, the library isn’t
just for books. They also have some
computers, and it’s a great place to
chat or study if you’re quiet. The
book collection is good too, with
five floors filled with rows and rows
of titles.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 9
Weird World News
Compiled By Gabe Wilkie-Rogers
US- Kent Hendrix, a 47
year-old Mormon
bishop, defended his
neighbor from a man
trying to assault her by
attacking the man with
a samurai sword.
US -- Wool &
Prince, an American
clothing company
has invented a shirt
that can go for over
100 days without
being washed, and
still doesn’t smell.
MOUNT EVEREST
-- A photographer
and two
mountaineers claim
they were attacked by
a gang of 100
sherpas, 8,000 feet
from the summit of
Mount Everest.
SOUTH AFRICA -A man saves his
neighbor's pantry
when he chases off
the baboons that were
trying to steal food
from inside his
house.
ITALY -- The United
Nations Food and
Agricultural
Organization
encourages the general
public to eat more
insects, as they give
you lots of protein and
are low in fat.
ENGLAND -- The
mayor of Bury St
Edmonds -- a small
town in the UK -accidentally veers off
the road, and drives
straight into a
supermarket door.
US -- A preschool that
is concerned about
kids play-wrestling
bans any horseplay or
games involving
superheroes or
monsters.
JAPAN -- The Torimi
Cafe, a restaurant
where you eat while
sitting amongst
different birds, has
come up with an
interesting addition to
the menu: Birdflavored ice cream.
New Zealand -- After 10 months in the
hospital after his parachute didn’t open, Liam
Dunne is back at home. He hurtled through
the sky over Moteuko on New Zealand’s
south island last August. His parachute
malfunctioned, and didn’t open, until four
seconds before he hit the ground.
Miraculously, he escaped with serious
injuries. He plans on diving again...
Page 10
King Cobra
Health
Caffeine and Teens: What You Should Know
By Megan Chang-Lee
A 12-year-old is going to Starbucks before school to buy
a coffee. She walks out with a double-shot espresso in one
hand and her backpack in the other. In school, she’s no longer
tired, but rather awake and focused. Her three hours of sleep
is no longer holding her back from getting good grades.
Last semester, this girl consumed no caffeine and she
performed poorly. In the mornings, she usually arrived at
school late, and she often didn’t know whether
there was homework due because she fell
asleep in class the previous day. Because she
wasn’t focused in school, she had a poor GPA
and flunked the midterm because she didn’t
know what to study. Her teachers thought she
was a bright student who just wasn’t able to
focus, and her parents considered medicating
her with the dreaded Ritalin. But once she
started drinking caffeinated beverages, she felt
like a new and improved person, and no longer
needed her medications.
This scenario isn’t too far fetched.
Caffeine often helps students in school because
it’s a stimulant, speeding up the brain like a drug. Caffeine
not only keeps one awake and alert, but it can also be used as
a medication for those with ADHD because it can help people
better focus their attention. Many students take caffeine just
because it feels good. And, who doesn’t like soda, coffee, or
energy drinks? Caffeine is so prevalent, that making students
stop drinking it would be nearly impossible. And, according
to scientific research, perhaps they shouldn’t stop.
An article from the International Journal of
Neuropsychopharmacology suggests that, in rats with ADHD,
administration of caffeine prior to maze-training helped them
overcome their learning deficit. The authors of the study
suggest that similar benefits may be found in humans.
“We still need to learn more about caffeine's effect on
mental resources,” says Florian Koppelstaetter, M.D., in a
news release. Koppelstaetter studies radiology at Austria's
Medical University Innsbruck. Koppelstaetter and colleagues
studied about a dozen healthy adults. Caffeine boosted
activity in brain regions related to attention and short-term
memory, the researchers report.
Caffeine has also been shown to to help with certain
health problems. It increases memory, metabolism, can
stimulate hair growth, and may ward off both Alzheimer’s
disease and Parkinson's disease.
“The new findings provide evidence that caffeine could
be a viable treatment for established Alzheimer's disease, and
not simply a protective strategy,” said lead author Gary
Arendash, PhD, a USF neuroscientist with the Florida
ADRC. “That's important because caffeine is a safe drug for
most people, it easily enters the brain, and it appears to
directly affect the disease process.”
Contrary to popular belief, caffeine doesn’t actually stunt
growth -- this is simply an urban legend created a few
decades ago, possibly from research that suggested that
caffeine affected bone loss in elderly people. However, there
is no link between growth and moderate quantities of
caffeine.
Unfortunately, when abused, caffeine can ruin the natural
rhythm of everyday life. It may drastically change sleep
patterns because one of its effects is that it gives you long
term energy, which may lead to insomnia. Caffeine is also an
appetizer suppressant, making those who consume it unaware
of their hunger, starving themselves without
realizing it. Caffeine can often cause stress
and anxiety, which is bad for a student in any
level of school. It can also make one unstable,
making for an “emotional rollercoaster,” so to
speak. Mood swings are another common
side-effect. One of the worst things about
consuming large quantities or caffeine is that
one may go through withdrawal, having
removed their main source of energy.
“Caffeine is the world's most commonly
used stimulant, and it's cheap and readily
Shira Anisman available, so people can maintain their use of
caffeine quite easily,’ said Roland Griffiths,
Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns
Hopkins. “The latest research demonstrates, however, that
when people don't get their usual dose they can suffer a range
of withdrawal symptoms, including headache, fatigue,
difficulty concentrating...Despite more than a century-and-ahalf of investigation into caffeine withdrawal, doctors and
other health professionals have had no scientifically based
framework for diagnosing the [caffeine addiction]
syndrome,”
Many middle schoolers enjoy caffeinated beverages
purely for taste. Some even settle for decaf just to get the
coffee flavor. A lot of kids also don’t think that these drinks
are that harmful and continue to consume them.
“I drink coffee, decaf, granted, but it still contains
caffeine. If the question is, ‘Is it okay for kids to drink it?’ I
don’t have a problem with it,” says Sean Hoffman, a seventhgrader at King. “I think in some ways, caffeine can help, and
in other ways it can hinder. When you first have a cup you do
fine, but later in the day you’re going to crash. Later in life
you’re probably going to need caffeine all the time if you
drink it a bunch when you’re younger. Don’t get addicted!”
When interviewed for this article, Dr. JenFu Cheng, a
pediatrician from Princeton, NJ, urged middle schoolers to
consume caffeine with caution.
“Though caffeine may have some desirable effects on
middle schoolers such as improved attention or the feeling of
alertness, often times caffeine can cause unwanted effects
such as increased anxiety,” said Cheng. “Also, caffeine can
cause dependence resulting in signs of withdrawal when
stopped abruptly. Caffeine's effects vary significantly from
one person to another. Since children may not be able to
fully understand how caffeine is affecting them, they may
have difficulty making safe choices regarding their
consumption. Therefore, excessive caffeine consumption
should be avoided in the middle school population.”
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 11
Breakfast Tips to Keep You Going
By Tendai McLaren
Many have said that breakfast is the most important
meal of the day. What you put in your body to start your
day can definitely help you through life. Here are 10 tips ...
1. Bye Bye, Drive-Thru
Say farewell to those breakfast fastfood places that beckon you with Egg
McMuffins and breakfast burritos.
Breakfast is your fuel for the day. A
donut just won’t do it. An egg and
sausage sandwich will weigh you down
instead of keep you going. You need to
think healthy instead of fast. You need to eat something to
keep your motor running until lunch time. For example, a
yogurt parfait. Use berries and a low-fat, unsweetened
yogurt. Prepare everything except the granola the night
before. It’s not just fast, but cheap and convenient.
2. Even Healthy Calories Count
Keep an eye on your calorie intake. For example, fruit
juices. A 6-oz. glass of juice will have between 80 and 100
calories. Before you drink your juice, drink a tall glass of
water. You’ll end up drinking less juice. Or, instead of fruit
juice, have the real thing. An orange has much less calories
than a glass of orange juice. Fruit juice can cause your
insulin to spike, which can activate your appetite, and lead
you to take in unneeded calories. Fruits contain fiber which
can curb your appetite, and help with the digestion process.
3. Be a Picky Customer
If you go to a restaurant for
breakfast, ask for things like
eggs without the usual side of
bacon. Also, don’t be afraid
to ask for substitutes such as
egg whites for the whole egg.
You can even request items
that aren’t on the menu.
Common healthy foods like
yogurt, a whole wheat bagel, or cottage cheese may be
available on request. And be careful with heavy fillers.
Home fries, hash browns, and breakfast meats are full of fat
and sodium. Most are cooked in fat. And, if you can’t have
your food without bacon, choose Canadian bacon instead
which is much leaner.
4. Settle for a Single Spread
If you’re used to putting butter on your toast, and then jelly
on top, try just one or the other. Butter has a lot of fat and
can contain a lot of salt. And jelly is packed with sugar.
Also, if you put jam on your toast, try one that says 100%
fruit instead of heavily proccessed ones like Smucker’s. Or
maybe even try honey. You may find your toast just as tasty
without the laden fat or sugar.
5. Healthy Omelettes
You can also use one whole egg and two egg whites if you
prefer to take in less calories or cholesterol. You’re still
consuming less calories alone than two whole eggs alone.
Try to minimize the cheese, or just forget it all together, and
try loading up on veggies instead. Try to avoid adding
bacon or sausage because it adds additional fat, calories and
sodium. Or, just don’t eat every omelette with meat.
6. Pass on Breakfast Pastries
Muffins, croissants, donuts, biscuits, and cinnamon buns
should be eaten sparingly. When you do have them, be
careful about the “no fat” varieties. They often contain
more sugar than their regular counterparts. Also, the fat
replacements significantly increase the calorie count. A low
fat bran muffin can have more calories than a regular one.
When shopping, compare the nutrition labels.
7. Choose a Smarter Cereal
If you normally have a bowl of cold cereal in
the morning, you should give hot cereal a try.
Oatmeal is a great, healthy option. It’s hearty,
full of fiber, and it keeps you feeling full for
a long time. If you prefer a cold cereal, try to
go with whole grain varieties. Cereal can
either add a lot of good stuff to your body, or
just a whole lot of nothing. Froot Loops just don’t cut it. A
healthy cereal is whole grain, low sugar, and no saturated
fat or trans fat. Choosing a healthy breakfast cereal is
harder than it looks. Beware of misguided advertising that
claims a sugar-laden cereal like Cookie Crisps is “part of a
balanced breakfast.”
8. Choose Your Milk Wisely
While calcium is important, especially when you’re
growing, dairy is not for everybody. Either way, if you
regularly drink whole milk, try stepping down to 2%. After
a few weeks of 2%, step down again to 1%. Later to non-fat
milk. If that’s too weak for you, consider stepping up to 1%
again. And if dairy doesn’t agree with your body, see if you
can drink soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk, which are all
healthy alternatives.
9. Pick a Better Bread
Whole grain breads in the morning can give you a great
start to the day. Whole grains keep you fuller longer
because of the abundance of fiber. Refined, processed
grains lack that ingredient. For example, have a whole grain
english muffin instead of a normal one. Top it with hummus
or low fat cheese for a good, quick breakfast that’ll keep
you feeling full. Or, broil an english muffin with cheese in
the toaster oven for a good breakfast grilled cheese.
10. Make Your Own Fast Food
Think of portable foods that can replace a fast food
breakfast. A cup of low-fat yogurt, or the english muffin
with cheese mentioned above and is a great, healthy,
portable choice. Be creative. Even cottage cheese can
become a fast breakfast if you wrap it up in a whole wheat
tortilla. A turkey sandwich is great for those people who
don’t like breakfast. A couple slices of turkey breast on
whole wheat bread, with low-fat mayo will provide some
good sustenance (energy) to start off your day with. You
can also add low-fat cheese, lettuce and tomato to make it
even more healthy.
King Cobra
Page 12
Tips for Insomniacs
by Yuki Nagase
A complaint I hear very often in the morning is, “I’m tired.” or, “I’m so sleepy.”
If this is you, you may be suffering from insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder
in which you can’t fall or stay asleep. Insomnia affects 30-40 percent of the general
population, and can cause sleepiness (obviously), irritability, mood swings, memory
problems, shorter attention span, and depression.
One of the biggest reason for insomnia is simply going to bed too late. Kids
Yuki Nagase
from six-to-twelve years old need 10-11 hours of sleep, and teens need about nine.
So, when kids aren’t getting enough sleep, it can lead to things like anxiety, a lowered immune system, itching, and
depression -- all of which contribute to, you guessed it, not being able to sleep well. But going to bed late isn’t the only
cause for insomnia. There are many others, including:
•
Eating or drinking a lot before bed. A full bladder or stomach can really ruin your sleep more than you think.
Just try going to bed while your stomach is still digesting, or having to get up in the middle if the night to pee.
•
Trying to sleep somewhere that is too hot, cold, or noisy. Do you really expect to sleep when it’s 90 degrees,
the stereo is blaring, and the lights are on?
•
Taking long naps. The last thing you need to do is add fuel to do the fire by sleeping more. If you sleep well at
night, then this isn’t really a problem, but if you do sleep well at night, you really have no reason to read this,
so ...
•
Filling your bedroom with TVs, video game consoles, computers and other gadgets. This will only make your
brain more active, which will not help.
•
Staying active until you get in bed. The transition is way too sudden, and our bodies don’t do well with abrupt
changes. Try a relaxing activity like reading. taking a bath/shower, or listening to music or talk radio to wind
down.
•
Having a constantly changing bedtime. We’re habitual creatures, and it’s the same with sleep. In other words,
our internal clock gets really screwed up if we sleep at 9:00 one day, and 2:00 the next. If you sleep at
generally the same time (including weekends), it will help.
So you know that exercising before you go to sleep isn’t the best thing to do. But going to bed earlier doesn’t seem
to work. So now what do you do? There are a few options.
•
•
•
•
When you’re in bed, do what you’re meant to: sleep. Don’t read, don’t
do homework, don’t watch TV or whatever, just sleep. But if you are
just lying there miserably, it’s okay to read. Putting on some lowvolume talk radio or static noise helps as well.
Don’t talk on the phone, play video games, watch TV, or do any other
stimulating activity for at least thirty minutes before you go to bed.
Lay off the coffee. Caffeine is not gonna help.
Don’t forget to exercise (but not just right before bed). Muscles relax
after exercise. Surprising, but true.
If all else fails, the best thing is still to consult a doctor. Waking up
looking like a raccoon is not a good thing, even though it may not seem so
serious. Sleep is essential for everything, so don’t torture yourself by not
getting enough.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT!
Order your yearbook before it’s too
late
See Mr. Dalton or go to to the main office
for an order form
Page 13
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Beauty Tips from Teachers?
Get Advice From Some of the Pros
By Ceilidh Welsh & Julia Ceia
Mr Sinsheimer:
Q: What are some
beauty tips you use
that you can share
with us?
A: I know that when
you’re doing your
eyebrows, don’t clash
plaid with stripes.
Always make sure
your shirt is shorter
than your pants.
Q: Would you say that you don’t think about appearance too
much?
A: It would appear so.
Ms. Little
Beauty for me is about looking and smelling clean.
Here are the main beauty tips for boys and girls
(especially boys) reaching the age of 13:
• Brush your teeth every morning and evening.
• It is time to start showering every day with soap!
Wash hair 2 to 3 times a week.
• Apply deodorant.
• Learn to wash your own clothes and wear clean
clothes every day. Air out your tennis shoes.
• Wash your PE clothes once a week.
You'd be surprised how many kids are caught
unaware of their own increasing B.O. as puberty
comes on.
I also have tips for teachers:
• If students are not wanting personal help in class
it may be the morning coffee breath or that garlic
chicken for lunch. Teachers need to have
excellent oral hygiene. I suggest brushing,
flossing and mouthwash after breakfast and after
lunch.
Mr. Wallan
Wash your face and hands, and
don’t touch your face, or you’ll
get pimples.
I enjoy bling.
I admire Ms Hamai, I like the way
she does her hair.
Q: Do you dress much differently when coming to work than
when leaving the house otherwise?
A: No, I still put my pants on.
Q: Are there any fashion trends with students that you don’t
like and why?
A: That thing with the barbed wire.
Q: Okay...Are there any teachers that you admire
aesthetically?
A: Mr. Silberg, but only on the inside.
Ms. Carpenter
I think beauty is something that is internal rather than
external, and you have to figure out what’s beautiful to
you rather than what’s beautiful to others, although
appearance helps give a certain impression. I just think
that beauty needs to be simple, and I think it often
involves a lot of effort that I think actually masks
people’s true beauty. I don’t get the ‘I Love Boobies’
bracelets or belts that I see
students wear -- I think that
there’s a message there that’s
being lost and it’s taken as a
joke when there isn’t a joke to
be had there. I love how
fashion and beauty is
individual, I don’t like it when
people all look the same.
Page 14
King Cobra
Q&A with Mr. Brown
By Tendai McLaren & Kelin Robinson
Most everyone at King knows Mr.
Brown, the security guard that
regulates on the kids, but is also able to
crack jokes and have a good laugh with
the students here at King. Mr. Brown,
who actually attended King, has been a
safety officer here for seven years now,
helping to keep the school safe from all
kinds of problems. He has a cool
personality that will make anyone feel
welcomed here at King.
KC: What made you want to become a
security guard at King?
Mr. Brown: Well it’s not security guard
the official title is safety officer, and it’s
to help kids and try to keep them on the
right path to becoming productive
adults.
KC: Whats the craziest thing you’ve
seen at King?
Mr. Brown: The craziest thing I’ve
seen at King was a few years ago when
a parent came and fought a student.
KC: How has King changed from
when you went here?
Mr. Brown: The kids are exactly the
same, but King has a lot more
programs for you guys and a lot more
opportunities for to achieve things.
KC: We heard King was pretty rundown when you went here in the
mid-80’s, is that true?
Mr. Brown: Yeah, it was kinda run
down. The buildings were really
raggedier, the playgrounds wasn’t as
nice as it is and there was a lot more
shrubbery and grass and weeds were
growing around the track. Yeah, they
have done a lot to the school since I
went here.
KC: What’s one thing no one knows
about you?
Mr. Brown: One thing no one knows
about me is that I’m a geek. I like to
read a lot, I work on models, and I
watch a lot of TV.
KC: Whats your favorite
TV show/movie?
Mr. Brown: My favorite
TV show is “Sanford and
Son,” and my favorite
movie is “The Exorcist.”
Fred Sanford, of
Sanford & Son
KC: What fashion do you think
should never come back?
Mr. Brown: Skinny jeans.
KC: But they’re back right now.
Mr. Brown: Skinny jeans are okay for
girls but not for guys. Guys should
wear some jeans that gives them a
little more room and they shouldn’t be
wearing the same kind of jeans that
girls wear. When I was younger, we
used to call them peg pants where
they would be kinda baggy at the top,
but small at the bottom,but they
weren’t all the way tight.
KC: Whats your favorite kind of
music?
Mr. Brown: My favorite kind of music
is R&B -- old school R&B.
KC: Who was your favorite group?
Mr. Brown: Grand Master Flash, Run
Dmc, Kurtis Blow, Whodini and
Michael Jackson.
KC: What was your childhood hobby?
Mr. Brown: My childhood hobby was
collecting comic books.
KC: Whats your best
one in your collection?
Mr. Brown: I sold it a
long time ago to my
friend, but I actually
had a copy of “Hulk
181”, the first
appearance of
Wolverine,which is
worth like $2,500 right
now.
Hulk 181
KC: What did you do before you came
to King?
Mr. Brown: Before I came to King, I
worked at Berkeley High doing the
same job.
KC: Do you like working here?
Mr. Brown: Yes, I do. King is a very
nice school to work at, and I like the
staff and the kids.
KC: Did you always wanna be a
security guard?
Mr. Brown: No I didn't always wanna
be a safety officer. I wanted to be a
librarian.
Yes, that’s Mr. Brown, without his hat
KC: I can’t picture you as a librarian.
Really? What kind of books do you
like?
Mr. Brown: Yes, really. And the books
I like are horror type books and nonfiction books. Also crime novels.
KC: Whats an average school day like
for you?
Mr. Brown: The average school day
for me is basically the same thing.
Watching you guys go back and forth to
class, coming in to the lunch room and
monitoring and making sure everyone
cleans up and gets home safely.
KC: Whats your favorite part about
your job?
Mr. Brown: My favorite part about my
job is when I get to talk to a kid to keep
them on the right path.
