47.SPECIAL REPORT: EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN

Japan’s Triple CrisisTsunamis, Earthquakes, Nuclear Disaster

Facebook: The Social NetworkTech: The New iPad 2Opinion: The End of Homework?PMS Sports: Track Team

Friday, April 1, 2011 • Volume 1, No. 1

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the 4.72 | What’s Happening_New iPad2 _Libya Revolution_PMS Sports: Track Team_Smugglers in Mexico

7 | Facebook: The Social Network

9 | Opinion_The End of Homework?_Hobbies

10 | Advice Column

11 | Tech_AT&T Buys T-Mobile_The Sony NGP_New Nintendo 3DS_Poll: Skype or Gmail?

13 | Storytime_Sleep _Swing

15 | Passage Through Time

<<<Cover Design by Arthur HwangPhoto: Courtesy of the Associated Press

The 4.7 MagazineEditors in Chief and Founders: Bryce Fan & Arthur HwangAdvisor: Ms. Jill ButlerContributing Journalists: Eleni Comstock, Simrin Bains, Alex Rocha, Zhi Yang Tan, Kaylee Vandagriff, Anika Chimni, Max Burns, Taahira Shabazz, Jungyoon Yu, Steven Chang, Karen Chang, Dave Keshishian, Annette Lipski, Mallika Pahwa, Nihar Patil, Samantha Herrick, Billy Kim, Jimmy Kim, David Jue, Connie Zhou, and Aashna AvachatFeatured Clubs: Track Team (Every Monday and Wednesday from after school until 4:30), Volleyball, Anime Club, and Wrestling

©2011 The 4.7 Magazine All Rights Reserved

Photo: Annette Lipski for the 4.7

SPECIAL REPORT

4 | The Day the Earth Moved

by Arthur Hwang

5 | What Happened

by Zhi Yang Tan

6 | US Nuclear Risk

by Steven Chang

Questions, comments, suggestions?

Email us to the4point7@gmail.com

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What’s happening? TECHNOLOGY

New and ImprovedBy Simrin BanesIt is finally here...the iPad 2! Introducing new applications, FaceTime, and many more exciting things! The buyer has a choice of two colors: white and black. He or she also has the option of buying a

new type of cover called the Smart Cover which is designed specifically for the iPad 2. The Smart Cover comes in many different colors such as gray, light blue, light green, orange, pink, white, beige, black, navy blue, and red. This new invention turns on and puts to sleep the iPad and keeps its safe. It also serves as a stand for the iPad.

Comparing the iPad 2 to the first iPad, it is clearly stated that the iPad 2 is better. The iPad 2 comes with a front and back camera, FaceTime, and it switches the screen to what ever direction you move the iPad. The iPad

comes with Photo Booth so the user can take pictures. He or she can also make videos from the iPad. There are new applications and a setting allowing the user to set a picture as the home page behind all the applications.

There are no cons to the iPad 2 and it should be kept the way it is! It is the newest and most brilliant piece of technology made by hand. After seeing all of the excitement about the iPad 2, I cannot wait to see the rush for the iPad 3!

Photo Apple.com

‘They give them pills at night, they put hallucinatory pills in their drinks, their milk, their coffee, their Nescafe.’MUAMMAR GADHAFI, Claiming that protesters are acting on drugs given to

them by al-Qaeda operatives

Photo: Associated Press

WORLD

Violence in LibyaBy Dave Keshishian

The Libyan rebels have been seeking freedom from Gadhafi because his dictatorship was unjust, and he ruled with an iron fist. Similar riots had been going on in Egypt but unlike the Egyptian dictator it isn’t expected that Gadhafi will be stepping down from power any time soon. Also rebel groups had been forming since Muammer Gadhafi had taken power. But some spectacles say that violence shy rocketed when there were reports of rebels being harassed and abused. Both sides, the rebels and the forces still loyal to Gadhafi, are shrinking. The U.N. (United Nations) has begun to take action and supply the rebels. Also, the Libyan diplomats have started to support the rebels and turn of Gadhafi and his men. Currently a city under the hold of Gadhafi has been put under siege by the Rebel Forces.