KC: Whats your least favorite part
about your job?
Mr. Brown: My least favorite part
about my job is monitoring you bad
kids in the lunch room (chuckles...).
KC: Where did you grow up?
Mr. Brown: I grew up in Berkeley and
I went to Berkeley schools such as
King. And I went to Berkeley High and
Saint Mary’s.
KC: Do you think Berkeley is a good
place to grow up? Why?
Mr. Brown: Berkeley is a terrific place
to grow up. When I was young I always
had stuff to do.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Opinion
Page 15
Senate Shoots Down Gun Control Bill
By James Molnar-Brock
Last month, the US Senate voted down a bill that
Newtown shooting, a mass murder of elementary school
expands background checks on gun sales, at gun shows
kids.
and on the internet. Those who crafted the bill had hoped
Another objection to this new bill is that it’s against
it would prevent “unsuitable” people from purchasing
the second amendment (the right to bear arms), that it
guns and helpcut down on gun violence. However, this
violates the constitution and would be unjust. But as the
bill was mysteriously -- and incomprehensibly -- shut
guns in recent shootings have not been used as a form of
down by the Senate. Even though most democrats
defense, people’s rights would not be infringed. And the
approved it. But most Republicans vetoed it, and appear
second amendment certainly does not state that people
determined to work against any law that is favored by
with personality disorders, and suspicious backgrounds,
democrats, however reasonable it is.
should be allowed to own high-powered weapons. Face
This latest decision of the Senate was met with
it, the second amendment was introduced in 1791, when
disappointment across the country, and was referred to as
guns were more primitive, as a way to defend against
a “shameful day” by President Obama. Still, Obama is
foreign invasion.
confident that more thorough background
Surprisingly there were four
checks are yet to come, despite this setback.
democrats who vetoed this bill. One was
“Background checks will happen, This
Max Baucus, who’s final tribute before
outcome is a delay, not a defeat.” he told
retiring from office was working against
reporters.
the noble cause of stopping gun
Currently, just about anyone can
violence. Whether these are his true
purchase a gun online, or at a gun show,
inner beliefs still remains a mystery, but
regardless of their background. Undoubtedly,
his membership in the National Rifle
less gun attacks would take place if
Association, which seems to have our
explosively dangerous firearms weren’t a
government in its pockets, is very
President Obama has made it
click away from any criminal or potential
suggestive.
clear that the U.S. needs better
criminal. And why would an innocent person gun control. But not the senate.
Though the horizon of gun violence
need to purchase guns of exceeding power,
looks grim, there is still hope that the
that are unnecessary for hunting animals, which is
Senate can step up and do what’s right. Too bad it might
generally the justification for semi-automatic weapons.
have to come after another lot of innocent people have
The Senate’s defense is that this would not stop
been killed by the guns our government has allowed
criminals from getting guns, but would instead stop
people to own. Stricter gun control appears to be the
respectable people. But this is not true. Just because
only defense against an unfixed pattern of deadly and
someone is a criminal does not mean that they have to
unexpected shootings.
steal their firearms or obtain them illegally. In fact,
Though the Senate turns a blind eye, certain
according to Jay Wachtel, a criminal gun pattern expert,
statistics just can’t be ignored. 544,880 gun crimes,
only 10-15% of criminals acquire there guns through
according to “PBS Frontline: Hot Guns,” were reported
robbery. Clearly, a new form of justice must be upheld to
to the police just in the year of 1994. And in 1995 , the
stop this from continuing, especially in light of countless
ATF reported that 223 million guns were owned in the
mass shootings in the U.S., including the horrific
U.S. These are no throwaway facts. This is what has
happens to a society treated with our current gun control.
!"#$%&'(!)**+*(!",
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Page 16
King Cobra
Should We Have Zoos?
No, Zoos Aren’t Worth the Price
Yes, Zoos Serve a Great Purpose
By Nina Price
By Ben Suva
For more than 3,000 years, zoos have been a part of human
Zoos. They are a classic tradition not only in America but
culture, created to learn about and experience wild animals. Over throughout the entire world. From the world renowned San
time however, they have become a cruel form of entertainment.
Diego Zoo to the Giza Zoo in Egypt, they have been providing
As you eat you’re cotton candy, you watch lions bathe in the sun
family fun for hundreds of years. However, they do a lot more
and monkeys swing. But is it worth the captivation of over five
than that.
million animals so that you can enjoy your day?
Zoos give a huge boost to the economy. For example, zoos
The most comforting thought about zoos is that these
and aquariums in the state of Texas alone generated over
animals are kept in public viewing spaces because
$884.2 million, 8,998 jobs, and $312.1 million in
they can’t survive in the wild. Unfortunately, this
HeadToHead
wages and salaries in only just one year,
has never been 100% true. Over 74 percent of zoo
according to the San Antonio Business Journal.
animals are either straight out of the wild or born in
It may seem cruel to see animals as a profit, but
captivity. So while a little more than a quarter of the
in a time where the economy is in such terrible
animals are helped with survival in zoos, most have
shape and jobs are so hard to come by for
been displaced from their rightful place in the wild.
anyone, college degree or not, we need all the
Zoos are also used for the repopulation of
help we can get.
endangered species. Primarily, the effects of global
Zoos make many contributions to the
warming have drove the need of repopulation.
community. They provide information on
However, if the animals cannot survive in their
animals that scientists might otherwise be
natural habitat, because the climate is changing, then keeping
unaware of. Kindergarden students, college graduates, and
them in a zoo is not going to save their species. Humans need to
everything in between learn so much from zoos. Young
change our carbon foot print if we are going to preserve animals. children are inspired by the animals, and zoologists that can be
Keeping wild animals in captivity can only prolong their lives for straight out of school or have been in the business for years
a little while longer. It’s become nothing more than fool’s gold.
both learn so much from their subjects. Young zoologists can
To save animals from extinction, they are exported from their learn exotic animals’ diets, characteristics, and comforts. There
natural habitats all over the world. There is not only a problem of would be so much information that we would not have if not
providing their food sources, but also the climate of foreign zoos for zoos.
are often not suitable. In 2007, an African elephant was taken to
But zoos are not just for profit and education. Many have
Alaska. The animals had to spend over half the year in a small
an idea of zoos as being evil animal prisons, but you would be
heated room to keep it warm enough. What is an elephant doing
surprised how well the animals are treated. In truth, the only
in Alaska? Answer: entertaining.
argument against the menageries is the quality of animal
The same elephant was forced to run on a treadmill to get it’s treatment. Zoos and wildlife parks try to create exact replicas
exercise. African elephants walk an average of 30 miles a day in
of the creature’s natural environment. There are usually heaters
Africa. But in zoos, thousands of these massive mammals are put and coolers placed inside the habitats to reach the comfortable
in enclosures less than an acre large. And it’s not just elephants.
and natural temperature for the animals.
Lions are meant to hunt antelope in the planes, but are fed steak
The animals are treated by professionals who know every
as they lay on rocks. While zoos do their best to fulfill the needs
thing there is to know about the specific creatures. They know
of wild animals they simply cannot provide all of their necessities. what the animals enjoy and are there to create the perfect place
The lack of space and activity are only two reasons distress
to meet all the animals’ comforts. Animals are in wildlife parks
can overcome captive animals. The constant lack of privacy from and zoos for a reason. Most of the species are endangered and
incessant viewing of visitors is also a source. Animals have been the zoologists group them and have them reproduce to save
found hiding behind rocks and trees just to escape the public eye. their species. For example, the San Diego and Los Angeles
In 2007, at the San Francisco Zoo, three young men unmercifully Zoos alone repopulated a species of birds that had a population
taunted a full grown lion. Much to their surprise, the lion took
of fewer than 12 birds, to over 170. Polar bears may not seem
offense, escaped his enclosure and mauled them, and killing one
to fit in American climate, but their ecosystem is being
of the culprits.
completely destroyed and so is their lifestyle. If not for zoos,
Some public zoos, such as the Wild Animal Park in San
these lovable mammals may not even exist anymore. Zoos
Diego (not to be confused with the San Diego Zoo), allow
help animals far more than they ever could bother them.
animals to run around in a large area. Because of San Diego’s
And for you bleeding hearts who complain about animal
warm climate, the founders have been able to be somewhat
treatment in zoos, they are nothing compared the disgraceful
successful in simulating the African Safari. Lions prowl and
industrial feeding lots and slaughterhouses. Talk to me when
antelope prance a bit like they they would in Africa. At the same
you give up the cheese burgers.
time, they breed the animals to keep their species alive.
Wildlife parks are an essential part of today’s culture. They
Can you imagine a polar bear rehabilitation center in Alaska, provide us with vital information and inspiration for the youth,
or one for dolphins on the Yucatan peninsula? If we can recreate
a surprisingly large boost to a desperate economy, and all the
the African Safari, then why not the Arctic Dessert or the Pacific
while treating the animals better than the guy who cleans up
Ocean? Humans can help save wild animals without putting them their dung. We should appreciate and enjoy the presence of
in zoos, but in protected habitats, that match their natural habitat. zoos in today’s culture.
Page 15
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Busy Work Saps the Fun out of iSearch
By Gabe Wilkie-Rogers & Max Yaswen
The iSearch. A massive research project. And a huge
let down to hundreds of eighth graders.
When you’re in sixth grade, you hear about this
mythical “iSearch,” a project that seems to eat up all the
eighth grader’s time. You don’t really know what it
involves, but you hear it’s a lot of work.
Then in seventh grade, you start to think a bit more
about it. You start thinking about what your topic could
be, or who you want to interview. You start to look
forward to being able to research whatever topic you
want.
Then you get to eighth grade, and everything starts
to go downhill.
First of all, not every iSearch topic works in the
same way. One student’s topic may be “How to Become
a Professional Basketball Player,” while another’s may
be “The Lifecycle of Crocodiles.” Those topics are
wildly different, and can’t really be researched in the
same way.
“Sometimes the iSearch topics don’t fit any specific
requirements that the teachers set,” said eighth-grader
Elliot Meldrum.
One of the biggest parts of the iSearch is the notes.
You have to do 3-5 pages of notes a week, in addition to
a page-long journal as a summary of the notes. This is
extremely repetitive and redundant and monotonous and
long-winded and ceaseless and superfluous, as the
journal tends to be a repetition of the notes, almost word
for word.
“The continuous notes aren’t really helping,” said
eighth-grader Elijah Liedeker, “At some point I think it’s
a little too much research.”
Although lots of kids complain that the teachers are
too controlling of the research and topic selection, many
teachers think that without their guidance, students
would never finish their projects on time, let alone do all
the notes every week.
“If the teachers didn’t control the iSearch as much,”
said eighth-grade humanities teacher Steven Conley, “it
would never prepare students for when they go to high
school and have to do enormous amounts of work.”
That seems like a fair point. However, the iSearch is
supposed to be the student’s opportunity to prove that
they CAN do research by themselves, so the teachers are
really just saying that they don’t believe that kids are
mature enough to handle a sizeable workload.
Deadlines ruin the experience of real research. The
iSearch is supposed to be the student’s project, but with
the constant deadlines they are losing the
individual training they should be getting.
“I think the teachers are ruining the iSearch
experience by controlling it too much,” said Meldrum,
“There are way too many deadlines.”
The iSearch was originally meant to be all about the
student doing the research without the teachers
constantly hovering over them, but over time it has
changed and turned into another boring teacher-run
research assignment.
The iSearch has simply changed too much. It used to
be a fun assignment where the students could prove their
working independence, but now it’s turned into a tedious
task entirely devoid of happiness or enjoyment.
ROVING
REPORTER
If you could bring two things to a deserted island, what would you bring?
“A pillow and jelly
beans.”
“I would bring
my horse Ace,
and some food.”
- Jade Kennedy, 6
“A hula hoop and
a giraffe.”
- Elijah Davis, 7
- Ella Friedson, 7
“A giant lizard
to ride on and a
cat to teach to
stand.
- Darius Roffe, 8
“A bear grill and
a bear.”
- Tim Hanawalt, 8th
“Thrasher and a
big thing of
Monster
drinks.”
-Nico Taylor, 8
Compiled by Eleni Salesin & Angela Fike
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 17
Too Many Field Trips: A Seventh Grader’s Dilemma
By Nory Klop-Packel
On a normal day, the Asian Art Museum would be
dull classroom for a whole day than go on a field trip.
beautiful. Its sleek modern design with classic touches is
I’d rather write two essays in four days and present an
elegant, and skylights let the sun into the building.
oral report to the class than go on a field trip.
Passersby stare in awe. But today, a large group of
The community service trip is another matter. I
students crowd the halls. Half are loud and destroy the
haven’t gone yet, but I know that some students clean up
peace. The other half are bored into a submissive silence,
the park, while others bag food. I would like to do
shuffling along and counting the minutes until they
community service. It is a good feeling to know you’ve
leave. This field trip is just one of four the King seventh
helped others in some way. And I think it’s a good idea
graders must take this year (to the Asian Art Museum,
that there’s a field trip for it. But I fear that the same
the Academy of Sciences, the tidepools, and community
problems that have plagued other trips will be present in
service).
this one, too. We may even have to fill out packets about
If you are learning about this for the first time, you
our experience.
may be wowed by the number four. And, if you ask me,
I am not trying to be ungrateful. I understand that
four is too many field trips. This is because most field
field trips take a lot of planning, work, and money. I
trips aren’t very educational and they’re often dull and
understand that some love the trips as much as I hate
structured. They aren’t very memorable.
them. I’m not asking for all the trips to be cancelled next
The intent of most field trips is education. After all,
year. I’m just suggesting that four is maybe too many.
what is the purpose of school but to learn and gather
The common adage “quality over quantity” applies even
useful skills? However, the trips are actually not as
to field trips. One or two long, educational, and fun field
educational as some like to think. The things that linger
trips would be preferable to the four middling ones we
in my mind from recent field trips are very vague. I
have now. A good field trip is a good thing. It can bond
remember some butterflies, paintings of crabs, and Java
people together, create lasting happy memories, and
puppets. And that’s about it. I did learn more things, but
maybe even teach students something. But sadly, the two
those were quickly forgotten. And I’m not the only one
field trips we’ve had by now just aren’t there yet.
-- many more students have learned, only to lose the
However, there is one field trip that is an exception:
information. It simply doesn’t stick. And what is the
the tide pools. Seventh graders clambered around the
point of learning so much, only to forget it a few days
small pools, examining life and sitting in the sun with
later?
their friends. It makes sense that this one is better than
Another point against field trips, slightly related to
the others, because it has stood the test of time and has
the first, is that they are often structured too rigidly. The
been going on for many years. Maybe if the other trips
biggest evidence of this is the infamous packets that
last for that long, they will be gradually refined and
students must complete. The packets are supposed to
become as much of a tradition as that one. It is possible.
help students have fun and learn, according to the
teachers. Yet it’s not fun, or educational for that
matter, to dissect beautiful art or fascinating science
into pieces (metaphorically) in order to fill out a
packet about them. Art should be appreciated. It
should be gazed at reverently. Its beauty should be
observed. And science should be inspiring. It should
wow students and maybe even push them to study
science further. But it’s much harder to observe
beauty or wow at science when you have only a
minute to stare at each thing and most of that minute
is spent mindlessly taking notes, as often happens on
field trips. It would be better if the packets were
removed from the equation, for what little good they
do is overwhelmed by their negative effects.
Some might argue that after spending so much
time in a classroom, a field trip is a refreshing relief.
But personally, I’d rather be in a classroom any day. I
don’t have to sit in a bus for hours; I get to stare at
art in class without having to fill out a packet about
it; and what I learn actually sticks. Maybe it’s just
Students complete work packets at the Asian Art Museum
me, but I know that I’d rather sit in even the most
Page 18
King Cobra
Assigned Seating in Commons not Working too Well
By Gabe Wilkie-Rogers
Many students complain often about having assigned seats in the Dining
Commons. They want to be able to sit with whomever they want, whenever they
want, and not to have to choose nine people, then sit with them for months on end.
However, many staff members that supervise the Dining Commons think that the
system works best the way it is, with kids being able to choose who they sit with, but
still being under control and not cramming one table with 20 people.
“The goal in having assigned seating is to try to mix kids up, so that people sit in
different places with different people every six weeks,” said principal Janet Levenson.
This, though, is not what happens. What happens is that kids tend to sit wherever
they want, and they only sometimes clean up after themselves. Kids are assigned
certain days that they clean up their table, but quite often, some students ignore it. And as far as changing every six weeks,
forget it. Students change tables two or three times a year.
Despite this, some people still believe there are a couple upsides to the current system.
“It helps track who’s responsible for cleaning the tables,” said Levenson. “And it also limits the tables to a certain
number of students, so we can have a calm eating environment.”
A “calm eating environment” is not exactly a good description of what goes on in the Dining Commons. Kids are
often out of control and reckless, sometimes throwing various fruits, and leaving trash everywhere. Safety officers are
their to quell the madness, but it can get very hard for them.
“It’s been getting worse as the school year is coming to an end,” said King safety officer Terrell Boone, “because kids
are more enthusiastic about the school ending and get a lot more energy. I can’t blame them (for this excitement) though.
Even I am excited for summer.”
So far, the Dining Common’s staff are doing a fairly decent job of keeping kids in line. If we didn’t have them, lunch
would be an absolute madhouse. They are doing their jobs to the best of their ability, and it definitely has an impact.
Overall though, King needs to either fix the current system, like having kids not being able to leave until their tables
are clean and really enforcing it; or to try out a new system, like letting kids eat outside more often like they do on
Wednesday. Then again, maybe kids would start throwing food outside, a good thing for the birds, but not for the
custodians.
PE Uniforms Need to Go
By Max Yaswen
Many kids at King complain about
having to wear PE uniforms, mainly
because they might look ugly and it’s a
hassle to change in and out of your
regular clothes day after day. The PE
shorts and sweatpants I get, but why do
we need to wear PE shirts?
It seems as though PE shirts really
have no effect on the physical activity
of kids during PE. In fact, they might
even be lessening the physical activity
of students who wear athletic shirts. The
PE shirts that the school is currently using are no different than most t-shirts you would wear on a normal basis. In my opinion,
if a student is wearing a shirt that has equal or greater flexibility and ventilation, they should be able to wear that shirt in PE.
I could see why the school would want to regulate PE shorts and sweats. As of what I’ve seen, most of the school does not
wear flexible pants or shorts, but even then there is the percentage of students who do. I think the students who do normally
wear flexible and ventilated clothing should be able to wear those clothes during PE if they wish to. Isn’t the idea to just move
freely, rather than look alike?
Another thing I don’t understand about PE uniforms at King, is that if you are not wearing the PE shirt and PE shorts or
sweats, you get docked your dressing points. That just doesn’t seem fair. If a student wears only PE shorts or only a PE shirt
then they should at least get half credit. If a student goes to the trouble of wearing PE shorts, and a shirt that is physically equal
to or greater than a PE shirt, and they can fully participate in their physical education, they should get full credit.
Some people might also say that PE uniforms help students cooperate during physical activities, but from my experiences
as a student in a King PE class, almost half of our class does not wear the regulated PE shirt. They either participate in the shirt
they are already wearing or a shirt they brought from home that allows greater flexibility and ventilation than a regular shirt. I
don’t think we would cooperate any more than we already do if we were all wearing regulated PE uniforms.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 19
Enough Already, Stop Fawning Over Celebrities
By Megan Cole
What do friends, family,
enemies and coworkers all have in
common? The answer is that you
know them all. Regardless if you
like them, if they hate you, or if
you annoy each other to death, you
have a real relationship with them.
And good or bad, that is something
you don’t have with celebrities. So,
if they are, A) very famous, B)
someone you have never met and/
or C) a person with thousands of
fans they have also never set eyes
on, do us all a favor, and don’t
pretend you know them.
Why do people care so much
about celebrities? Maybe it is
because they idolize them, or
because people want so desperately
to be famous, they try and follow
someone who is, in order to seem
more connected to that industry. So
even though people have never met
them, maybe hate the movies or
shows they’re in, even if they
heartily dislike the music they
make, many obsessively read about
their personal lives.
But my question is: how
exactly is it relevant to your life?
You are probably never going to
see them, let alone actually meet
them, so why are you looking
reading about Kim Kardashian’s
latest drama? It seems a bit strange
to care so much about someone
you have never seen in person, not
to mention a little creepy.
Additionally, for more than 50
years, the lives of celebrities have
been out in the public eye, But
lately it seems to have reached a
whole new level. And, like so
many new changes in our life, it is
because of the Internet. No longer
do you have to wait a week for
People Magazine to come
out. Now you can go online on
websites that update in real time to
read about the latest gossip, or
watch one of the countless
entertainment/paparazzi shows on
TV. You can also Google your
favorite star, and read every fact
about their entire life, gleaned from
who knows where. But if you do
know everything every said about
them, the fact remains that you
have no real connection to that
person, and even if you follow
them on Twitter and Instagram,
you still won’t.
However, there’s no use in
saying that those who are famous
have no say in whether or not
people know about them. They do
leak stories to the press, and tweet
about their life and relationships,
often starting the rumors
themselves. However, a majority of
them don’t want to have as much
attention as they get. Maybe not
reality stars like the Kardashians
and the cast from all of the Real
Housewives, for, if you are in a
reality show, you have definitely
asked for people to know about
you. But I’m talking about those
who really just want to make music
or be in films, doing it for the art.
Believe it or not, some people, no
matter how many movies they have
been in, would like to work out
problems in their lives without
everyone watching with baited
breath.
Would you like it if everyone
in the whole world was always
watching you? Not only when you
were performing, but when you
were just walking outside? Do you
really want to not be able to walk
through a mall with friends or go to
dinner with family because you
would be mobbed by complete
strangers? I’m just guessing about
you, but my answer would be no to
both. And for all of you who think
you have the right to know their
secrets because you loved them
when they were performing, even
though you could recognize them
on the street, even though you will
stand all night to see them in a
movie, you really have no
relationship with them at all. You
bought their DVD, not their life.
1550 Hopkins Street
Berkeley, California 94707
[email protected]
510-526-6042
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM Monday - Friday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 21
Nike Basketball Shoe Frenzy Out of Control
By Angel Flores & Amaya Bremner Hauswald
Shoes, more specifically the buying, selling,or trading of Air Jordans and some exclusive Nikes, are becoming a
problem world wide. There have been many examples of people getting shot or injured over a pair of shoes. It has
gotten so bad that big shoe stores such as Footlocker, Champs and Finish Line had to ban people from camping outside
of their store for a pair of shoes because people were trampling others, or pushing them out of their spot in line after
they’d camped out for a day or two. All of this raises a question: Is any shoe really worth that much?
Kids have made groups on Facebook called “Bay Area Sneaker Heads,” it’s a group where people are trying to sell
their Jordans and Nikes. Usually, strangers comment and negotiate prices with the seller then they make a meet up time
and go do the transaction. It’s basically Craigslist, but just for shoes. Unfortunately there have been many cases where
people are getting robbed on this site, but the site is still active and so are the people using it. One reason for this may
be that people don’t want to pay the ridiculous retail price for these exclusive new Air Jordans, which is $180. Another
may be that the shoes are so hyped up and if you don’t have a pair, then you may not considered cool among your
teenage peers.
One of the most infamous examples of this shoe craze came last year
from the Retro XI Concords which retailed for $180 and then resold for
double, sometimes even if they’d been worn. The Concords caused a lot
of violence, with cases of people getting shot outside the store; moms
getting arrested for leaving their kids in the car so they could go out and
buy a pair of Jordans; and the horrific case of someone getting convicted
for bashing another man’s skull with a baseball bat for a pair of these
kicks.
The most disappointing things about this whole situation is that the
shoes aren’t even being used for basketball, which is what Michael
Jordan used them for. Some consumers don’t wear the shoes or even take
them out of the box so that they keep their ridiculous, above-retail value.
If you actually like the shoe and you want to play basketball in them, then
you have to feed into the hype and pay the extra money, and even then
you are still open to the possibility of getting robbed for your shoes.
Another disappointing thing about this is you pay all this money for
some shoes that crease really easy or the bottoms of the shoes turn from
The Nike Retro XI Concords retail for $180,
an icy blue to a dark yellow color if exposed to moisture, which means
but then can be resold for double that
you can’t wear your shoes that often if you want them to stay “icy”.
This brings up the quality of the current Air Jordans, which has caused many people to question Michael Jordan’s
business ethic. They started off with metal tips on the laces and these shoe cards that showed you which shoe it was
and a list of the other retros, but now they have reverted to the normal laces with a plastic tip and if the retro shoe card
hasn’t been out in ages. The quality of the shoe is what separated Jordans from other shoes such as Adidas, New
Balance and Reebok. But the quality in most Jordan’s from 2010 and on are just a disgrace.
A lot of the old “Sneaker Heads” complain that the quality is terrible, but in the end the only people that can do
anything about the quality of the shoes and violence over these shoes is the big company that goes by the name of
Nike. Hopefully they will decide to do the right thing and release a higher quantity and quality of their shoes so that
consumers are safe and happy.
Don’t get
left out in
the Cold!
Order Your
Yearbook Now
Page 22
King Cobra
IMAO, #IHATEHASHTAGS
Another Rant by Yuki Nagase
I’ve had some more issues about
this oh so perfect world, and I really
would appreciate anyone’s help with
this one. If you, dear reader, know what
this hashtag is for, please be a thousand
percent honest with me. What is it?
What is it with the world and the
hashtag? And most importantly, WHY?
Why is the world apparently taken over by this little
tic-tac-toe grid? What happened to the time when they
were called “number signs?” Case in point, just look
up “#hashtag.” It actually exists. No point in it. At all.
And “#ihatehashtags” also happens to exist, so I guess
my title is a little obsolete. The world is just littered
with hashtag hashtag hashtag. #######. Wonderful.
Soon everybody’s gonna start their sentences by
saying “hashtag.” Well obviously this hash tag
business has something to do with the Internet, but I
really don’t see the point of hashtags. So go ahead.
Enlighten me.
I also really hate those little texting abbreviation
things. Okay, really, is there anyone who doesn’t think
YOLO (“You Only Live Once,” if you don’t
know...thanks Drake) is just so stupid? When are you
ever supposed to just randomly blurt that out? “I’m
going to the bathroom cuz yolo.” Just...no. And how
confusing are all those acronyms? S2G, @TEOTD,
etc. One of the worst: TLTR. Too Long To Read. Sigh.
Really, though, these abbreviations seem like puzzles
sometimes. How does 143 mean “I love you”? Plus, if
you got a text saying that, would you really believe it?
It’s so fast and unappreciative. Who would want to get
a text saying that. Can’t you just call them to say I
love you? I may be old-fashioned, but please. What is
it with people and quick messages?
While we’re on the topic of things I hate, does
anyone remember the first time they watched a 3D
movie? I remember putting on the glasses
immediately, and then when the movie
started...nothing. No difference to me. At all. Well,
except for the annoying glasses. You might think it
was the fault of the movie that I watched, but the first
3D movie I remember seeing was Avatar (the one with
the blue people). It has a lot of potential 3D material.
But it wasn’t even remotely different. I also had to
take off my real glasses, so I was practically blind. The
movie was pretty cool, I guess, but the highlight of
that experience for me was losing a tooth in a Milk
Dud. Really, though, 3D movies just seem like a few
extra dollars I’m spending for a pair of crappy, useless
glasses that I could have bought more Milk Duds with
(and get back with money from the Tooth Fairy.) So
yeah. 3D movies are totally unnecessary. It’s just a
bloated scam. Just buy more Milk Duds. But of
course, this is only In My Arrogant Opinion.
KING VISIONARIES AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
Something For Everyone!
For more info, go to www.mlkmiddleschool.org or visit B-1
Page 23
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Travel
Our Failed Trip to Paris
By Karoline Blendstrup
Not all of our travels during out year abroad went
smoothly. We were planning to go to Paris in October,
but there was a general strike in Greece. Basically, this
meant that the ferries wouldn’t be running, leaving us
stranded on Sifnos. The only way of getting off the
island and then on to Paris would be to take a private
boat to Lavrio, a city near Athens, and then take a bus to
the airport. My parents were motivated to go through all
this trouble because they had bought nonrefundable
plane tickets. I wrote this blog documenting my
experience riding on this private boat in hopes of
reaching Lavrio.
The situation: My dad bought nonrefundable Easy
Jet tickets, and there was another general strike, so we
couldn’t get off the island on a ferry. Naturally, we
desperately wanted to get to Paris, so my parents went
through all the trouble of organizing a private boat to
take us to Lavrio. From there, we would drive to the
Athens airport. This was the plan.
Unfortunately, we embarked on our boat ride on a
very windy day. The boat was small and without a roof,
thus exposing us to the elements. I was forced to wear
ski clothes to protect myself from the high winds and
crashing waves. This was a terrible mistake. Within the
first few minutes of riding on the boat, the back of my
ski hat was soaking wet. As we rode further and further
away from Sifnos, the winds grew stronger and stronger.
Our captain plowed through huge waves as I held on for
dear life. Within the first 30 minutes of riding, my ski
pants, jacket, and hair were drenched. I thought to
myself, “How am I going to survive this for another two
hours!?” After about thirty more minutes of freezing
cold salt water splashing in my face, our captain
said,”The weather is too bad. We must turn back.” I
wished he had given up sooner.
Ferries like these were on strike, leaving us out out of luck
The ride back to Sifnos was terrifying. We had been
riding against the waves, but now we were riding with
them. And we were going fast. Our boat gained enough
speed and momentum from the waves that it would fly
up into the air and then inevitably crash back down into
the water. It felt as though our captain was running on a
massive sugar high. Luckily, we made it safely back to
shore on our wonderful little island...but it was no time
to celebrate. We failed to make it to Paris, all of us were
soaked to the bone, and the next day, I would have to do
my schoolwork instead of being on vacation.
Surprisingly, our captain refused any money for his
troubles. It just shows you how kind the people on
Sifnos are.
For more stories like these here’s the link to my
complete blog: http://negative0snowpea.tumblr.com/.
1496-C Solano Avenue
Albany, CA 94706.
510.526.2720
www.sognodesigngroup.com
Page 24
King Cobra
Disneyland Not What it Used to be, But Still Fun
By Angel Flores
Disneyland is known as the “Happiest Place on
Earth,” but it it really? Could the theme park be losing
its luster? Disneyland has been adding new attractions
and they aren’t all that good compared to other
attractions at Disneyland and California Adventures.
I’ve been going since I was a year old and maybe it’s
just me, but over the past five or six years there’s been a
big decrease in the amount of fun that I’m having there.
The park is split up into two separate parks:
Disneyland and Disney California Adventures Park.
Disneyland has more of their old-fashioned roller
coasters and low-speed rides, and California Adventures
is home to some newer rides. California Adventures is a
let down because of the newer rides and attractions,
which don’t seem to match up to the classic rides
offered at Disneyland.
Cars Land: Cars Land is one of the new attractions Disneyland, with its classic attractions, is still the main event
at Disney California Adventures. It is based on the
hurt my back a little and wasn’t much fun. The other
movie “Cars” that came out in 2006. The new attraction
ride at Cars Land is the Radiator Springs Racers which
is very detailed, it looks exactly like the main town did
is like a slow roller coaster, where you go down a rode
in Cars. They have cars such as lightning McQueen,
going at a medium speed ride the entire time with only
Tow Mater and Luigi, driving around and taking
few turns and not any spins. The ride is average and
pictures with people in the park and the cars talk.
doesn’t live up to Disney’s Standards for rides. I still
The best part about the whole experience is that the
recommend it to everyone who really enjoyed the movie
town actually looks like an old small town. It is painted
“Cars.”
so that it looks like there is real paint chipping, they
have a fire truck watering plants just like in the movie
Fantasy Land: Located in Disneyland, Fantasy
and lastly there is a stop light that blinks yellow at all
Land appeals mostly to young Children, but it may be
times which is exactly what happened during the film.
one of my favorite parts of Disneyland. It is full of
The down part to Cars Land is the two rides. Neither
Disney’s signature animation, with things like
of the rides is as detailed as the town they’re in, which is
princesses, and classic rides such as the
pretty disappointing. On one ride you sit down in Tow
“Alice in Wonderland,” “Dumbo the Flying Elephant,”
Mater and you get swung around from side to side, it
“It’s a Small World,” and “Snow White’s Scary
Adventures.” These rides are the ones you want to get
done first, because the lines go fast and the rides are
only a few minutes long.
There is a pink and purple castle that you go in
through to get to Fantasy Land, which is a little girly,
but it’s completely worth it because it may be one of
the best attractions at Disneyland. Yes, it’s corny, but
Fantasy Land is full of laughter and joy, and everything
is detailed to the fullest extent.
The Classic rides really remind you of the
Disneymovies because they summarize the films during
the ride. Going through the most memorable parts of
the ride with your family or friends is really what
makes Fantasy Land special. Fantasy Land is
somewhere were you don’t expect to have much fun in,
but you do, especially if you’re with someone younger
than you, because you can see how much they’re
enjoying it, and it rubs off on you. Fantasy Land is a
California Adventures is more geared to crowds craving modern solid 5/5 and I highly recommend it to you if you are
roller coasters
with a young child at Disneyland.
Page 25
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Food
Bowl’d Over
By Karoline Blendstrup
It’s a Sunday evening on Solano. Everything is empty,
stone crock that will crisp the vegetables, give a crusty crunch
dark, and ominous. As you walk further down the street, you
to the rice, and keep the dish warm.
notice a warm light emanating from a curious wooden
Many of Bowl’d’s dishes can be ordered vegetarian,
building. You peek inside the busy
vegan, or gluten free. Some of which
restaurant, listen to the hum of the crowd,
include the marinated tofu pockets ($4)
and whiff the aromas wafting from the
and jhapchae ($12). The vegetarian tofu
kitchen. A sign above the door announces
pockets consist of a mixture of
“Bowl’d.”
vegetables and rice wrapped in a layer
Serving delicious Korean comfort
of tofu. The non-vegetarian version
food, the restaurant is located on 1479
includes bacon bits. The standard order
Solano Ave, near SuperCuts. It’s open
of jhapchae comes with glass noodles,
Sunday through Thursday, from 11 a.m-10
mushrooms, carrots, onions, and pork.
p.m and Friday and Saturday from 11
If you request a vegetarian alternative,
a.m-11 p.m. The restaurant accepts
they will happily substitute the meat for
reservations only if your group is more than
tofu. This dish also comes with a
three people. Should you find yourself
gluten-free option for an extra $2.
waiting in line, there is no worry because
Like in traditional Korean
Banchan, the Korean pickled sides, with
hospitality reigns and you are offered a
restaurants, your meal comes with
a bowl of bibimpop, at Bowl’d.
complimentary cup of warm barley tea.
complimentary side dishes called
Parking can be moderately difficult to find, but you can
banchan, which are to be eaten bit-by-bit throughout the meal.
usually find a spot on the street.
Served in tiny white bowls, the banchan vary from meal to
The restaurant is buzzing with a lively atmosphere.
meal and usually contain various savory side dishes such as
However, it isn’t too loud for you to easily have a
kimchi, bean sprouts, and seaweed salad. If you run out of
conversation across the table. Its homey ambiance and menu
one, they’ll happily refill it at no cost. My favorite banchan
options for kids, make it clear that families are more than
are the nappa cabbage kimchi, and tofu kimchi, both of which
welcome. The servers are polite, attentive and helpful. They
have a spicy, tangy flavor.
will patiently explain different dishes on the menu and answer
The only criticism I have, believe it or not, is that the
any of your questions. The moss-colored dining room is
portions are too big. The Bibimbop itself can easily be a meal
decorated with glossy wooden tables, long benches, and
for two. On top of this, it is served with a side bowl of rice
quirky, giant silverware, including a symbolic spoon, mounted
and radish soup. By the time you’ve eaten all of this food (let
on the wall.
alone finish it), you hardly have any room left to enjoy the
The spoon represents Korean comfort, and is also the
banchan. However, leftovers are neatly packed into ecoutensil used to eat one of Bowl’d’s most popular dishes,
friendly bento box style containers and can be enjoyed the
Bibimbop. For $12 you can order this heaping bowl of rice,
next day.
vegetables, your choice of meat, and a fried egg on top. You
Bowl’d has become one of my all time favorite
also have a choice of white or mixed grain rice. I recommend
restaurants. I’ve gone back multiple times and not once have I
the mixed grain for its more interesting texture and complex
been disappointed. The service is friendly, the food delicious,
flavor. Add an extra $2 and the Bibimbop comes in a sizzling
and the atmosphere lively. If you’re new to Korean cuisine, I
highly recommend giving Bowl’d a try.
Le m on Co ok ie s
Recipe o f t h e M o n t h
Ingredients:
• 1/4 pound of butter
(one
stick)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon ze
st,
minced
• 1 tablespoon milk or
cream
• 1 and 1/4 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon bakin
g
powder
Optional: Add walnuts,
dried fruit, raisins,
almonds, or fennel
seeds
Preheat oven to 35
0 degrees.
Cream the butter,
gradually
adding sugar and
lemon zest.
Beat until mixtur
e is light &
fluffy. Add the egg
and milk
or cream and mix
thoroughly.
Mix the flour, salt
and baking
powder together an
d add to
the first mixture.
Blend well,
but do not overmi
x. Arrange
by teaspoon fulls
on a cookie
sheet, one inch ap
art. Bake
for 8-10 minutes,
until lightly
browed.
King Cobra
Page 26
Benchmark Pizza Sets the Bar High
By Amara Cohen
The smell of olive oil envelops the air as I walk into
Benchmark Pizza in the Kensington Circle. A large
apple pie sits on the counter, modeling its perfect flakey
crust. A friendly waiter greets me at the counter.
When I look at the menu, I see a list of things I want
to try. From the salads, to the pizza, to the desserts, there
are many exciting options. Benchmark has dishes for
everyone, even those who don’t like tomato sauce on
pizza. I agree with my family to share the Caesar salad,
the antipasto (which is a platter containing small
servings of different appetizers like marinated olives and
asparagus with salsa rustica), the Benchmark pizza
(standard), and the Full Belly Farm Spinach pizza.
Waiting for your food at Benchmark isn’t an
uncomfortable experience. The large windows allow the
restaurant to be brightly lit, help to create a rustic feel
along with the decorative plants. The noise level was
low and had just the pleasant hum of conversation.
There were many some kids there, but they were busy
eating pizza, so they weren’t too loud.
We ordered a large salad, but were slightly
disappointed when we saw the size of it. However when
I tried it, all of my doubts disappeared. It was the best
Caesar salad I’d ever had. Although there were no
croutons, the organic fresh Romaine
leaves and tangy dressing made the
salad worth every dollar. Next,
came the antipasto plate. There
were five different foods on the
plate, each beautifully presented.
My favorite one was the fresh,
house-made mozzarella with radish
and watercress. I might not
recommend this dish to any who are not so adventurous
or prefer simpler tastes, because it packs a lot of kick.
There was a small wait for the pizza, because the
restaurant was packed. But when it came, just looking at
it made my mouth water. And then I tried it. The pizza
was
perfect.
There is
simply no
other way
to describe
it. From
the smoky,
blistered
crust to the
fresh tomato sauce, the chefs got everything just right. I
would also recommend the spinach pizza to anyone who
visits Benchmark, even if you don’t usually like spinach
on your pizza. The spinach is cooked to a perfect
softness that transforms the pizza from great to
unbelievable.
Many of the best meals end with a delicious dessert,
so this one came to a fitting end. I ordered the Straus
vanilla soft-serve ice cream with a topping of virgin
olive oil and sea salt. I’m sure you are probably thinking
that’s gross, but it is surprisingly good. The salt adds a
contrasting crunch to the smooth ice cream. The ice
cream is also very sweet, so the olive oil is a nice
change. My parents ordered the apple pie. It isn’t super
sweet, but the crust is flaky. Make sure you get whipped
cream with it, because that adds some sweetness.
Altogether, this meal was one of the best I ever had.
Probably the biggest downside was the price, which if
you’re a middle-schooler might be tough, unless your
parents treat you. The dishes keep adding up, and if you
buy appetizers, pizza, and dessert, it can get expensive.
Of course, local and organic food is not cheap, so it’s
understandable. I was seated almost immediately, but a
large line formed behind me, so you would probably
need to wait a little if you went to dinner there on a
Friday or Saturday night. They take reservations, so
making one would save time. I recommend eating here
to all food lovers.
Build a Better Time Machine!
Attention teachers and students: Do you need help building a website, or do you have any
other technology questions you need solved? Mr. Selk’s Tech advisory can help!
For more details, contact Mr. Selk, or drop by room 101 during eighth-grade advisory.