In other news about Libya, the Rebels have put up a “No Fly Zone” Yet the “No Fly Zone” hasn’t stopped Gadhafi from trying to bombard the rebel uprisings. Gadhafi has been bombing other Libyan civilians even the civilians who haven’t been a part of the rebellion at all. When journalists first arrived the Libyans where exploding with joy shouting, “Finally, our voices can be heard.” Before starting an interview the journalists say they saw small Libyan flags when the rebels had said they burned all signs of Libyan government. The journalists thought that they had kept the flags in case the rebellion was put down, they could go back to being under the dictatorship of Muammer Gadhafi.

On March 27, 2011 Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte was targeted and bombed. Sirte was an international raid and was also the stronghold of Gadhafi. Still after the bombardment, the rebels are looking for Gadhafi in the capital of Tripoli. The rebels have pushed up to the city of Misrata. Without the help of the U.N. the rebels would have fallen long ago.

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PMS Sports: Track TeamBy Aashna Avachat Sports are big for many students at middle school, and this season, everyone is excited about track and volleyball. Track practice meets every Wednesday after school, and everyone gathers on the field to stretch and warm-up. Inglish Hills, an eighth grader who's been in track since sixth grade, says that, “Training is the worst part of track, because it's hard, and tiring, even though it pays off later, because you earn more stamina.” This is true. Studies show that even though all the running will tire you out and strain your muscles the first time you run, it will help you for the second time. Yuvraj Singh is one example that proves that. His best mile time is five minutes, and 59 seconds, which he did at the high school track. He said, “I work-out atleast three times a week, for about an hour and a half each time. This is normal for most of the eighth graders on the team. Inglish says, “The difference in the pressure in sixth grade, and the pressure in eighth, is that the coach pushes you harder, because soon you'll be in high school, and the competitive drive is way higher there.” Haley Beltran, a sixth grader, agrees. As her mom is the coach, the track experience is much different for her. She enjoys running, and says that “Hurdles are my favorite, even though they're harder for me.” While track is for both boys, and girls, volley ball is a girls sport. This can make a difference in how popular a sport is, but the gym is more crowded than the field at track. Nawa Yar, a sixth grader, says that while serving is hard, and keeping control of her elbows while performing this action is hard, volley ball is still fun, and she loves spiking, because she enjoys jumping. Spring has brought a new season of sports, and many are excited for the upcoming events for track and volleyball, especially the players.

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NATION

Medieval SmugglersBy Jungyoon Smugglers in Mexico used a medieval weapon to illegally move drugs to the United States.  This medieval weapon was a catapult.  Many agents said that they had never seen a crime scene like this. These smugglers were caught on tape by a remote videosurveillance system on a Friday evening.  After the National Guard troops saw the video, they contacted the Mexican authorities to immediately arrest them.  Unfortunately, the smugglers got away in a Humvee, but as a result of trying flee quickly, they left 35 pounds of marijuana and their SUV.  At least four smugglers were at the scene launching the drugs, which drugs landed in Arizona.  Even though the smugglers fled the scene, many agents in the U.S. and Mexico believe that the smugglers work for Joaquin Guzman. The catapult was at least 9 feet high and was about 60 feet away from the U.S.-Mexico border line.  The smugglers used the catapult to launch 4.4 pounds of marijuana at a time.  The U.S. and Mexican officials are confused why they chose this medieval weapon, instead of more modern devices. Two major tunnels were discovered in November 2010.  These tunnels were used for Mexican smugglers to illegally bring drugs to the United States. U.S. authorities are sure that these smugglers that are using the “drug passageway” are working for America’s most wanted criminal, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Photo: msnbc.msn.com

CULTURE

‘Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday. Today is Friday, Friday. We, we, we so excited.’