Page 27
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Homeroom Has Room
for Improvement
Exotic Flavors Highlight
Tara’s Ice Cream
By Eleni Salesin
When I
walked into
North
Oakland’s
Homeroom, the
energy was
very vibrant
and it was
packed with
people. The
wait for a table
was very quick and so was the wait for the meal. Their
menu, centered on macaroni and cheese, is extensive and
has some very witty names (“The Exchange Student” is
Mac and Cheese with Sriracha, “The Ivy Leaguer” is mac
and cheese with truffle oil).
Although it is labeled as a mac and cheese restaurant,
they also have other things, such as a breakfast and lunch
menu witch consists of omelets and french toast. The
menu is written on what looks like lined paper and is
typed up with a font that looks kind of like handwriting,
giving the menu “school-ish” kind of look.
The prices were a little high for mac and cheese,
ranging from $7.95 (basic) to $14.50 9 (The Ivy
Leaguer). You can also add extra toppings on to your mac
and cheese, such as butternut squash, hot dog, tuna,
bacon, chorizo, bread crumbs, and more. The add-ons
range from 50 cents to two dollars each.
The food is good but not great. I ordered the “Bacon
Mac,” a Mac and cheese with cheddar, Monterey Jack,
and bacon. While the bacon was very flavorful, there was
not enough cheese, making the dish more on the dryer
side. The portions were all quite big, so you could share
one or have the rest for lunch the next day.
Overall, Homeroom’s aesthetic was nice, but their
food was not as good as I had expected.
By Ella Griego
Drive by Ici Ice Cream on Berkeley’s College
Avenue and you’ll probably see a long line, especially if
its a warm day. If you have at least 45 minutes to spare,
then it’s fine, but if you go three blocks down the street,
toward Oakland, you will arrive at Tara’s Ice Cream
Shop.
Tara’s is owned by Tara & Raciel Esperanza and is
known for its strange,
delicious flavors and
homemade waffle cones.
This shop is anything but
the ordinary. They serve
flavors from Chinese five
spice to mocha to Mexican
chocolate and even some
old classics like vanilla
bean or strawberry.
My personal favorite is
salted caramel. The salt
and the caramel
compliment each other
very well. If you don’t like
a plain waffle cone, or are
looking for something new, you can try one with black
sesame seeds embedded in it, or if you don’t feel like a
cone they have all natural sugar cane cups and potato
made spoons that are completely compostable. The best
part is there is no line to get these creative delicious
flavors, whereas at Ici, there is a almost always a long
wait. They have even won Best Ice Cream of the Year
from the East Bay Express.
While some people may not like Tara’s ice cream
because there’s very little space to sit, others say that’s
the beauty of a cone or cup: you can walk and eat it so
you don’t have to stay confined to a small ice cream
shop. Tara’s Ice Cream is a great place for ice cream and
I highly recommend it to everyone.
Are you interested in Writing for
The King Cobra?
Elective Choices for 6th and 7th graders are due.
Hard-working, go-getters are appreciated!
Page 28
King Cobra
Eighth-Graders Sad to Say Goodbye to Edible Schoolyard
By Yuki Nagase & Ella Griego
Last month, the eighth-graders made a
delicious homemade pizza fresh from the wood
fire oven. We rotated through three different
stations with our group, making lemonade, dough,
and pizza. However, the joy of cooking what most
students generally consider the best food in the
kitchen came with a hint of sadness: that was our
last time as middle schoolers in the Edible
Schoolyard.
“This class of eighth-graders have so much
personality and talent. I have been so impressed
by your creative abilities, from seeing you in
drama performances to watching you master
complex recipes in the kitchen,” said lead kitchen
teacher, Ms.Cook. “This class has a lot to offer the
world. I only hope you will come back to King to
visit and let me know what you are up to.”
We started at the pizza station located at the
Many of the student’s best memories at King are from enjoying the
pizza oven. There we rolled out dough with our
partner, which was made in the kitchen station by a food they created in the edible schoolyard
previous class. Then we added a variety of
Then we switched stations and went to the kitchen
toppings, most of them fresh from the garden, such as:
to prepare pizza dough for a future class’s pizza. First,
basil, green onions, chard, tomato sauce, cheese, and an
we put warm water and yeast in a large bowl and let it
egg on top. Next we put our pizzas in the wood fire
sit. Then we whisked in oil, a pinch of sugar and salt.
oven, then ate them with the lemonade made by the
Next we added the flour until it became a sticky dough
lemonade group.
blob. Then we floured the table and kneaded the dough
Which brings us to the next station, where we made
using the heels of our palms until the dough wasn’t
the freshly squeezed lemonade by hand. To make it, we
sticky anymore. Finally, we oiled the dough and bowl
zested lemons, then cut all of them in half and squeezed
and then covered the bowl with plastic wrap and set it
them. Then we mixed it all together and added water
aside to rise for the next pizza group. Sadly, this fun
and agave syrup, taking a little bit for ourselves and then
time soon ended with farewells to the garden and
placing it at a table for the next group to enjoy with their
kitchen teachers and memories of great times. We left
pizza.
withbittersweet feelings.
“My favorite memory of the last day was making
As we all (should) know, the Edible Schoolyard at
lemonade with my friends because it was delicious and
King is the first and only one of its amazing kind in the
we had lots of fun together.” said Christina Sun.
country. We are extremely lucky to have a place to cook
and grow with our fantastic teachers. These three years
just flew by, especially the times at the garden and the
kitchen. Don’t deny it, all of us are gonna miss the
Edible Schoolyard and the memories we shared while
there just as much as the teacher are going to miss us. At
the end of each eighth-grade class in the ESY, students
could be seen hugging and laughing with their peers and
teachers.
“What could be better than cooking and sharing
wood fired pizza together?” said Ms.Cook. “I loved the
whole experience, but the highlight for me was sitting
together one last time in the ramada, seeing all the
familiar faces and hearing you share your memories of
the best times at Edible Schoolyard. I liked the small
details I heard recalled, such as observing insects and
butterflies to learning to mince with the chef knife. Best
of luck to the class of 2013!”
The eighth-graders getting a run-down of the work they’ll
do in the garden
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 29
Entertainment
Oz the Great & Powerful Falls Short
★★
By Nory Klop-Packel
Some movies have great, dramatic,
thoughtful plots, well-developed
characters, and spot-on acting. And
some movies don’t. “Oz the Great and
Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, is
sadly the latter.
Intended to be a prequel to “The
Wizard of Oz,” this film falls short of its
predecessor. While the previous film
was about Dorothy and her adventures
in Oz, Oz the Great and Powerful
instead follows the young magician Oz
himself. It begins in the early 1900s,
shot in black and white for full contrast.
Oz (James Franco) is part of a magic
show in a traveling carnival.
The audience thinks he can do
magic, but really he is just a talented
showman. Oz is also a ladies’ man and
seduces girls with his clever tricks, then
breaks their hearts. When he gets into a
spot of trouble, he leaves the carnival on
a hot-air balloon...and flies straight into
a tornado.
When the storm clears, he finds
himself in Oz. (Yes, that’s both his
name and the name of the land, and yes,
it does get a bit confusing..) The
remainder of the film is shot in full
color and may hurt the eyes after a good
deal of black and white. Oz learns that
he is part of a prophecy that predicted
long ago that he would save the land of
Oz. Once there, he is sent by two
beautiful witch sisters (Mila Kunis
and Michelle Williams) to kill an evil
witch.
To a viewer, the rest of the movie
might seem obvious at this point. Oz
kills the witch with the help of his
companions, and then returns to the
sisters and lives happily ever after.
But then the plot twists and tangles, and
the outcome is no longer so clear. Will
good triumph? Or will evil live to reign?
The film was not very good. It was
rather one-sided and didn’t give much
material for thought. For example, take
the ways good and evil are portrayed.
Those who are evil are evil all the way,
without any redeeming features. And
those who are good are faultless. Not
very realistic.
Another problem is the special
effects. While there was an enormous
budget for the effects, they don’t come
out that well. The talking monkey, one
such effect and a major character, isn’t
really believable. It isn’t just that he’s a
talking, flying monkey, there’s
something about him that looks really
artificial. And it’s the same with the rest
of the effects.
Despite all of this, there are some
good parts. For example, the beginning,
probably the best part of the movie,
really showcases Oz’s character while
making viewers laugh a little bit. There
Scary Movie 5 a Hot Mess
By James Molnar-Brock
★
If you’re planning on watching Scary Movie 5, you
may want to wait until it comes on TV for free. This
horror movie spoof has some good scenes and some
good acting, mostly by Charlie Sheen and Ashley
Tisdale, but for the most part it does not meet the
standards a movie should. Instead of an intricate and
detailed plot, this newest volume in the Scary Movie
series is nothing but a pieced together film, made of
parodies of other movies, such as Inception and Mama.
And if you like stupid humor and bad jokes, Scary
Movie 5 is a good film for you. Still if you plan to watch
it, be prepared for the feeling that you may have just
wasted 85 minutes of your life. Though most teens
is some emotion in there, some drama,
and some interesting themes introduced.
I found myself wishing that the whole
movie was like the beginning and that
the land of Oz had been entirely left out.
Oz the Great and Powerful, clearly
aimed toward children, will find varying
opinions throughout the audience. If
you go to the movies just for a laugh
and to gape at a few (not excellent, but
big-budget) special effects without
having to think a lot, or if you just really
loved The Wizard of Oz, Oz the Great
and Powerful is probably the movie for
you. On the other hand, if you love
sophistication and
Cobra
are seeking a
Rating
movie with
s
complex
★★★★ Excellent, no
huge f la
characters and a
ws
really deep
★★★ Pretty
plot, don’t
G
bother. The
but f la ood,
wed
over-twohour run time ★★ So-so,
too
just isn’t
incons
is
tent
worth it.
★
Not wo
r
or mon th time
ey
would probably share that feeling, my
guess is that it is supposed to be a teen movie.
This movie’s humor consists of childish jokes, and
has a level of offensive language, but has suggestive
themes which makes it very
unlikely to be allowed by many
kid’s parents. And you will be very
grateful, if you are planning to see
this movie, that most theaters do
not seal their exits during a movie.
This movie, referred to as “a hate
crime against cinema” by Laremy
Legel, a top critic on Film.com, is
not recommended.
Page 30
King Cobra
Searching for Sugarman an Intriguing Film
By Molly McArdle
★★★
Once called “the next Bob Dylan,” the artist
Rodriguez came from Chicago and became an icon in South
Africa during the 1970’s. He was also one of the artists that
sparked revolution there, and inspired many of the nation’s
most famous musicians. And yet, according to the records of
his producers, he only ever sold five or six of each of his
two records.
Although there were quite a few bootlegs, there were
also many legal copies, which he has never been
compensated for. During the time of his record’s height, it
was believed he had committed suicide onstage. Other than
this, very little was known about Sixto Rodriguez. A few of
his South African fans wanted to learn more about his
mysterious death and why he had never come to the land of
his popularity, among other things.
This is the premise for the Oscar winning documentar,
“Searching For Sugarman.” Upon further investigation, it
would appear that Rodriguez only ever sold about six of
each of his albums. This of course, could not possibly be
true, due to the immense amount of people who recognize
his name in South Africa and claim to have been inspired by
his work. And therefore, someone along the corporate line
must have embezzled the money. Unfortunately, the
documentary never does discover or prove exactly who took
home the cash, although there may be a few fingers pointed
from which the viewer may come to their own conclusions.
Coming up with little on the money front, the
investigators turn to Rodriguez’s history and supposed
death. During a call with the the man who “discovered”
Rodriguez, they finally uncover that the legendary suicide
was just that -- a legend, and
in fact Rodriguez had retired
to an unknown address,
Setting up a website known
simply as “The Great
Rodriguez Hunt”, designed to
attract the attention of anyone
knowing the current location
of Sixto Rodriguez, or even a
contact, investigators finally
fulfilled its purpose in 1998, one year after the site’s
creation, when members of Rodriguez’s family contacted
the site. Within the year, Rodriguez came to South Africa to
tour, filling his venues. And yet there’s no real happy ending
to this almost fairy tale, the musician never received the
money he deserved, someone still got away with a major
crime, even while the crime was exposed, and the audience
he may have desired has begun to pass. Still, today he’s had
a nice run of success since the movie.
The two albums themselves are beautiful, with “Cold
Fact” being more soulful and heart breaking and “Coming
From Reality” more bitter and hard. Although somewhat
(about 40 years) out of date, the albums carry with them a
sort of truthful magic that seems to expose the man behind
the curtain in modern day society and politics. The albums
have a brutal, honest sound, and feature great tracks such as
‘Crucify Your Mind,’ ‘This Isn’t A Song, It’s An Outburst,’
Or ‘The Establishment Blues,’, ‘Hate Street Dialogue,’ and
‘Rich Folks Hoax’. Rodriguez is a great artist for those tired
of the usual pop music and standard-issue rap.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Too Inconsistent
By Kelsey Hirota & Ruby Cross
Hocus pocus, alacazam! The Incredible Burt
Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton have hit the Las Vegas
strip and are some of the biggest magicians of their time.
Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Marvelton
(Steve Buscemi) are the hottest new magicians in
Las Vegas with their stunning assistant Jane
(Olivia Wilde) -- until a newer, younger magician
starts to make their tricks look boring and old. The
new magician in town, Steve Gray (Jim Carrey),
does dangerous and gross (bloody and disturbing)
“magic,” which outshines all of the pair’s old
tricks. To get their audience back, they must try
dangerous tricks too, such as staying in a hot glass
box suspended over Las Vegas. But even with
their efforts, things go awry. Wonderstone ends up
performing in a retirement home.
Coincidentally, while at the home, he meets the famous
magician Rance Halloway (Alan Arkin) who was the
inspiration forWonderstone’s whole career. With the help of
Halloway and some others, Wonderstone tries to regain what
Gray took from him before he’s jobless and broke for good.
Steve Carell was kind of a let down because, he
basically had the same characteristics as Michael Scott in
“The Office.” It felt like we’d seen that role before. Jim
Carrey was too dramatic and was a parody of Criss Angel (a
young magician who does tricks on the Las Vegas strip). The
★★
jokes were very corny, and a bit cliché, for example he lets
on about his huge, gigantic bed, but the way he describes it
you think he’s talking about something else.
If you're a little bit more mature, you
probably won’t find this movie very funny -but some parts are entertaining for everybody.
Even though there are some “cover-your-eyes”
scenes involving Gray, the magic tricks are
pretty awesome, from the simple tricks at a
kid’s birthday party, to the elaborate “hangman”
trick. This movie was kind of predictable,
because you could easily guess everything that
was going to happen, including the end. Also,
there are some “inappropriate” scenes and
language throughout the movie, but nothing that
a King Middle Schooler can’t handle (this
movie is rated PG-13).
Overall, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone was funny
and entertaining at times, but also boring at times. It had so
much more potential with its talented cast, but it didn’t
satisfy the comedy factor it could have. You’d think that a
Carell-Carrey movie would be hilarious because they’re two
of the best comedic actors of our time. But this film didn’t
cut it. If you plan on seeing this movie, be prepared for
anything; from your eyes being glued to the screen to
wishing you could text your friends in the back row.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 31
Television
Five Great Anime Shows
By Karoline Blendstrup
Anime is frequently thought to be nerdy, childish, or
just plain weird. But this isn’t necessarily the case. In
this age of hundreds of TV channels and countless
shows, anime stands out with beautifully drawn art and
intriguingly complex plots. I have compiled this list of
five of my favorite animes, which you can easily watch
online. Whether you are a seasoned anime fan or new to
the genre, I highly recommend you give the following
shows a chance.
“Fruits Basket” - Tohru Honda, a high school
student, begins living on her own in a tent when her
mother dies in a car
crash. Her fellow
classmate, Yuki Sohma,
takes pity on her, and
offers to house her until
she finds a more suitable
home. While living there,
Tohru meets other
members of the Sohma
family. She soon
discovers that the Sohma’s live under a terrible curse.
Twelve members of the family (excluding Kyo who
turns into a cat) transform into the 12 animals of the
Chinese zodiac when they are stressed, weak, or hugged
by the opposite gender. However, the Sohma’s curse is
much deeper and darker than Tohru realizes. Every
single person I have recommend this show to has loved
it. This anime has hints of romance and is sure to make
you laugh.
“Hetalia” - Hetalia is
an anime in which
countries are represented
by characters who portray
stereotypes of that country.
For example, Germany is
hard working, efficient, and
loves bratwurst and
potatoes. Japan is portrayed
as a polite, reserved, and
quiet character. And
America is loud,
obnoxious, and constantly
eats hamburgers. These
characters comically live
out different events in history especially in the WWII
era. It’s hard not to become obsessed with Hetalia’s
lovable characters and humor. Be aware: This anime
pokes fun at the stereotypes of certain countries, and
some might find this offensive.
“Ouran High School
Host Club” - Haruhi is a
poor tomboy attending
the elite school, Ouran
High. As she looks for a
quiet place to study, she
stumbles upon the Host
Club, an all-male group
with members who use
their specific traits and charms to entertain the girls of
the school. When Haruhi breaks the Club’s precious
vase, she finds herself in debt for 8 million yen. Unable
to pay the debt with money, she is forced to work for the
Host Club by pretending to be a male host herself. It is
great for veteran anime lovers and newcomers alike,
Ouran High School Host Club is incredibly funny with
an entertaining plot that all will enjoy.
“Kuroko No Basket” Tetsuya Kuroko was a former
member of an elite middle
school basketball team known as
the “Generation of Miracles.”
When he moves on to high
school, he meets Taiga Kagami,
a naturally talented basketball
player. They agree to help each
other bring their Seirin High
team to become the best in
Japan. Along the way, the team must face off against
each member of the Generation of Miracles one-by-one.
You don’t have to be a basketball enthusiast to love
watching this show. “Kuroko No Basket” has something
for everyone with its perfectly paced and engaging story
line, funny moments, and relatable characters.
“Fairy Tail” - Lucy, a young teenage wizard,
aspires to become a member of the prestigious wizard
guild called Fairy Tail. One day she meets a boy named
Natsu Dragneel, who saves her from a fiendish wizard.
Natsu reveals he isn’t any ordinary person; he’s a
member of the renowned Fairy Tail guild. Before Lucy
knows it, she is introduced to the wild and wacky
wizards of Fairy Tail and begins an adventure of a
lifetime. “Fairy Tail”
has excellently executed
fight scenes, great
music, and unique
characters. Those who
like to watch action
adventure shows will
love this anime.
Page 32
King Cobra
Travel Through Time with Dr. Who
By Raina Pinkosh
“Doctor Who” centers around an alien 1960’s
police box that’s bigger on the inside than the
outside -- if that makes sense -- called the
TARDIS, that takes “The Doctor” (currently
being played by Matt Smith), and his various
companions (currently played by Jenna-Louise
Coleman), through all of time and space on
amazing adventures. The Doctor protects time and
planets throughout space from aliens, technology
gone wrong, and other unknown threats.
One particularly good scene, from a random
episode, was when Amy and Rory (two of the
Doctor’s former companions played by Karen
Gillan and Arthur Darvill) and The Doctor were
getting on the TARDIS and Amy opened the door
and looked back and said, “I got my spaceship, I
got my my boys, my work here is done.” Then
Rory looked at the Doctor and said,“We are not
her boys.” “Yes we are,” replied The Doctor. “Yeah, we are,” sighed Rory. This part was really funny because they
knew she was the boss and they agreed on it and kind of gave in.
Another good scene was when The Doctor was talking to one of Amy and Rory’s friends and The Doctor said
“How come I don’t remember you, I danced with everyone at the wedding. The women were brilliant, the men were a
bit shy.” I thought this part was really funny because he danced with literally everybody at the wedding, including all
the girls and the guys, but the guys all thought it was awkward.
This show is one that people will want to watch over and over with their families or on their own, It is great for
anyone who likes a mysterious, yet exciting and humorous show.
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VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 33
Seven Shows to Watch on Netflix
By Raina Pinkosh
★★★
A lot of people use Netflix to instantly watch shows
and movies. But with so many choices, it’s a little hard
to know what to watch first. Here is a list of some of the
best shows available instantly on Netflix. So get cuddled
up on that couch and get ready to watch.
Sherlock
The brilliant Sherlock Holmes ( Benedict Cumberbatch)
solves murders, and catches criminals with Dr. Watson
( Martin Freeman) following in tow. In this show this
modern version Holmes works with the London police
force to solve murders
when there’s no one else
who can solve the case.
This show is both funny
and intriguing capturing
your interest at every
turn.
Robin Hood, BBC
The swashbuckling outlaw Robin Hood (Jonas
Armstrong) along with his goofy gang, steals from the
rich to give to the poor with style and flair. This retelling
of the classic tale is funny and original, because not only
is it the Robin Hood we
all know, but it also
has the evil sheriff
who can never catch
Hood or the tough
Lady Marion, who
gives food as the
nightwatchman.
Merlin
The young magician, named Merlin (Colin Morgan),
destined to help King Arthur (Bradley James) and be the
most powerful sorcerer is struggling to keep his powers
hidden in a land where magic is
outlawed. In this show, you
follow the man servant of Prince
Arthur as he tries to hide his
secret and avoid the stocks.
They’re goofy, but the action is
exciting and heart racing.
30 Rock
The show centers on Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) the head
writer for a live comedy show, whose life is a juggling
act between: dealing with her boss Jack Donaghy (Alec
Baldwin) trying to mentor her; managing the stars of the
show, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski), doing crazy, unpredictable things; and
horrible choices in boyfriends. She wants to have it all -the family and the career and be able to balance them
both. This show is always
cracking jokes about past
political people and their
scandals in a way that’s very
funny and will make you want
to watch episodes over and
over.
Switched At Birth
This show is about two families who find out their
daughters were switched at birth when they mistakenly
left the hospital with the wrong baby. One lived with a
rich family and the other went to a poor single mother
and lost her hearing to a bad case of meningitis. The two
families must learn to live
together for the sake of their
daughters so they can know
their parents. Switched at Birth
has lots of drama and shows
real families, addressing and
learning from real problems.
Medium
A normal mom (Patricia Arquette) living in the
suburbs must solve mysteries while the dead send her
images of their murders in her dreams to help her solve
the cases. Allison Dubois, a happily married mother of
two, who sees what happens when the ghosts of the
murder victims in her
investigations helps her
solve the crimes. This
show is thrilling, and
perfect for the adventurous
person who wants to have
their blood chilled and feel
their heart race.
Doctor Who
In this TV series, an alien named “The
Doctor,” (currently played by Matt Smith ) travels
through time and space with his companions (currently
played by Jenna-Louise Coleman) having adventures,
battling monsters, saving the world, and generally
creating chaos. The person who plays the doctor has
changed 11 times because
he regenerates to new
people and has had many
friends and companions on
his journeys. This show is
appealing because not only
does it have aliens and
adventures through time
and space, but it’s also
very funny.
Page 34
King Cobra
Music
Two Talented Singers are Right Here at King
By Amaya Bremner Hauswald
Everywhere at King there is talent ready to be exposed and
enjoyed. Eighth-grader Eliot Jobe finds himself shocked at the fact
that a story was being done about him, but its here to bring attention
to the students at King that have something wonderful to share with
us. In Jobe’s case, it’s his voice. He
can’t remember when he first started to
sing, but he says his second-grade
teacher started to take notice of his
abilities and advised him to take it
further. Unlike most students Jobe isn’t
afraid to sing in public or under
pressure because he is confident in his
singing abilities.
“I sing to express my feelings and
emotions and I’m not going to let
anyone get in the way of that, no one can stop me.”
He also said that he is going to continue to sing his heart out
because he knows that in the end he probably won’t go pro, but he is
not ready to quit just yet Jobe has a surprisingly big voice range and
and a level tone. He takes after many singers and admires the band
Train, and singer/songwriter Michael Buble. Jobe sings in the King
Chorus, and plans on finding something similar in high school. He
also watches American Idol and some of the modern, reality singing
shows on TV. Along with singing in enjoys other things too like,
hanging out with friends, and bike riding.
If you’re around King and see him, maybe
he will bust out a verse for you.
Eighth-grader Zoe Davidman surprised many in the audience at
last years King Talent show, when she sang Adele’s “Rolling in the
Deep.” She was able to hit all the notes, with great pitch, and is now
recognized as one of the school’s best singers. Davidman said she
has a lot of support at home.
“My mom is someone who has really helped me throughout
my singing experiences,” said Davidman.
Not only does Davidman have an amazing ability to sing but
she also plays guitar, and takes lessons weekly to improve on her
skills. Adele is a big inspiration to her, as she likes her music as well
as her voice. Along with Davidman’s family her friends also sends
lots of support and love towards her singing. Eighth-grader Amelia
Galbraith, one of Davidman closet friends said Davidman is an
accomplished singer.
“Zoe is really good at what she does and has been doing it for
awhile, she’s a great friend and has a pretty voice,” said Galbraith.
Davidman has been singing since she was a little girl and
hopes to take it as far as she can. She also thinks that she sees a
teaching career ahead of her. Davidman is a much loved student as
well as a admired singer. We hope that Davidman will continue to
pursue and share her voice as she moves to Sacramento next year.
Comedown Machine Should Satisfy Strokes
JT Comes Back From Long Absence
By Megan Cole
By Emily Flores & Kelsey Hirota
In 2001 the Strokes
song has a dark upbeat sound to
released their first album, Is
it, with probably the best lyrics
This It. Since then they have
of the bunch. “All The Time”
made more albums, broken up,
and “One Way Trigger” sounds
gotten back together again, and
the most like an original
continued their
Strokes songs, but the
work. And while
majority of them
they’re not the same
sound much different
band they were
than their other
then, their new
music. The songs
album “Comedown
“50/50” and “Partners
Machine,” is proof
in Crime” are harder
that the Stroke’s
rock, while “Slow
★★★ Animal” and “Chances” are
music is not yet dead.
This new indie/
much slower, with almost a
alternative rock album has 11
ballad-like quality to them. In
songs, and is very synthy with a general, this album is more
definite 80s influence.
melodic and gentle than all of
Previously the Strokes have had the previous ones.
several varieties of songs, and
I’m not a big 80s fan, but
Comedown Machine has all of
I’d say this album is making me
them. There are the soft vocals
think a little differently about
with sarcastic and clever
that. It’a not their best album,
lyrics, Fabrizio Moretti playing
but it’s much fresher and more
better than machine drums ever positive than their last album
could, and Nick Valensi playing Angles. Unlike some albums
impressive guitar riffs. The
that have come out, every song
album is meticulously made,
isworth listening to. Not
with no sloppy sounds or
everyone likes the Strokes, but
verses.
everyone should. I highly
One of the highlight of
recommend buying it; you will
Comedown Machine is the
definitely get your moneys
song Welcome to Japan, which
worth.
is the best of the Strokes. The
all the time.” These lyrics are
After seven years, Justin
about his wife, actress Jessica
Timberlake finally came out
Biel.
with a new album, “The 20/20
“‘Mirrors’ is a love song to
Experience.” With songs like
someone that you
“Suit & Tie,”
feel like is, you
“Mirrors,” “Tunnel
know, sort of your
Vision,” and many
other half,”
more, JT has made a
Timberlake said on
comeback like no
an audio clip on his
other.
While most
website.
of the songs on the
Timberlake has a
album are over seven
minutes long, they are
★★★★ concert with Jay-Z in
Candlestick Park on July
quite enjoyable and worth
26, but the tickets are very
listening to. It is currently No. 5
expensive, with prices ranging
on the iTunes “Top Album” list
from $52.00 to $276.00. You can
and two of his songs are number
find “Legends of Summer: Justin
4 and 13 respectively on the
Timberlake and Jay-Z” tickets
iTunes “Top Singles” chart.
on StubHub or TicketMaster, and
On the deluxe album, there
you can even win them from
are 12 featured songs. Some of
various local radio stations such
our favorites include “Mirrors,”
as 99.7 NOW.
“Suit & Tie,” and “Spaceship
“The 20/20 Experience”
Coupe.” In many of the songs,
was a good album with
Timberlake gets very deep. For
exception to a couple songs.
example, in “Mirrors,”
Despite these, Timberlake tried
Timberlake sings “The vacancy
some new things out and they’d
that sat in my heart is a space
really worked out for him. From
that you now hold...I can’t help
being in N SYNC to his musical
but stare, cause I see truth
leave to now, JT has really
somewhere in your eyes I can’t
matured. With many brand-new
ever change without you, you
hit songs, he has made a
reflect me I love that about you
tremendous comeback.
and if I could, I would look at us
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 35
Mackelmore & Lewis not Afraid to do Their Own Thing
By Amaya Bremner Hauswald
Ben Haggerty, American rapper and musician from
“Oh, that Gucci - that’s hella tight. “I’m like,”Yo - thats
Seattle Washington, known on stage as
fifty dollars for a T-shirt,” is one of the
Macklemore, and Ryan Lewis, music
many varied lyrics in the song that has
producer, director, photographer and DJ,
people loving the song and the creators
have taken a new approach to music and
of it.
the music business.
Macklemore and Lewis have
Their hit song, “Thrift Shop,” viewed
released albums, singles and
on Youtube more then 140 million times,
mixtapes, all independently. The duo
took No. 1 song on the U.S Billboard top
has managed to stay on top with out the
100, sold more then 2.2 million copies
big record labels and continue to be
and has gone quadruple platinum. This
successful at what there great at doing.
song opened eyes to new subjects of
They met in 2006, and Lewis
music (most rappers are talking about
worked as Macklemore’s photographer
counting bills, getting A$$, doing drugs,
for a few years, before they became
and being wasted; not going to the thrift
good friends. They released their first
★★★★ full-length album together called “The Heist” in
shop).
With the music being made today, “Thrift Shop”
October of 2006.
takes it to a new level. A song about nothing more then
The music they have produced together has been
a thrift shop was able to grasp Americas attention and
incredible and they still have more to come. The
keep poeple listening, mainly due its fresh beat,
originality they have shown in their stage energy and
creative sound, and funny lyrics, like. “They be like,
costumes, and as artists, is blowing minds.
King Jazz Band Rocks Yoshi’s
By Yuki Nagase
! On April 23rd, our own King Jazz
Band, directed by Nancy Boyles,
played at Yoshi’s in Oakland.
And we were amazing.
! We started off by playing a jazz
classic “Cousin Mary,” by John
Coltrane, then a bossa nova tune,
“Mambo Jambo,” by Chris Sharp. We
then broke into a smaller group for a
romantic ballad “Misty,” by Erroll
Garner, played by four of our featured
players, Brendan Kersey-Wilson on
trombone, Isaiah Hammer on piano,
Niko Bjork on drums, and Ravi
Abcarian, from the Oaktown Jazz
School, on bass. Finally, we ended
with my favorite, a funk song,
“Honk,” by Jeff Jarvis.
! Playing at a renowned jazz club
wasn’t really scary at all for me,
The King Jazz band played in front of a packed house at Yoshi’s in April
because the rhythm section where I
play my bass is in the back. I felt far
venue! So many stars, from Benny Green to Charlie
enough away that I didn’t notice that the house was
Hunter (both happen to be BHS alumni), have played
overflowing. In the end, it was just a typical show.
on the same stage as we did. That was really
Bright lights, chatting parents, sound-checking players
exhilarating and strangely energizing. All of a sudden
backstage, Ms. Boyles barking at us...all as usual.
we felt like, “YEAH!!!!! LET’S DO THIS!!!!!” instead
! The experience was really cool, though. It’s really
of all scared like we should have felt. And we ended up
nice to know that we can fill a house even though we’re
playing really well. And of course, as always, we had
still in middle school. And we’re playing at a real jazz
some pretty good fun.
Page 36
King Cobra
Technology
What You do Online Never Really Goes Away
By Megan Chang-Lee
The college recruiter logs onto Facebook, and looks
up a public profile. The person whose profile she’s
viewing has sent in an application recently, and is now
being put through a background check of sorts. On the
student’s page are posts full of curse words and
inappropriate photos. One story catches her eye, a post
about “getting stoned on 4/20!” and the recruiter knows
it’s over. Although this particular person had a 4.5 GPA,
they couldn’t be accepted due to the highly inappropriate
content on their Facebook page.
Almost everyone uses the Internet. Whether it’s
looking up some information on Wikipedia, Facebooking,
Instagramming, and/or watching Youtube simultaneously,
the Internet is a wild, wild world full of subtle dangers.
There are trolls, who’ll bombard anyone with a public
opinion with hateful comments, and possibly even try to
get that certain user removed. Or stalkers, who’ll look
people up that they probably don’t really know on social
networking sites, and monitor them constantly. And, of
course, hackers who will hack into your accounts and
send out spam to everyone. There are also some who will
install viruses that take over your computer, and gain
access to your personal information and Internet history. If
you aren't not careful and responsible, the Internet is not
safe.
Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to not be active on
the Internet because it’s such a large part of our everyday
life. Let’s face it, everyone has a couple accounts on the
Internet, be it Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or even
something as harmless as a Youtube account with no
videos. Even kids are using these sites constantly, and it’s
become sort of a popularity contest. There’s a need for
more friends, views, and followers.
Of course, where there are a large number of kids and
their peers in one place there’s bound to be some bullies.
Cyberbullying is a big problem in every community. Kids
can be absolutely vicious over the Internet, and things can
escalate quickly. One thing that is really devastating is that
things on the Internet never go away. Once you’ve created
a blog, Facebook profile, or any page online, it stays there
forever. Even if you delete as much as possible, you still
never know if someone has saved your data and still has it
somewhere.
Also, when you allow someone to see your entire
profile, there are risks. If you had met this one guy a few
times through other friends, then friended him on
Facebook, he’d be able to see your relationship status,
birthday, likes, interests, friends, photos, and everything
you ever post and everything you’ve ever posted. It
doesn’t stop with acquaintances though -- even strangers
can get that information if you neglect to change your
privacy settings. And even if you adjust your settings for
more privacy, there is no guarantee it’s truly private.
Someone you’ve never met and never will meet could
potentially find out where you work/go to school, and
where you live.
Although
the Internet is
potentially very
dangerous, not
all people are
too scared to
use it.
“You get to
connect with
people. It’s fun.
You can talk to
your friends. It’s free,” said Emily Levenson, a seventh
grader who uses social networking sites.
Yes, having these Internet profiles is fun. You can
connect with friends, and even make some new (hopefully
safe) ones. Facebook is a large part of how we stay
connected with the world. Without it, I know I’d have no
idea what was going on with certain friends and family,
outside of my circle. The Internet is now a necessity of my
life.
Should we be so afraid of the Internet that we don’t
use it at all? Or should we throw caution into a small cage
and keep it locked up while we surf the Internet with all
your public profiles exposing your secrets?
The answer may be to simply moderate our Internet
usage, and to stop making our profiles public. If someone
were to have a Facebook page, but only be friends with
the closest of friends, then their profile would be more
private. And maybe instead of instagramming pics every
time you get drunk at a party with friends, or posting a
video of a fight on Facebook, or tweeting about your latest
“loser ex”, you can limit it to things that don’t incriminate
you. Remember, no half-naked selfies!!! And, on a
personal pet peeve note, for those of you with an
Instagram, try not having so many pointless photos of
things like all your meals, or your hourly selfies, or the
thousands of hashtags you love...posting just a few
pictures that have meaning would suffice.
If you’re a parent, and your child is often online, try
monitoring their activity more, and to check in with them
about the things they are posting. It’s not that the Internet
is bad, it just has the potential to be.
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VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 37
The Web is Full of Dangers
By Emily Flores & Julia Ceia
In this day and age, the internet is being used to meet and
talk to friends, look for entertaining or useful websites, and
sometimes, discover complete strangers. It can serve as a
gateway to meet new people with similar interests, but it can
also lead to dangerous circumstances. Say you’re a teenager,
chatting with someone who claims she is a 14-year-old girl
from West Virginia. Behind the screen, she may actually be a
56-year-old man. Meeting someone through text on the
computer provides a wall of anonymity, and even with people
you know in real life, cyberbullying and cyberstalking can
happen.
Internet safety is a big issue concerning many parents and
educators. On top of meeting strangers on the internet, whose
identities are not reliable, young people are largely targeted by
each other and can be cyberbullied. Being unsafe on the
internet can also lead you to material that is inappropriate for
people of a young age.
Those who have interacted with people whom they’ve
met on the internet may be at risk of being cyberstalked.
However, you can meet new people online without putting
yourself in danger by not giving out any personal information
someone could use to find you or use against you. In addition,
if someone wants to meet you in person, you probably
shouldn’t do it, but if you’ve known them a long time and
trust them then at least make sure that you see them in a
public, crowded place.
Cyberbullying, a very hot topic right now, and for good
reason, can take place very easily between students, from
minor instances, to major. According to a poll by Fight Crime:
Invest In Kids, an organization towards kids’ safety and
behavior, one in
three teens are
cyberbullied. If you
find yourself in a
situation where you
are being
personally attacked,
Amara Cohen
even by accident,
rationalize with whoever the bully is just as you
would in real life. (In some cases, this means just letting it go,
and in others, it means setting them straight, and in some, it
means reporting it to adults or authorities).
Some cases of cyberbullying, on the other hand, do not
blow over. Last September, a local 15-year-old girl from
Saratoga, named Audrie Pott, hanged herself after two boys
posted pictures of a night when Pott, intoxicated and
unconscious, was sexually assaulted, This came on the heels
of another girl, Amanda Todd, who was only 13 when she
someone online who convinced her to expose her chest on
camera. Later the same man posted the pictures of her
publicly and they started to circulate. After that the
harassment escalated more and more, even when she posted a
video of herself explaining her story. Todd hanged herself a
month later.
Above all, the web adds another layer to social interaction
and danger, so there
There are some key things that you can and probably
already have been applying in real life. Just be careful of who
is talking to you, and why. And try not to let paranoia get the
best of you.
Internet Addiction -- What it is, and Do You Have it?
By Emily Flores & Julia Ceia
More and more people nowadays are investing
their time into the Internet. Some people however,
use it so often that they are unable to stop browsing
their computer, or smart phone, which can prevent
them from having a healthy, balanced life. In fact,
Internet addiction, is gaining momentum toward
being classified as a real mental disorder in many
circles.
There are several things that make up Internet
addiction. If you have trouble completing tasks and
leaving problems unfixed because of time on the Internet, are
beginning to feel isolated or are talking more to people online
than in real life, are losing track of time online, and spending
long hours on the Internet at a time without meaning to, then
you are showing most of the major signs of Internet addiction.
One study done by researchers at Stanford, shows that about
one in eight Americans could actually be diagnosed with
Internet addiction. So while it is not common, it is a big issue.
One new study by European researchers at Swansea and
Milan Universities, show that when heavy Internet users go
offline, they undergo serious withdrawal symptoms, like mood
swings and anxiety, similar to those experienced by drug
users.
And according to researchers from University researchers
in Australia and China, teens that use the Internet excessively,
are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from depression
than those that didn’t use the Net so heavily. Besides
depression, too much Internet usage can make you
much more liable to becoming socially isolated, and
increase your stress levels.
Being addicted to the Internet can also take a toll on
you physically. Among the side effects are strains
like sore wrists, eyes and back, as well as weight
gain. People also receive headaches and sore necks
from less intense Internet usage, which can be taken
as a warning sign that you should be more moderate.
There are always ways for you to either get rid of your
Internet addiction altogether or prevent it from getting worse.
Try to start hobbies outside of the Internet, plan activities that
will let you be around friends and family, and put things like
homework and other more important things before the
Internet. Remember, the Internet is a good source for many
useful things, but without a little self control, it can easily go
too far.
“The Internet is good, but if you use it too much it’s not
the best thing, because there are many more things that you
could be doing that would benefit yourself and others rather
than spending your time doing something that in the long run
will have no purpose,” said eighth grader Petra SilveyKarvounis.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 39
Five Can’t-Miss Viral Videos on YouTube
By Alex Tesfaldet
Many people spend their time watching videos on the
internet, and the best place to find the most popular
videos is, of course, Youtube. The well-known website
gets one billion unique views every month and over 72
hours worth of video footage is uploaded every minute.
Once a video gets over a million views and it continues
to get more views, it’s considered “viral.” There are tons
of viral videos on Youtube and here are some of the most
current ones.
How Animals Eat Their Food
In this video, by
“MisterEpicMann”,
one man shows his
friend how different
animals eat their food.
From acting like a
whale and smashing
the table to dressing up
like a flamingo and
continuously hitting his head on a plate of salad, this
video has many funny parts. These guys were really
creative when making the video and even the smallest
details are put into consideration, like the fact they were
drinking out of sippy cups. It currently has around 40
million views and will definitely make you laugh.