REBECCA BLACK, teen singer, got 9 million hits on her viral music video as netizens

deemed it the “worst song ever”

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The Day the Earth Moved." A massive 9.0 earthquake struck Japan on March 11, shaking everything from its roots. Its force was enough to shift Earth on its axis and make it spin faster—it shortened the day by 1.8 millionths of a second. It pushed the island nation eight feet to the east, which is about one parking space. However that wasn’t the end. In fact, it was only the beginning.

" Immense walls of black waves swallowed up the buildings that at least survived the quake. The three-story waves dissolved coastal cities and took down houses like dominos, and parked cars on top of roofs. The lucky ones who made it to higher ground waited silently in the dark.

" Then a new threat came from the sky; officials warned everyone to seal their homes and stay inside. The nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi Complex heated up and began to explode one by one. Radioactivity levels multiplied 23 times than normal in Tokyo. All this turned Japan into a graveyard of rubble and 20,000 humans.

" What started as a natural disaster started to become something more. The Tokyo Stock Exchange lost $700 billion in

three days. Carmakers like Toyota stopped output, Sony shut down production at seven plants, and power companies scheduled blackouts. What will happen when the world’s third largest economy is out of business?

" However, the wound never hid the optimistic spirit of the Japanese. The tragedy showed the incredible resilience of the people. A sense of order dawned upon the scene when disaster struck. There was riot or looting of any kind, and people waited patiently in lines to receive the meager food, water, and fuel. Everyone had to share equal pain. At the emergency centers, families called out friendly announcements to share food. Meanwhile, everyone pitched in to rebuild Japan with hope.

" This earthquake shook away all our comfortable assumptions. It reminded us that we must think about the unthinkable, prepare for the worst. It reminded us that nothing could stop the force that moves the planet, the force of nature.

By Arthur Hwang

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Terror always strikes at times and places we expect it the least. This rings true especially for Japan, who was recently struck by a triple disaster which caused chaos throughout the nation. Even one of the world's richest countries could not have been prepared for a disaster on this scale. Everywhere, citizens were being told to evacuate. For some, they barely made it out with their lives, and for others, it was already too late."The first disaster, which was the trigger that sparked two others, was a ground shaking 9.0 earthquake that occurred on March 11, as recorded by the United States Geological Survey. The Sendai earthquake struck on the boundary of the Pacific plate and North American plate, two of the many tectonic plates that make up the earth's crust. Luckily yet unluckily, advanced earthquake detection machines were able to detect the quake before it struck land. However, this heads-up was not enough time for anyone to escape - it was only 10 seconds. 10 seconds after the quake started on the plate boundary, it struck the eastern shore of Japan, first hitting the city of Sendai, giving the earthquake it's name. The shaking lasted for almost 5 minutes, and the energy released by the quake was 600 million times more than that released by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Multiple aftershocks occurred after the quake, though none would compare to the next event that happened."Because the nation of Japan is a chain of islands, it was inevitable that there would be a tsunami. Scientists predicted that the tsunami would hit the coast of Japan anywhere from 10-30 minutes after the quake. The first flooding actually took place at Sendai Airport just over an hour later, at 3:55 PM. 10-foot waves swept away cars and planes alike, as if they were just toys in a bathtub. In the following hours, waves also battered the other cities on the coastline, with the entire town of Minamisanriku being wiped out, including a current body count of over 1000."Being a highly populated country, Japan has to have a clean way of producing energy for its population. The idea that was implanted was to use nuclear power. However, the quake caused 4 nuclear power plants in the country to fail - the Fukushima I, Fukushima II, Onagawa, and Tokai plants. Each of the plants' cooling system failed, meaning the reactor was not able to cool the chemicals inside the reactors fast enough, which causes an increase in radiation levels. In fact, the radiation levels at the Fukushima I plant were up to 1000 times greater than normal! This caused the Prime Minister to order all civilians living less than 18km away from the reactor to evacuate. However, the US government has ordered all military personnel in the area to stay 80km away."What has happened in Japan raises a big question for us in the U.S - what would happen if an earthquake of the same magnitude occurred here? Japan, having its history for very devastating earthquakes, has spent billions of yen on earthquake prevention. However, here in California, there are very few earthquakes that cause major damage, so less has been spent on earthquake prevention. If a quake were to happen here, right now, much more damage would be caused simply because the U.S is not as prepared as Japan. "Although we may not have been directly affected by this earthquake, many people in the world have lost their family members and in many cases, their lives. Hopefully, with the help of countries around the globe, and also donations from ordinary people like us, Japan will be able to get back on its feet in no time.