GENTLEMAN M/V by PSY
The popular Korean
internet sensation PSY,
has released his sequel
for his song Gangnam
Style, called
“Gentleman.” The
song is about how
PSY is hitting on a girl
by showing her how
much of a gentleman
he is. When you read
the English translation of the song, you can tell it doesn't
match up with the video and it can be confusing (ex.
“Damn! Girl! I’m a party mafia!”). The song does have a
catchy beat to it and sounds better in Korean than in
English. So far, this video is the No. 1 viewed video this
month and currently has over 100 million view, making
it one of the biggest viral videos of 2013.
The Senn Way of Asking Someone to Prom
This video is about how this kid named Senn asks out a
girl in his school by doing something totally unexpected.
He is outside during break time and in the middle of the
courtyard, he rips off his pants, revealing his gold
colored shorts with the word “Prom” labeled of the back.
He then walks up to the girl and continues to shake his
rear end toward the girl
with the word prom in
front of her. After a
while of laughing and
commotion, she then
says yes and everyone
then cheers. The best
part of this video
would have to be how
the security guard
walks up to him and asks him if she said yes. When Senn
tells him she did, he replied “Hell yeah.”
MINI MINOTAUR SONG
Youtuber Tobuscus,
with three million
subscribers, has
released a new
animated music
video called the
Mini Minotaur
Song. The song is
about how a little kid called Tim Tim is walking around
in a maze but then finds a minotaur that is more or less
of his size. He runs away from the minotaur while
Tobuscus is singing, not helping whatsoever. Both
Tobuscus and Tim Tim then get swallowed inside the
minotaur, facing their inevitable doom. They then find a
jar of tartar sauce which happens to be the minotaur’s
weakness. Tim Tim then pours the tartar all over the
minotaur’s stomach and it blows up. This song is
definitely creative, and something completely different.
Attacked By Ferrari Owner - Pee Prank
Note: Strong language is used in this video.
The video “Attacked
By Ferrari Owner,” by
Roman Atwoodis, is
about how a man
decides to prank a
man for parking his
Ferrari in a handicap
zone, despite the fact
the man isn’t disabled
in any way. He
decides to prank the
Ferrari owner by pouring water on his car in a position
that looks like he is peeing. When the enraged car owner
sees this, he pushes and curses at the prankster. He then
tell the man that it was just a joke and it was water, not
pee. Just before they finish off though, the man goes and
squirts water on top of the Ferrari and the Ferrari owner
chases him around.
Vol. V, Issue II
Page 39
GunnerKrigg Court - An Online Comic For Everyone
By Molly McArdle
As the student population migrates to online
entertainment, we feel an urge to seek out something
unique. Gunnerkrigg Court, a fantasy/sci-fi webcomic
by Thomas Siddell, fulfills that need.
Taking place at the boarding school
of the same name, the comic focuses
on the efforts of Antimony “Annie”
Carver and Katerina “Kat” Donlan to
uncover their new home’s secrets.
The comic has over 40 chapters and
about 1,150 pages total. The
boarding school mystery theme may
seem overused, but the author does it
well, using enough intriguing plot
twists to keep the reader excited.
Meanwhile, the characters undergo
actual development.
Some of the early chapters,
1-6, are somewhat slow, but sets up
the reader for the meat of the story.
The seventh chapter begins one of
the main plot arcs, in which Annie is
pushed from a high bridge to Gillitie
Wood by the robot she has made.
She is saved by a robot bird (which
dies hitting the water), and is
attacked by a deadly ghost, and then brought back to the
school by Kat. The bird’s death sets off a chain of events
which leave the forest, seemingly cut from a classic
fantasy, angry with the court. Summer break comes
quickly after and concludes the first volume.
The main focus of the next three books is the ether,
seemingly connected to almost anything the characters
do. The “Guides” Annie knows deliver souls which fuel
the ether, which in turn fuels the
world, producing more souls.
Jeanne, a ghost and antagonist was
sacrificed in one of the Court’s
earliest experiments with it, and it
messes with an unusual girl named
Zimmy’s mind, exploited by the
court, leaving her scarred and
possessive of her friend Gamma,
who calms her vivid reality warping
nightmares. The mediums-intraining, Parley, Smitty, and Annie,
have to deal with the ether fueled
woods, and it’s leader, General
Ysengrin, along with the spirit
Coyote, who was born from the
ether itself. A handful of other
characters often appear and star in
minor plot lines, such as
Reynardine, Jones, Shadow, and
Robot.
All in all, the series is great for
nearly all readers, although there are
a few chapters of humor and filler to build the
personality of the characters. Some of the chapters
seem a bit confusing and slightly random, but they
usually are explained by the end of the arc. Either way,
it adds up to be a great investment of time.
Some of the different characters from Gunnerkrigg
Congratulations to the graduating Eighth
Graders from King Middle School. All the
best of luck in High School!
Page 40
King Cobra
PCs VS Macs
Macs Look Nice, But ...
By Gabe Wilkie-Rogers
When you get to the bottom of it, PCs are clearly
better than Macs. Oh sure, Macs may look nicer, but as a
computer system, PCs greatly outperform Macs. If you
want something nice to look at, buy a painting or a
calendar, not a computer. If you buy a computer because
it’s nice to look at, you probably are going to end up with
a bad computer.
First of all, there’s the price. PCs are extremely
inexpensive computers, ranging as low as $25 for the
world’s cheapest computer, the Raspberry Pi. On the
other hand, as shown in a study by business research
group NPD, the average Mac costs almost three times
what the average PC costs ($550 to $1543). That can be
pretty important, especially if you’re a kid with a very
limited budget.
PCs also have Microsoft Office, the word processing
system that contains several programs such as Word,
Excel, and Powerpoint. Newer Macs do have these
systems as well, but many features
have been removed on the Mac
version, leaving PCs with a much
better word processor.
If you like computer games,
you know the value of having a
good computer that can play a lot
of games. And if you use a Mac for
gaming, you won’t be able to play
too many of these games. PCs have
been around for a lot longer than
Macs (the first primitive PC first
came out in 1965; the first Mac in
1980). So, almost any classic game
you want to play, you can only play on a PC. But if you
like new games, you will need a PC to play a lot of them
as well. With PC’s making up approximately 90% of
computers owned in the world, many game developers
only make games for PCs.
There is a drawback, however, to this stronghold
PC’s have on the market. In order to reach as many
computers as possible, most hackers create viruses only
for PCs, which makes PCs much more susceptible to
harmful bugs. However, PCs are very easy to wipe clean,
so you can just clear out your PC, and then you have no
viruses in your computer!
If you are good with computers, at some point you
probably will want to take your computer apart and
improve it, maybe by adding some more RAM, or a better
graphics card. With PCs, this is pretty easy to do. You can
sometimes even do it without a screwdriver, whereas with
Macs, when you take it apart, it is extremely easy to break
some essential piece, and even then, Macs aren’t made to
be easy to improve. They are made in one way, and Apple
clearly doesn’t want you to change this.
Overall, as computers, PCs are far better than Macs.
This is probably because they have been around for
longer, and so have had more time to develop their
products. Macs just can’t keep up.
PCs Just Don’t Measure Up
By Alex Tesfaldet
From performance to hardware quality, Macintosh computers excel
over PCs. Of course, you can make some pretty flimsy arguments for
the PC. Sure, PC’s cost a lot less than Macs, but you get what you pay
for. And some might argue that it’s difficult to change parts in a Mac,
unlike a PC. My argument is that a Mac has all the necessary
components so there is no need to dismantle it, unlike a PC.
One reason why Macs are better than PCs is that with a Mac, you
can run OS X and Windows, whereas a PC can only legitimately run
Windows. That way, Macs can use many different types of programs
like Pages and Word, while a PC can only use application that is
supported by Windows, like Word. With the Mac, you can jump
between using Windows and OS X, so you can use either Window or
OS X and it doesn't chew up your CPU.
Macs are also easier to troubleshoot than PCs. It’s generally pretty
easy to find out what is wrong with a Mac due to the various
applications you can use. One of the applications you can use is called
Activity Monitor, which is a more powerful version of Windows Task
Manager. The other applications are Disk Utility, which helps you
identify disk integrity issues, and
Console, which which shows all the
system logs in one place.
Also, Macintosh computers have a
neat and contained system setting,
unlike PCs. With a PC, there are so
many places that you have to go to in
order to change the system-wide settings
like Add/Remove programs, network
connection, control panel, etc. On a
Mac, you can find all of the
configuration settings on the control
panel. From adding accounts to your
computer, to setting up your wireless
internet connection, you can change all of the system settings in one
place.
Just about every PC comes with loaded junk that will keep popping
up, such as a reminder that your six month trial for a software you
never signed up for is about to expire. It can get annoying and very
bothersome after seeing this message every time you sign in to your
account. Unlike PCs though, Macintosh computers don’t spam up with
unnecessary reminder that you don’t want to see. Basically, Apple
doesn't try to force its way into your wallet like a PC would.
Mac computers are made with solid, sturdy parts and don't bend
and creak like a PC would. Apple uses quality parts when they make
their keyboards and LCD panels for their screens. You can buy a Mac
computer and you know you’ll be happy with the quality of the display,
whereas with PC laptops, the quality ranges from horrendous, dim
rubbish, to spectacular.
Finally, Macintosh computers are more protected from viruses and
are less likely to get hacked into, unlike a PC. Since PC’s don't have as
strong of a firewall and antivirus softwares as a Mac, hackers are more
likely to infiltrate the PC owner, rather than a Mac owner.
Overall, when it comes down to it, Macintosh computers are better
than PCs. From having more useful apps in, to having a extremely fast
boot time, Macintosh computers are the best choice you can make. Lets
face facts, PC are the thing of the past, and Macs are the future of
computers.
King Cobra
Page 38
Technology Predictions: What School Might Look Like in the Future
By Molly McArdle
As the world moves into the future with it’s modern
technology, a few places are left behind, and one of them is
our schools. Many students have waited long for the
inevitable catch-up, which never seems to
come. However, with all the innovation going on nearby in
Silicon Valley, isn’t change bound to come any day now? So
for your reading pleasure, the Cobra has created a list of all
the possibilities for the next few years.
Assignment Turn-In
In the future, the majority of
assignments will be turned in via
either a system similar to the modern
Dropbox, within email attachments,
etc. This is likely to be one of the
first changes, as the school already
provides a free Gmail account to
every middle school student in the
district, which includes file storage
and sharing services such as Google
Drive.
Turn-around time: 2-3 years from
now
P.E.
P.E. will use more sophisticated items regularly, such as heartrate monitors, weight machines, and eventually even virtual
reality machines, minimizing space usage and maximizing
exercise per session.
Turn-around time: 10-30 years from now
Student Communication
Students will be encouraged to
communicate with each other through
emails, some form of tweet, or by blog,
which students will be required to post on
to evaluate their mental health along with
other things, such as the concerns of the
student body.
Turn-around time: 5-10 years from now
Shira Anisman
Classroom Design & Appearances
As new schools are built and older ones are remodeled,
classroom design will become more streamlined, efficient, and
take advantage of computers and various devices such as
iPads and Google tablets, which may eventually simply have
computers built into them. Projector technology (such as
Elmos) will advance extremely, with better screen quality and
zoom, and will be used extensively in class.
Turn-around time: 5-10 years from now
The King Cobra
The Cobra will most likely convert to an
online site or application, either partially
or fully, with new features and faster
article turnout, with the help of automatic
posting. It will generally become more
current and interactive.
Turn-around time: 5-10 years from now.
Curriculum
General curriculum will become more focused on STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields;
while computer sciences classes will become more extensive
and possibly even a requirement. Higher level maths will
teach binary and base two problems, as well as other basics
necessary for careers in computing.
Turn around time: 5-10 years from now.
Video Games
Far Cry 3’s Graphics Shine Through
By Max Yaswen
Far Cry 3 might not win first prize for coolest guns or
multiplayer, but the shooter game triumphs in the category of
video game beauty. The game starts out in a pirate prison with
the pirate king, Vaas, talking down to you and your brother. As
soon as Vaas turns and walks away, your brother, Grant, breaks
free of his bindings and kills a guard. Your brother has had
military training and was used to killing to survive but you are
feeling unready for this type of thing.
You and your brother try to escape the prison
encampment, but along the way your brother is murdered and
you are left alone with a 30 second head start to escape from a
whole camp of pirates from the “generous” Vaas. You start
your long grand escape, then reach a rickety bridge that you’re
sure will fall; but it’s your only choice. You wake up dazed to
meet Dennis, the leader of a fugitive village on the pirate
island.
Far Cry 3 is mainly a free roaming, quest type game in
which you meet other captives and survivors and do tasks for
them, trying to eventually find your way off the wretched
island you were
abandoned on. It is
possibly the most
scenically entrancing
game I have come
across. Every turn you
make in it is a
★★★★
panoramic view of landscape. The
big jungle gives a nice contrast to the pirate villages, and
whenever you look towards the sun you get a realistic glare
that moves with your movements.
Far Cry 3 also wins most realistic game in my opinion.
You can learn new things just by accidentally trying them; and
you can master those skills too by using them consistently. You
can collect plants, buy guns, skin animals, do parkour, zip-line
off of sky-high towers, assassinate pirates, or even drive a car
into the ocean. Anything is possible in Far Cry 3. If all that
doesn’t convince you to play the game, the opening scene will
be. Its cut-scenes keep you engaged throughout the game.
Vol. V Issue II
Page 42
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Keeps Franchise on Top
By Alex Tesfaldet
Treyarch has done it again. releasing one of the most
popular first-person shooters of 2012, Call of Duty: Black
Ops 2. Black Ops 2 is the 9th game in the Call of Duty
series and is the most promising. Black Ops 2 is the first
Call of Duty game to feature a branching story line and
futurized warfare technology. The game provides excellent
graphics, amazing audio, and a 3D display option.
Black Ops 2 provides three different game types,
zombies, multiplayer, and campaign mode. In zombie
mode, you’re survival skills are put to the test as you have
to survive in a world full of vicious, brain-eating zombies.
Zombie mode is round-based and as you complete each
round, the zombies get stronger and more of them appear.
There are various maps that you can choose from that
have special little features about them, such as the Townbased map, which provides many different types of perks
and weapons, as the Bus Depot-based map does not
provide any perks and very few weapons. The biggest
feature of Zombie mode is the “TranZit” game mode.
TranZit is the biggest and the most difficult map in the
game, not including downloadable content (DLC).
Another
game mode of
Black Ops 2 is
Multiplayer -action packed
fight to the
death with other
players -- mode.
Multiplayer can
★★★★
be played with people
online, along with friends and family on one console. This
game mode requires you to be strategic and quick, because
if you aren't your enemies will take you down. The final
game type is campaign mode, the story based adventure.
You play as two different characters in this game type,
David Mason, in 2025, and his father, Alex Mason in
1980. Despite the time lapse, both family members have
the same enemy, Raul Menendez. Treyarch has made an
amazing game and if you haven’t played Call of Duty:
Black Ops 2, and like shooter games, check it out.
Top Apps for iPhones
By James Molnar-Brock
Sleep Cycle alarm: $0.99
Having trouble falling asleep?
Sleep Cycle alarm clock will
play calming natural sound
like twittering birds or the
sound of the sea. This
intelligent alarm clock
analyses the quality of your
sleep, every hour of the night.
It doesn’t have to wake you up
on the dot. Set a time range
and it will wake you up within
that time, at the moment when
your sleep is lightest.
Plague Inc.: $0.99
In Plague Inc.,
you create
your own type
of disease
from a list of
possibilities
such as Virus,
a constantly evolving and hard
to control disease, or NanoVirus, an extremely lethal
microscopic disease. You
name your disease, pick its
starting location from a global
map, and evolve it as it
eradicates the human race
without being discovered.
Warning: this is no easy feat,
you must keep your victims
from curing your disease or,
ironically, all hope is lost.
Though this sounds kind of
twisted, it is really fun.
Plants vs Zombies: $0.99
This app is not
to be gotten if
you dislike
enormous fun
and killing
zombies. Battle
your way through 50 levels of
zombies attacking your house.
Your only weapon is an array
of shooting, exploding, and
spiky plants. These are not
your average garden zombies
though, they get harder and
harder until you’re facing a
giant and murderous, club
bearing zombie intent on
penetrating your defenses.
When at a loss, don’t hesitate
to visit your deranged
neighbor, Crazy Dave, who
happens to run a zombie
defense shop from his truck.
Subway Surfers: FREE
Subway Surfers presents a
new and more modern version
of the popular app, Temple
Run. It is a fast paced, running
game, where you jump from
train to train, slide under
signs, or find power-ups to
escape the patrol officer
chasing you. Collect coins and
mystery boxes to gain new hot
characters and surf boards.
NBA JAM: $0.99
For those who like sports
games, a unique basketball
playing experience awaits
you. Choose your team from a
wide variety of options, from
NBA teams to a few unique
teams, like the stickman team.
Who do you want to play as?
Choose your favorite player,
dunk it, shoot three-pointers,
andplay defense and block,
guard, and steal. Practice up to
be ready to face Legend mode
and the toughest of teams.
Bejeweled: $0.99
Match shiny
jewels together
to form
awesome
combos, in five
fun modes. In
Classic mode, be careful not
to run out of matches. In
Lightning, fight against the
clock, warning you need some
lightning fast fingers. In
Diamond Mine, tunnel down
into earth and find rare
treasures. In Butterflies, match
gems to make sure the
butterflies don’t get up to the
hungry spider. This highquality puzzle game sets itself
apart from the others.
Real Racing 3: FREE
Race through thickets of
aggressive drivers with shiny
new car models. Many events
await you, including the
elimination where your in
constant fear of being
removed from the running. Be
careful not to crash or you’ll
bash up your car.
Bloons TD 5: $2.99
Defend yourself
against a hoard
of balloons
zooming past
your defending
towers. Beware
of huge hot air balloons which
contain a pack of regular
balloons, as well as
camouflage balloons,which
are immune to most defenses.
But you are not unarmed, and
must equip yourself with
anything from fire-throwing
wizards to robotic super heros
zapping out high powered
lasers. To make your game
easier you can buy some
special agents who help you.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 43
Books
“Adaptation” Breaks the Mold of Most Teen Suspense Novels
By Nory Klop-Packel
Birds crash into airplanes. And then the airplanes crash.
And then airlines close. People wait at airports for hours,
stuck. The media says it might be the next 9/11. They blame
the terrorists. But they’ve got it all wrong. This is the
beginning of the dramatic, artfully suspenseful novel
“Adaptation,” by Malinda Lo.
Adaptation stars Reese, a teenage girl who goes to
Arizona for a debate competition sometime in the near
future. When the airports close down, she finds herself
stranded in Arizona with her debate partner and crush,
David. Slowly, they begin to discover that something is
wrong, beyond the birds. The government is hiding
things. And it may be unsafe to stay.
Hastily, the pair drives home to San Francisco, but on an
empty Nevada road, a bird smashes into the window, the car
flips over, and Reese blacks out.
She wakes up to find that she’s been out for about a
month. The world has changed around her. And she herself
has changed. She has scars, but they heal quickly...almost too
quickly. And mysterious things keep happening. The rest of
the book details Reese’s quest to find answers to her questions
and to find someone to trust, culminating in a dramatic fight
scene.
Adaptation is no ordinary teen science fiction novel. First
of all, the formula that defines such a large part of teen
science fiction novels today (girl lives in dystopian society,
then meets dashing but chaotic boy who convinces her to
rebel, as in “Matched” or “The Hunger Games”) is absent
here. There is romance, but it doesn’t seem to follow any
predefined path, and though the society is rather dystopian,
there isn’t much hint of rebellion. Reese is mostly concerned
with uncovering secrets that the government has hidden from
her. Also, while The Hunger Games seems to be a far-off, yet
plausible, future, Adaptation is modern, and set sometime
A Positive Spin on a Sad Subject
around the present. The events described in it could happen
soon -- say, in ten years. In fact, they could happen any minute
now ...
Additionally, Adaptation is well-paced. There are
many mysteries that slowly appear and intertwine, and
many questions that Reese asks. Sometimes she finds the
answers, but in the process, even more questions arise.
These mysteries are the primary strength of the book.
Especially in the beginning, something comes up and we
barely know anything, so questions and possibilities fly
around our heads. And the pace is nearly perfect -- fast
enough to keep up readers’ interest, but slow enough so it
doesn’t get confusing. It strikes that perfect balance that many
authors strive for, but few attain.
One fault of the book is that the ending comes all too fast
and gets a bit confusing. All of the questions are answered in a
very short space of time. There’s no more mystery, and the
suspense, so beautifully held throughout the book, seems to
disappear. The back cover says that the author is planning a
sequel, but not much room was left for it. The threads of the
story were all tied up in a neat little knot and almost no
questions were left unanswered. The author should at least
have left a cliffhanger.
All in all, Adaptation is a worthy read. Suspense is spread
out beautifully, and while it ends abruptly, it more than makes
up for it in the middle. It is also unconventional and doesn’t
follow the mold of most of today’s teen literature. The book
was written for teens, but it may not appeal to everyone, what
with a bit of gore and romance. But if you don’t mind that,
take a bit of time out of your schedule to read it. The nailbiting suspense, the expertly used plot devices that could’ve
easily become cliches, the twists, and the originality should
serve as a model for what authors should do and what today’s
teen literature should contain. It’s that good.
By Angie Fike
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green, follows Hazel, a 16-year-old who is in the midst of a
fierce battle with cancer. At a cancer support group for terminally ill teenagers, Hazel meets
Augustus Waters, also 16, whose own deadly cancer is currently in remission. Instantly, there is a
spark between the two of them.
Hazel lends Augustus her favorite book, an Imperial Affliction, a “non bulls#*% cancer book”
that ends abruptly, leaving her with a ton of questions. Augustus becomes riveted by the book, and
also with finding out the mysterious ending. The pair finds themselves on an enthralling adventure,
traveling as far as the Netherlands to find solutions to Hazel’s questions. And as they travel
together, their love grows.
From page one, the reader has this haunting anticipation that the book will end with death. When I first read the
description of this book, I almost wanted to put the book down because it seemed like the whole plot was about dying
kids. But after starting it, I soon came to realize that the book wasn’t centered around the devastating Cancer in these
kids’ lives, but about their mindset towards the disease and their journey together. At support group, when Augustus
Waters introduces himself, he says “Oh, I’m grand. I’m on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend.”
While this book definitely has an underlying sad tone to it, the characters are so loveable, and the writing is so
beautiful, it’s hard not to feel joy in reading it. It’s the kind of book where the reader savors every page, and as the
ending looms closer, there’s a desire to draw it out so it won’t end.
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King Cobra
“Does My Head Look Too Big in This” a fun look into Muslim Culture
By Megan Cole
Picking a book to read for “Accelerated Reader” is
sometimes hard. At this point in the year, one does not
usually want to challenge themselves. But
AR does not go away, and you have probably
already read many of the easy books that
have a decent amount of points. But there are
still some good books worth reading, and
here is one of them.
“Does My Head Look Big In This?”, by
Randa Abdel-Fattah, is about Amal AbdelHakim, a Australian-Muslim-Palestinian. The
story takes place in Melbourne, Australia at
the turn of the 21st century. It starts with
Amal deciding to wear her hijab (head scarf)
full time, even at her snobby prep school.
Although her parents and friends support her,
it seems to her the world does not.
Meanwhile, her friend Leila, is being
oppressed by her conservative mother who
only wants her to get married at 16, leaving Leila
wondering if it’s worth the fight. As Amal tries to find
her identity, she struggles with her feelings toward her
friend Adam, as it is against her religion to date as the
rest of the girls do.
The book’s narrative is light and humorous, as we
see what Amal is thinking and feeling. And the author
does a good job of balancing major issues
and conflict, with minor ones as well.
Abdel-Fattah also does a good job of not
overdoing all of the different characters.
While some of Amal’s friends have a
difficult life or problems, there is more than
one who is virtually normal in all respects.
This gives a sense of reality, with some
characters just living a regular,
uncomplicated life; and it fleshes out the
plot. In addition, there are scenes in the
book where, while no real plot development
takes place, a very strong image of what life
is like for the people in the story is given.
Although it is a little out of date, as the
early 2000s have come and gone, it
addresses some issues that are very much
alive today. The author gives her opinion on some pretty
hard subjects, like 9/11, and the way the world mislabels
or stereotypes entire cultures. You really get a good
glimpse into Muslim culture and it’s role in society. It is
definitely worth the read.
“Abundance of Katherines” is Humorous, Original
By Amara Cohen
In John Greene’s, “An Abundance of Katherines,”
Colin Singleton is a prodigy, yet has a hard time with
with relationships. When it comes to dating, he only
goes out with girls named Katherine. Though he is still
young, (just out of high school), Colin has amazingly
managed to date 19 Katherines. And he has been
dumped each time. To make him forget the misery of his
latest break-up, his best friend, Hassan Harbish, decides
to take him on a road trip. The trip begins with them
discovering the small town of Gunshot. There they meet
a girl named Lindsey Lee Wells, who is funny, outgoing,
and pretty. They get pulled into the town and discover its
joys and despairs. A hilarious tale of love and selfdiscovery follows.
Greene does an excellent job of creating a realistic
scenario that allows the reader to discover new beliefs
about friendship. He creates a doorway that reveals
people’s feeling towards each other, whether they are
friends or strangers. The way he has people interact with
each other shows that there is more to a person than you
might think. Each character develops throughout the
book, sometimes through secrets being revealed; other
times from an adventure.
Speaking of adventure, this book has a lot more
action than appears at first. Colin doesn’t only face
challenges in relationships, but also dangerous situations
that leave the reader
wanting more. Of course,
the incidents are laced
with humor, so you never
are too worried that
anyone will get hurt.
One of the best
aspects of this book are
the hilarious characters.
Each is masterfully
created, with Hassan
being the funniest. He
brings a light-hearted
touch to the book that
keeps away the dark
mood that lies in many of Greene’s books. Not only are
his jokes funny, but his general manner of talking makes
you wish there was a book about him. Colin considers
himself to be a washed-up prodigy, due to the fact that
he only knows useless facts. He too is funny, but in more
of an awkward way.
Although this book is wonderful, it contains some
things that are directed towards an older audience.
Granted, Greene has managed to eliminate some bad
language substituted with “fug,” but I would suggest his
book to anyone in seventh grade and above.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 45
A Great Movie is an Even Better Book
By Megan Chang-Lee
Remember in the movie, “Howl’s Moving Castle,”
when Howl’s sister, Megan, started screaming at Howl
because he was showering her daughter, Mari, with gifts?
Me neither, because Hayao Miyazaki, the director, didn’t put
it in the movie. Miyazaki left out large parts of the plot that
made the book such an interesting read. So, even if you’ve
already watched the film, you can still enjoy the book. Not
only is the book better than the movie, but it gives the
characters much more depth.
The book, Howl’s Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne
Jones, is about a young woman named Sophie, who is
melancholy at times, wallowing in self pity because she is
the oldest of three sisters and therefore must carry the
responsibility of the family business and take
care of her parents in their old age. She is also a
skilled hat-maker, able to craft fashionable
works of art out of fabrics. But, Sophie has an
odd habit of talking to the hats and telling them
what will become of them, until lo and behold,
it all comes true. She told one that it would be
marrying a rich man, and soon after, a woman
bought it and ran off with a wealthy gentleman.
Howl is a powerful, yet narcissistic wizard,
who rarely uses his powers for anything but
charming women and breaking their hearts. He
is also very feared, because he is thought to eat
the hearts of the girls who fall for him. His
mysterious, self-walking castle is all controlled
by a fire demon named Calcifer, who, using his
magic, is able to open the castle door into four
separate locations -- a small town by the sea; the
capital city of Ingary; a forbidden grey mist; and the Waste
of the walking castle. Calcifer has promised to break
Sophie’s age spell if only she can free him of his own
contract with the Wizard Howl, except that she must figure
out the nature of the contract itself on her own.
Through an unfortunate and accidental insult to one of
the most powerful beings in all of Ingary, the Witch of the
Waste, Sophie is transformed into a 90-year-old woman.
Because she is unrecognizable to her own family, she has to
leave and eventually finds work as a cleaning lady for the
moving castle.
Inside the moving castle, Sophie meets Howl, Calcifer,
and Michael, Howl’s apprentice. At first, no one appreciates
her presence due to her furious sweeping, scrubbing, and
shooing things away, but soon Sophie becomes part of this
strange “family.” Howl also has an actual family who live in
Wales, which consists of Megan, his bossy, particular, and
quick-to-judge older sister; his niece, Mari; his nephew; and
Megan’s husband, who is only mentioned in the book, and
not a character. Howl expends much effort in avoiding the
King of Ingary, who wants Howl to find his missing brother.
However, Howl refuses because he is worried it may lead
the Witch of the Waste to track him down.
Soon, the Witch of the Waste finds Howl and his family
in Wales, but when Howl gallantly goes to save them, he
finds that it is a trap, leading her to his castle. Howl and
Sophie both have to go to the Waste and kill the Witch,
which they eventually do, thus breaking Calcifer’s spell and
returning Sophie to her original age. Calcifer revealed
himself to be a shooting star, who was bound to Howl and
took the place of Howl’s heart. Sophie and Howl realized
they loved each other and there was much mushy gushy love
stuff.
I really loved Megan, Howl’s sister, because she was so
bossy and mean, and wouldn’t stop berating Howl on how
he acted and what he was doing with his life. She seemed
like such a powerful woman, with a quick wit too, but was
also caring towards her children and brother. It’s an outrage
that she wasn’t put in the movie. Megan was a very large
part of the book, and without any of his family from Wales
in the movie, Howl seemed too one-sided.
There’s one hilarious scene where Howl realizes that the
Witch has figured out his attempts to avoid her,
so he goes out to drink until he can’t remember
who the witch is. He stumbles into the castle
early in the morning, mumbling a bunch of
unintelligible nonsense. When Sophie tells him
to go to bed because he’s so drunk he replies,
“I’m cone sold stober!” Unfortunately, several
other comedic scenes that help flesh out the
characters in the book were also omitted from
the movie all together.
Although it’s an amazing book, it needs a
better ending. There is a sequel, but the first
book still ends abruptly, without much
explanation of what had happened, other than
Sophie and Howl looking into each others’ eyes
for a long time.
While the plot of the book is much better
than the movie, Miyazaki's animation and the
mystical charm he brings with it make the movie almost as
enjoyable. The characters are very relatable -- I can imagine
one would be quite shocked if they were to one day wake up
70 years older than they were the night before. This is a
great book, which shouldn’t be overlooked just because it
was published in the 1980s. It’s got an amazing narrative
that explains the concepts of the magic in Jones’ imagination
very well. The concept of a door that has a knob, which
when changed will make the door open to one of four
separate locations is quite abstract, yet when reading it, it’s
quite an obvious thing.
Anyone who likes fantasy or steampunk, which is a
slightly victorian style with mostly steam powered
technology, will love this book. It has a huge castle that
moves throughout a wasteland, and a shooting star that turns
into a fire demon. That alone should attract quite a few
readers. Also, this book has some interesting spells, such as
aging 70 years instantly, charming a suit to become
irresistible to women, and being able to babble to an object
and charm it.
Don’t judge a book by its movie. The movie, Howl’s
Moving Castle, is inferior to the book. In the film, the story
is over after Sophie and Howl get together, but Diana
Wynne Jones wrote two sequels to the book. This book is 12
AR (Accelerated Reader) points, but as everyone knows,
one cannot get AR points from movies. And even though the
book is better, I recommend watching the movie after
reading the book, if you haven’t already.
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King Cobra
“Insurgent” Not Nearly as Good as “Divergent”
By Ella Griego
If you liked the first book of the Divergent series,
“Divergent,” by Veronica Ross, then maybe you
shouldn’t read “Insurgent,” because it doesn’t compare to
the first, and might ruin the series for you. In the end of
Divergent, Tris Prior, the heroine of the story, finally gets
accepted to her faction. Now, Tris must make a choice
her faction or the peace all the factions have been so
desperately seeking.
SPOILER ALERT: Tris Prior is one of the ten
people to have passed the initiation test and has finally
been accepted as part of the Dauntless faction (a faction
based on bravery). Tris’s world seems to finally be at
peace -- but she is ever so wrong. The Erudite (a faction
based on intelligence) are bent on controlling all of the other
factions, and during a large uprising, they attack. But when they
can’t control the Divergent (people who share traits from more
than one fraction), they continue to research ways to control them
along with the rest of the factions. As Tris, Four and the rest of
the Divergent fight back a secret that has been well hidden for
centuries starts to emerge again.
Slowly the fight changes into one to obtain the secret, and in
the midst of the chaos, Tris sacrifices herself to save her
friends and the rest of the Divergent. Meanwhile, Four tries to
infiltrate the Erudite headquarters to save Tris, while the
Divergent sneak in to try and obtain the secret. While there,
Tris and Four find information on this secret that could
change everything. But, the Dauntless are planning on
destroying the secret so they must stop it from being
destroyed, and fast. Time is running out and Tris will have to
make a decision between her faction or the thing that might
bring peace to their land. One wrong move and Tris will lose
everything: her friends, her family and her lover. But is it
worth the risk?
In her second book, Insurgent, I think that Ross has dropped
the ball on her storylines and plots. She seemed to be writing in a
different style than her first book. For example, in her first book,
Ross made the plot line more interesting by adding lots of twists,
to keep the reader guessing. This was more or less left out of the
second book. So, if you liked the suspense and surprises hidden
around every corner that you found in the first book, and expect
the same for the second, then maybe Insurgent isn’t for you.
Five Classics for Your Collection
By Ceilidh Welsh
Many middle school
students are required to read
classic books for English
class. Generally, these books
might be considered boring
and old fashioned, and not
something you would read
on your own time. However,
classics have been deemed
classics for a reason. They
can be very interesting, and
could even be described as
(gasp) a good read. Here are
a few:
Little Women, by Louisa
May Alcott
Ms. Alcott
accounts the
story of four
young girls:
Meg, Jo,
Beth and
Amy March,
who live with
their mother, as their father
fights in the civil war. Meg,
the oldest, is the wellmannered beauty. Jo is the
tomboy, who writes stories
and plays for her sisters to
perform. She also acts as the
man of the house. Frail little
Beth finds comfort in music.
Amy, the youngest, gets
caught bringing limes to
school, and turns to
homeschooling. Little
Women tells the story of
these girls as they grow up.
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
Dracula was the
first popular
book written
about vampires.
It is your classic
horror story.
Jonathan
Harking goes to
Transylvania to
help Count Dracula buy an
estate in England. At first, he
enjoys himself, but soon
discovers that he is a
prisoner in Dracula’s castle.
Meanwhile, Jonathan’s
fiancée Mina worries about
him, while her best friend,
Lucy, worries about her
suitors. Then, when Dracula
arrives in London, odd
things begin to happen. Lucy
mysteriously loses blood and
a patient in the mental
hospital eats bugs, claiming
that “the master” is coming.
Jonathan and his friends
must find a way to stop
Dracula before things get out
of hand.
Anne of Green Gables, by
L. M. Montgomery
The tale of a
young orphan,
adopted by a
kindly couple
on Canada’s
Prince
Edwards
Island. Anne is
a creative dreamer with red
hair and a temper. Her
“bosom friend” Diana,
though less adventurous, is
willing to go along with
Anne as she gets into all
sorts of mischief. In school,
her rival, Gilbert, tries to get
her attention by pulling her
red hair and saying “carrots,”
unaware of Anne’s
sensitivity about her hair
color. She refuses to speak to
him for a few years. Still, the
talkative and imaginative
Anne, charms the small
village of Avonlea.
The Secret Garden by
Francis Hogdson Burnett
Mary, a young
British girl
raised in India,
loses her
parents in an
earthquake. She
is moved to
England to live
with her reclusive Uncle,
who has been distant since
his wife died. Mary explores
the estate, and soon
discovers an overgrown
garden. She begins to bring
the garden back to its
original beauty with her
friend, Dickon. Then, one
night, she discovers that she
has a sickly cousin, Colin,
who’s locked in the house,
and forbidden to go outside,
or even open a window.
Mary shows him the garden,
and he begins to heal.
Alice in Wonderland/
Through the Looking
Glass, by Lewis Carroll
Many people
know the
story of
Alice, how
she bores of
reading, and
chases a
white rabbit
into the
wonderful,
wild and
wacky wonderland. Alice’s
adventures include a large
amount of physical growing,
and a great many strange
characters like the Cheshire
Cat, The Mad Hatter, and the
Red Queen, who seems
determined to chop
everyone’s heads off. In
“Through the Looking
Glass,” Alice climbs through
the mirror on the
mantlepiece, and finds
herself in the Looking Glass
world. There are flowers that
talk in the garden, and a
giant chess game. She meets
the White queen, Humpty
Dumpty, and the lion and the
unicorn, who fight for the
king’s crown. It is a very
strange dream.
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 47
After the Hunger Games
By Nory Klop-Packel
These days, it’s pretty hard to find a student at King
who hasn’t read “The Hunger Games.” Ask a random
student, “Gale or Peeta?,” and the student will most
likely know what you mean. The book is such a raving
success, reaching almost everyone in the school, that
some may be wondering what’s next. Which book will
spark the next craze? And what should students read
after finishing the trilogy? Here are some ideas for what
to read after The Hunger Games, as well as some other
popular novels.
If you enjoyed ...
“The Hunger
Games,” by
Suzanne Collins
“The Fault in
Our Stars,” by
John Green
“The Maze
Runner,” by
James Dashner
“The Lightning
Thief” (and
series), by Rick
Riordan
“The Lord of
the Rings,” by J.
R. R. Tolkien
These are just a few suggestions for books to read.
And who knows? Maybe one of those will start the next
craze and become as popular as The Hunger Games. It’s
always possible.
Thank you to Kai Hoite and Molly McArdle for
contributing book ideas to this story.
Coming up next year: What to read after Twilight.
Then Try ...
“Erebos,” by Ursula Poznanski. A computer game is
spreading around the school. At first it seems like just an
ordinary game, albeit one with good graphics and an
interesting concept. But in fact, something more sinister is
at work than just a bunch of kids playing a game...Erebos
is an exciting thriller.
“A Time for Dancing,” by Davida Wills Hurwin. When a
girl is diagnosed with cancer, her life falls apart. The novel
follows the girl and her best friend, who is also trying to cope.
Or try “Paper Towns,” also by John Green. It’s in his signature
style -- sad and slightly dark, but a little bit funny. A mysterious
girl leaves a trail for a boy, who must track her down.
“The Compound,” by S. A. Bodeen. A father hides his family
away from nuclear war in the Compound, a secure
underground base. Many years later, his son discovers that
his father’s been hiding some things from him. Be warned,
though: it gets kind of disgusting in the middle. (Then
again, if you read The Maze Runner, it probably won’t be
such a big deal to you.)
“The Lost Hero” (and the rest of the series), by Rick
Riordan. There’s not much like the famous Percy Jackson
series, but the next series is probably the best you can do.
Demigods, gods, and creatures, both old and new, and the
same originality of plots as in the first series, are all part of the
new books.
“The Name of the Wind,” by Patrick Rothfuss. Maybe it
doesn’t exactly measure up to the great Tolkien, but it’s still one
of the best fantasy series out there. Kvothe was once a hero, but
now he’s just an innkeeper, telling the epic story of his life. The
trilogy (or at least the first two books) blends adventure,
dramatic and suspenseful plots, and even the occasional bit of
humor. And they’re long, so if you get into them, you’ll be
occupied for a while.
Page 48
King Cobra
Horoscopes
Taurus (4/20-5/20): It’s getting pretty hot, but
still make sure you don’t get sick. It’s not impossible.
Allergies suck. And summer colds are the worst.
Scorpio (10/23-11/21): Confusion hits you
when you really don’t want it to. Take the advice of smart
people and lay low for a bit.
Gemini (5/21-6/20): You may feel sad in the near future
for whatever reason, but don’t try to divorce yourself from
emotions. It won’t work. Tackle your
issues head on.
Sagittarius (11/22-12/21): Why complicate life? Say
what you really feel and want to the world’s face.
Capricorn (12/22-1/19): Take control of
your life. Fate may exist, but you won’t let
it take over, will you?! Stop letting other
people dictate your every move.
Cancer (6/21-7/22): Whatever it is you
want to buy currently, don’t get it. Most
likely it’s expensive, useless, and hideous.
Especially those sandals you were pining
for.
Leo (7/23-8/22): You’re doing pretty cool,
I guess. If not, the stars are lying.
Aquarius (1/20-2/18): If you’re hiding
something, now’s the time to let it out.
Most likely, that thing isn’t even
something you should keep to yourself. If
you can’t hide it, why not show it off?
Virgo (8/23-9/22): You’re a bit too active
at the moment. Take a break, drink some
water, philosophize about life for a while.
You have all the time in the world.
Pisces (2/19-3/20): You may feel like this
month is trying to kill you, but the
problem is you. Get back at the month by
being amazing. Stop sulking & act!
Libra (9/23-10/22): Are you satisfied? It’s a no, isn’t it?
Well, what are you waiting for? Satisfy yourself! You
deserve getting what you want for once.
Aries (3/21-4/19): Your pride is getting in the way of
things. Just lay it low sometimes. There’s no need to show
off.
WHERE WE STAND on pop culture
Name
Theme
song of
your life?
Celebrity
crush?
“Comfortably
Numb” by Pink
Floyd
Maya
Bernard, 8
Isaiah
Hammer, 7
Arash
Akhavi, 8
Sasha
Turchak, 6
Jimmy
Urine
“Heart
MAGNANI’S
POULTRY
Ashley
Attack” by
Specializing Tisdale
in All-natural
Demi Lovato
Meats
Squillium
Fancyson
1576 Hopkins St.
CATaylor
94707
“Stereo Hearts”
Berkeley,
by Gym Class
Heroes
Jayden
Lee 6th
Parisa
Imani, 7
Mr. Baker,
Teacher
Swift
510-528-6370
510-528-6508
“Beautiful
Day” by U2
“Call Me Maybe” by
Carly Rae Jepson
Chocolate
pudding
Calvin from
“Calvin and
Hobbes”
“On the Sunny Side of
the Street” by Dizzy
Gillespie
Organic
“Cover Girl”
by
RuPaul
Midnight
snack?
Buster
Posey
Jack
Nicholson
Cereal
and
Milk
PB&J
Chocolate
Cake
Last movie
seen in the
theatres?
Lincoln
TV marathon
that you
could watch
all day?
Family Guy
42
Psych
42
Weeds
Iron Man 3
Spongebob
Squarepants
The Simpsons
Iron Man 3
Chocolate
Les
Miserables
Lost
Ice Cream
Oblivion
Seinfeld
- Compiled by Kelsey Hirota & Ruby Cross
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 49
Ask Cobra Jo
Dear Cobra Jo,
My friend likes this girl, who also likes him back. They don’t know
that but I really want to tell them, even if I’m not supposed to. Is
there anything I can do to give them hints that they like each
other?
Sincerely,
Girl Who’s Going To Their Wedding
Dear Wedding Going Girl,
Just nudge them towards telling each other their feelings. Tell
them to go talk to each other. Hopefully that’s all
they’ll need to eventually reveal their feelings. But
whatever you do, don’t give the other person’s feelings
away. That’ll just spoil the fun.
Dear Cobra Jo,
I have a problem. My best friend has been acting
really distant recently and I am afraid she doesn’t like
me anymore! We have been friends since fourth grade
and she has never done that kind of thing before! I am
worried that she has a new best friend. What should I do? I am
worried if I confront my best friend, and she doesn’t have a new
best friend she will hate me for thinking of that!
Yours truly,
I Have A Best Friend?
Dear IHABF?,
Sounds like you have a lot of worries. Well, in these situations,
you really can’t do anything but either wait it out, which I don’t
recommend, or just confront her. It helps to be honest in times
like these. Or she may just be feeling moody. I’m feeling moodier
as the year is ending.
Dear Cobra Jo,
Lately I have been breaking out like crazy on my face. It's getting
to the point where I don't want to come to school. Do you have
any tips to help me deal with my acne?
Sincerely,
Pimples
Dear Pimples,
Well, cut junk food, eat a lot of fresh food, drink lots of water,
and wash your face with warm water and soap. And that’ll be
Doctor Jo to you.
Dear Cobra Jo,
My parents have been divorced since I was a baby, so, it's pretty
much all I know. I have split time between their homes forever,
but, now it's just getting too complicated. I can't keep track of my
things, and it's really catching up with my schoolwork. Really, I
want to stay at just one house, and then maybe spend a few nights
in the other here and there. The problem is, I can't decided which
parent I want to stay with. I love them both. Help me please!
Signed,
Two Homes
Dear Two Homes,
I’d offer sympathy, but most likely you’ve had enough of that.
Anyway, if you’re really indecisive like me, you can make a
checklist of all your stuff so you know what you’re missing and
all that. But if you’re more decisive, you can do what you said, to
stay at one house and spend a few nights with the other. But you
can alternate, say, every month. So, you can have your home base
be your dad’s house for a month and visit your mom for a few
nights, and then switch. Or just talk to your parents and see what
they think.
Dear Cobra Jo,
My teacher called my parents today because my grades dropped.
She told them that I'm at risk for failing other subjects, too. When
my dad came home, he gave me a whole lecture about how I have
potential, that everyone wants me to do well, and that I just need
to do the work, etc. He even swore at one point! I hate it when my
parents yell at me, and I think it's unfair that my teacher called
my parents. I want to get good grades, and I do well sometimes,
but I can't find my motivation. What should I do?
- Unmotivated
Dear Unmotivated,
There’s nothing that kills enthusiasm like being told you
need more of it. It may have been wrong for your dad to
yell at you like that. But, as you probably should know,
your teachers and your parents just care for you and want
you to succeed. Repetitive, I know. Help them understand
that they’re only killing your motivation by trying to
force it into you. The truth is that many people, which
sounds like it includes your dad and teacher, don’t
understand that only you can really find motivation.
Dear Cobra Jo,
I am 13 years old, and I really want a girlfriend. I have never had
one, I have never kissed anybody. I really want a girlfriend. The
problem is that I am extremely shy, and the two girls I like are
intimidating, and I don't know if they like me or not. The problem
is, at this school, everybody gossips, and if one says she won't go
out with me, they will tell everybody. One of the girls is popular,
but nice, not mean, and the other one is part of a different group,
but I like them evenly. I am so desperate to have one of them as
my girlfriend, I really like them. How do I get either one of them
to go out with me, or to ask me out, or to like me, or to show signs
of liking me. I don't know what to do.
Signed,
Lovesick
Dear Lovesick,
Truth be told, I really think that middle school is too early for
dating. But, I am here at your service, so I guess I can’t just say
that and be over with it. Responding to people’s problems is more
fun, anyway. Go after the one that’s more appreciative of you
seems more loyal. Just do little things like helping them with their
things, talking to them, etc. Once they seem like they like you
enough to consider going out with you, go for it. Remember, it’s
the little things that count.
Dear Cobra Jo,
I have the biggest crush on my teacher. He is really dreamy. Is
this normal?
-Dreaming
Dear Dreaming,
Love knows no bounds. But I don’t recommend asking him out.
Dear Cobra Jo,
My cat keeps vomiting on my bed. It is lime green with orange
chunks. I know you’re not a veterinarian, but has this ever
happened to you? Maybe he’s just mad at me. Can you
recommend any therapists?
Sincerely,
Girl With The Stinky Mattress
Dear GWTSM,
How do you know I’m not a vet?! Your cat is probably not mad at
you, but whatever he ate or did to make him do such a gross
thing. Truth be told, my best therapist is my cat.
Page 50
King Cobra
Comics & Puzzles
Cat & Mouse
Forth and Back
By Julia Ceia
By Anjuli Arreola-Burl
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 51
Pie
By Ceilidh Welsh
Break Ups
By Rebecca Lee
Eggs
By Amara Cohen
We heard your dad
was a chicken...
GRRRRR
Calm down.
Can’t you
take a yolk
Kensington Dental Care
Louis Mendoza D.D.S.
296 Arlington Ave.
Kensington, CA 94707
(510) 526-8311
smilesbymendoza.com
“Personalized & Comfortable”
May Cobra 2013
Page 52
King Cobra
Cobra Crossword
Across
1. Soup server
6. Part of Legislative Branch of
Government
12. They never win
15. Scandinavian Country
17. Fast Food joint
19. Frosty treat
21. Key lime or apple
22. Time Teller
23. Also
25. Massage
26. End of the world
28. Parsley piece
29. Leaf on Canadian flag
32. United States Gun Group
38. Center
39. Ostrich relative
40. Boxing match
42. Earth's radiator
44. Cow juice
45. Shout for falling tree
50. Northwest city
53. Not on
55. Goodbye in Japan
56. English slang, for bathroom
57. ___ and Behold
58. Milk's best friend?
60. Eighties band, or lawmen
62. 3.14159
63. Morning moisture
66. Warehouse Grocery Store
67. Honest ____ Lincoln
68. Garden invaders
70. Minecraft power source
73. Have no _____
74. Long time Rapper
75. Buddy
76. Patriotic Symbol
77. Hurt
79. Sticky tree product
82. Recent Jonas Brothers
Comeback song
83. Top Card
84. Long running game show
88. Faucet brand
89. Salon
91. Bonus points at school
93. Computer screen
94. Not lacking muscle
99. Cereal with holes
100. Portal
101. Refuse
102. Crayon brand
103. America's top crop
105. Science spot
109. Energy Drink ingredient
110. Secretive Asian nation
111. Dull
112. Anger
113. Mind reader
115. Garden tool
117. Not under
118. Uncooked
119. ___ Quixote
120. Extra terrestrials
122. Adjust the lens
125. Guy's mate
126. Ice house
127. 2012 American Olympic
swimmer
1
2
3
4
6
15
7
16
8
9
17
19
26
10
11
12
5
13
14
18
20
21
24
29
Header Info 1
Header Info 2
etc...
22
23
25
27
28
30
31
32
33
34
35
37
36
38
39
40
41
44
45
52
53
46
54
42
47
48
50
58
59
51
55
56
57
60
43
49
61
62
63
70
71
72
64
65
66
67
73
68
74
76
77
75
78
79
80
81
82
84
85
69
86
83
87
88
89
91
92
90
93
94
98
95
96
97
99
100
101
103
102
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
119
120
125
Down
1. Way down
2. Fib
3. Not out
4. Golf score
5. Hitchcock film, or dizzying
condition
7. Hot balls of fire
8. Key American Revolution figure
9. Soda, in the south
10. Oh say can you ____
11. Long-closed prison
13. Magician's words
14. Tape brand, or whiskey
15. Soft footwear, or punches
16. not a victory
18. Cardinal or eagle
20. Time period
24. Angel's accessory
27. Antarctic animal
29. Tag poppin' rapper
30. Popeye's accessory
31. Slang for diamonds
33. Book in Spanish
34. Bloated
115
121
126
116
117
122
123
118
124
127
35. Zero
36. Candy company
37. Bieber's ex
41. Letter on a keyboard
43. Southernmost state
46. Flying mammal or sports
equipment
47. Long car ride (2 words)
48. Holmes' right-hand man
49. MTV Series or donkey
51. ___ and Fro
52. Happiness
54. Ran away
59. Poem
61. New Girl's Max _______
62. Pizza topping
64. Key of famous Chopin Nocturne
65. Tiny
66. Parisian pancake
69. Playground structure
71. School Punishment
72. Hammer or wrench
77. International Boat Race
78. Evil bear from Toy Story 3
80. Nail product
81. Capital of Zimbabwe
84. Misery
85. Curse
86. Lord of the Rings Warrior
Monster
87. Moniker
90. Very productive
92. Lautner and Swift
95. Adolescent
96. Raw metal
97. Bay Area bridge
98. High School Musical lead
100. Pulled away by force
104. Filling morning meal
106. Shore
107. Mythical creature
108. Famous Gorilla
111. Pollinator
114. Seed
116. Black gold
121. Yes, in Spanish
123. Either ___
124. On ___ own
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 53
Sudoku
Word Jumble
Directions: Unscramble and rearrange the letters to form a word. Then, take
the circled letters in the word and unscramble them to form the answer.
Easier
ALLB
RKIEST
TBA
EIDLF
OMHEURN
ASBE
TAELS
It spans three of them
Answer:
The King Cobra
Directions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every
column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1
through 9. There is only one solution to each puzzle
which will be revealed next issue.
The Cobra is a newspaper published by a class of seventh and
eighth-graders at Martin Luther King Middle School
1781 Rose St, Berkeley, CA 94703
Harder
Our Staff
Karoline Blendstrup, Amaya Bremner Hauswald, Julia Ceia,
Nicholas Chan, Megan Chang-Lee, Amara Cohen, Megan
Cole, Ruby Cross, Angie Fike, Angel Flores, Emily Flores,
Ella Griego, Kelsey Hirota, Kai Hoite, Nory Klop-Packel,
Molly McArdle, Tendai McLaren, James Molnar, Yuki
Nagase, Raina Pinkosh, Nina Price, Kelin Robinson, Eleni
Salesin, Ben Suva, Alex Tesfaldet, Ceilidh Welsh,
Gabe Wilkie-Rogers, Max Yaswen
Have something to share? Put it in Mr. Dalton!s
mailbox in the front office or email [email protected].
1586 Hopkins St
Berkeley, CA
94707
(510) 528-4692
Page 54
King Cobra
Answers to Last Issue’s Puzzles
Previous Word Jumble
saint
PATRICK’s
DAY
Easier
Previous Sudokus
Harder
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 55
Tiny Tower
By Nory Klop-Packel
Habits of Work
By Shira Anisman
Would you like to get
your business seen in
the Cobra and help
student journalism
thrive at King Middle
School?
If so, Please email:
[email protected]
Muffinnnnnn
By Ruby Cross
Attention students: If
you love to draw, and
think you’ve got the wit,
why not contribute a
comic to the next King
Cobra?If you’re
interested, please find
Mr. Dalton.
We Need
Your
Comics!
Page 56
King Cobra
Ballgame
By Megan Chang-Lee
Snowed In
1511 Shattuck Ave,!Berkeley
&
4184 Piedmont Ave, Oakland
By Sammie Hilton
VOL. V, ISSUE II
By Anjuli Arreola-Burl
"<,
----.
<:':
\
Dr. King
Page 57
Maze Challenge
What if your classmate
turned out to be famous
like this guy?
Buy Your
Yearbook Now!
By Ella Griego
Page 58
King Cobra
King 8th-Grader Competes in National Snowboard Competition
By Ben Suva
From March 29 to April 10, the largest free snowboarding and skiing competition in
the world took place, and King had a representative.
Eighth-grader Clayton Pierce competed in the USASA Nationals in Copper
Mountain, CO. People as young as seven and as old as 75 flocked to the mountain
range 78 miles southwest of Denver to compete.
Despite this being Pierce’s first USASA competition, he has being snowboarding
since he was just four years old, like most of the competitors there. However, this was
by far the largest and most competitive contest in his nine years of boarding.
“I was kind of nervous because it’s a lot of competition and pressure,” said Pierce
“There were a lot of people and a big audience. It was a big stage.”
Pierce competed in the Slalom and giant Slalom competitions. Slalom is the event
where the snowboarder must pass between two poles forming a sort of gate, while
going at an extremely fast pace downhill. Giant Slalom is similar, but the gates are
much father apart.
In the Slalom competition, Pierce finished 45 out of 75. In the Giant Slalom
Clayton Pierce competes at
competition, which he considered to be more of his expertise, he finished 33 out of 75. the USASA Snowboarding
“I feel good about my first year competing,” said Pierce “but I hope to do better next competition in Colorado.
year.”
breakfast + lunch
Tuesday - Sunday, 7AM - 2PM
1299 18TH STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94107 (On Potrero Hill)
(415) 821-PLOW(7569)
www.eatatplow.com
VOL. V, ISSUE II
Page 59
Warriors Outperformed Expectations
By Angel Flores
The Golden State Warriors finished
Allen and Sam Cassell, Steve Nash and Joe Johnson,
the season exceeding most everyone’s
Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford and lastly Reggie Miller
expectation, except for possibly
and coach Jackson himself.
themselves. Not only did they finish the
The Warriors beat the Nuggets in the first round,
regular season 45-37, taking hold of the
essentially without Lee, who tore his hip flexor in Game
6th place in the
one. Which brings up the
Western Conference,
question, is the all-star power
they beat the
forward replaceable?
favored, third-seeded Denver
There’s no question that Lee is
Nuggets four games to two in the
a great offensive player and a
first round of the playoffs, and gave
leader for the Warriors. But, his
the San Antonio Spurs all they could
defense has always been
handle (which is more than the
questioned, and it sure didn’t
Memphis Grizzlies can say), before
seem like they missed him, even
falling in six games in round two.
as they challenged the Spurs. You
Many sports commentators
would think Golden State
didn’t even expect them to make the
couldn’t survive without Lee’s 19
playoffs, but with great leadership
points and 11 rebounds per game.
from Coach Mark Jackson; a newBut, center Andrew Bogut and
found defensive intensity, great team
David Lee’s replacement at power
chemistry; Stephen Curry’s
forward, Carl Landry, rebounded
phenomenal shooting; Klay
excellently in Lee’s absence. The
Thompson’s superior defense;
Warriors were also halped by
Bogut’s gutsy play; Harrison Barnes
backup center Festus Ezeli’s
emergence; Jarrett Jack’s steady
surprising confidence around the
leadership off the bench, and David
rim during the playoffs. Lee’s
Lee’s All-Star year; it was hard for
injury also allowed Harrison
them to miss the playoffs.
Barnes to step up and become a
Stephen Curry is fast becoming an NBA
Also you can’t forget the fact
focal point of the Warrior offense
superstar.
that Klay Thompson and Stephen
by the end of the playoffs.
Curry broke the record for most three
Though the Warriors did a
pointers in a season, and that Curry hit the most threes
fantastic job of replacing Lee in the short term, there is
in a single season by any player in league history.
still no getting around what he brings to the team. Lee is
Coach Mark Jackson even went as far to say that
a consistent court general, an all-star, and the Warriors
they are the greatest shooting backcourt that ever played
second-best player. If the team is going to bring home
in the NBA, which is saying a lot, because there have
an NBA title over the next few years, he is going to play
been duos such as Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, Ray
a big role in that process.
Local ingredients and
artisan sensibilities
merge at Zut!
1820 FOURTH STREET,
BERKELEY, CA 94710
TEL: 510.644.0444
For reservations go to
www.zutonfourth.com
Page 60
King Cobra
Sports
Baseball Team Eyes League Championship
By Nick Chan
With a mixture of new players, and
some veteran eighth-graders, the King
Cobras baseball team has started its season
on a roll.
So far, the Cobras are 6-2, and they
have their eyes set on winning the league
title. However the only thing that might
hold them back is their own egos.
“We have a team of crafty veterans, but
I think we get it a little over-confident at
times,” said eighth grade shortstop and
catcher Gianni Bloom.
The team is split into two groups -- the
first and second string. The first string is
made up mostly of veteran eighth-graders
and some seventh-graders, while the second
string is mostly sixth-graders. According to
Coach Rey Quides, the second string
players are the ones that come to practice
more regularly, while some of the eighthgraders work ethic is perhaps a little more
The King baseball team, 6-2 at time of press, thinks it has a good shot at
questionable. So, despite their solid start, the the league title
Cobras could possibly be better.
first stringer players, like Miles William, Bloom, and
“I think our team just needs more in-game
Miller.
experience,” said eighth grade pitcher Ben Miller, who
“We have a core of six to seven stud muffins,” said
earlier in the season had said he’d be disappointed if the
Bloom.
“Plus two to three stars in the making.”
team didn’t go undefeated.
Not
only has this core group led them to victories,
One big reason for the teams’ great start is the
the
wins
have been pretty impressive. There has been a
addition of eighth grade pitcher and third baseman,
deep
home
run hit over the fence in the left field, by
Anthony Gaskins, who transferred from Windrush
Gaskins,
and
a no-hitter thrown by Miller -- on his
Middle School. The team also has some key returning
birthday no less -- against Willard. And there has been
a couple games that the umpires had to stop the game
early because King was winning by too many runs, aka
the 10-run mercy rule.
“I think it’s been beyond expectations,” said
Gaskins. “... not allowing a single hit and mercy ruling
two different teams.”
Some of the players on the team have taken it upon
themselves to help motivate the team.
“Before the game we get in a circle and I might give
a speech worthy of any inspirational football movie
there is,” said Bloom.
Despite losing one of their games, the Cobras are
still hopeful and think they have a shot at the
championship.
“The road ahead looks like a good one,” said
The addition of newcomer Anthony Gaskins, both on
Bloom.
the mound and at the plate, has bolstered King.