By Zhi Yang Tan

Photo: Associated Press ; Paula Bronstein / Getty Images

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US Nuclear RiskBy Steven Chang

Photo wikimedia.org

Japan nuclear reactors are now in a grave emergency due to tsunamis and earthquakes. Had their reactors been more prepared for a catastrophe, nuclear reactor failure may not have happened, and radioactive leaks wouldn’t be the worry of the U.S. However, the people of the U.S. have seen the destruction of Japan and the dangers of a nuclear failure, and are worried by the U.S. nuclear plant’s preparation to similar and worse catastrophes. If anything happens to those U.S. nuclear power plants, an explosion or radioactive leak could occur. On the other hand, the U.S. cannot rid the dangers of nuclear reactors by destructing them because they are an important and imperative source of energy. Several events that a nuclear power plant has to be prepared for are earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, hurricanes, and terrorist attacks. Though it is costly to prepare for such occasions, the government has promised the U.S. nuclear plants money to prevent nuclear disaster. Because if such a disaster should occur a radioactive leak may form polluting the water we drink.

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At only 27 years of age, the prestigious founder of the social

networking site Mark Zuckerberg is on his way to glory. Facebook, a recent company, started in 2004,

and with it’s whopping 700 million worldwide viewers, the sky’s the

limit for Mark Zuckerberg and his staff.

BY BRYCE FAN

When Mark Zuckerberg, a sophomore at Harvard University, left the Great Hall Dining Room at 12:01 AM on December 23rd, 2003, the only thing on his mind was creating his own social network. At the time it was called “The Facebook”, but within a 3 year period, the young

man would drop out of Harvard and create the most innovational site that was ever invented that has influenced our modern-day communication today: Facebook. With over 700 million users worldwide, if it was it’s own country, Facebook would be the third largest, just behind China and India, according to the TIMES Magazine Article on the world’s youngest billionaire, who was selected by TIME Magazine as the person of the year in 2010. The story behind him is filled with both innovation and excitement; however, Mr. Zuckerberg will always remain as an innovational character and figure who has revolutionized the internet.

Mr. Zuckerberg, who’s estimated worth is 13.5 Billion and classified as the World’s Youngest Billionaire by FORBES Magazine’s list of the most

wealthy entrepreneurs, is currently the CEO of Facebook, who has their main headquarters set in Palo Alto, California, in the Silicon Valley. Facebook, formally called “theFacebook”, has currently 700 million viewers worldwide, and only 30% of those members are from the United States. According to a survey conducted by students at Cal Tech University, one in every six people have an active Facebook account. “This shows how much Facebook is truly revolutionizing the internet and our modern-day communication,” says Jenna P. Thompson, who was the leading professor in the research. The same article also said that over 7 hours are spent on Facebook by a person with an active account daily. Facebook is the most popular website and most visited website worldwide; it has about 10 million users on

Mark Zuckerberg’s

Photo www.flickr.com/photos/tsevis

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Facebook The Social Network

hourly. Facebook began in 2004, when Mr. Zuckerberg expanded the idea of two twins into a huge networking site between all of the colleges in the United States. Eventually, the website became so popular that it spread to not only college students but also to everyone in the world by 2006. The company intensely competed with other networking sites such as “mySpace” and “Twitter”, but by 2008, both proved no match for the networking site as it had more accounts than both combined. By 2009, 86% of teenagers and adolescents in America had either a Facebook account or heard of one, according to a study done by www.stargate.com. Facebook is so popular that it even has it’s own applications on some of the most used devices in the world, including Apple’s revolutionary inventions the “iPad” and the “iPhone”.

Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has also had quite a roller-coster like ride running one of the worlds most prestigious companies. His past, as said before, is filled with both innovation and excitement. He has been in numerous court appearances as he was accused for stealing the idea of Facebook from the Winklevoss twins, wealthy young men who attended Harvard University with the genious himself. The idea of their envision was simple: A social networking site that communicated all students in Harvard, also known as the “Harvard Connection.” According to the movie “The Social Network”, Mark was asked to help the twins on their idea. He accepted. However, he not only spent hours and weeks of his time making Facebook, but he also acted as if it was his own idea. The Winklevosses claimed that they had no communication with him at the time. However, did Mark Zuckerberg really steal the idea of Facebook? Is there that large of a gap between a social networking site between the students of Harvard and a social networking

site between all of the people in the world? Various opinions can answer this idea. A representative for Harvard University states that they had nothing to do with this incident whatsoever. Four students at Harvard did an interesting survey on this topic; they interviewed 150 students and interestingly enough found that 106 out of the students, or about 71%, agreed that Mark Zuckerberg stole the idea of Facebook from the Winklevoss Twins. What’s my opinion on this topic? As much as I believe that Mark Zuckerberg did steal the idea of a social networking site from them, it was Mr. Zuckerberg who started making social networking sites such as a comparing girls and classes people are taking sites before the Winklevoss. Additionally, making a social networking site that has to do with the entire world and making a social networking that has to with college students are two very different ideas in my opinion. And to know that Mark Zuckerberg actually paid 65 million dollars to the Winklevoss twins? I think this is absurd. Yes, I would be very angry if my idea was basically stolen, however, why didn’t the Winklevosses join Facebook? Suing them for money was not a smart move. In fact, I believe that maybe they should have sued him to have a part of the company; maybe 15%, as what did the Winkeloss twins do to promote Facebook? While they were busy suing the man for money, Mr. Zuckerberg and his staff were working to get the company in business and earning their own money. Earning is the key word here. Why should the Winklevosses get money for coming up with the idea but not expanding it? Sure, maybe Mark didn’t allow them to communicate with him, but that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t help. Facebook is such a big company that has more than two thousand staff members. They even had 600 staff members back in 2006, only two years ago from when the Winklevosses and

Mr. Zuckerberg went to college together, and according to a rep. of Facbeook’s CEO, “He would have easily given them a job, and even offered them numerous times.” “The Social Network” also revealed another new interesting figure, “Sean Parker”, who was also a rich entrepreneur at the time and encouraged Mr. Zuckerberg’s idea. Unfortunately, Facebook’s CEO faced a price when giving Mr. Parker ownership of the company. First, his previous financial CEO and friend who helped him expand the idea of Facebook, Eduardo Saverin, was tricked into signing a contract to own only 0.03% of the company when he was supposed to own 30%. How was he tricked? According to Mr. Saverin himself, “I trusted Mark. Yes, I should have read it or gotten a lawyer to read it and it was stupid of me, but I trusted him, and to know that he tricked me because of Mr. Parker is really, really unfortunate.” Mr. Parker currently owns 5% of the company and has greatly contributed to the wealth of the company, however, he is a dark figure in my opinion. He influenced the man to do horrible things that just portrays the way business can be.

The lesson here? Well, I’m not sure. Mark Zuckerberg is surely an inspirational figure. However, he’s had a past of interesting memories. He’s worth a whopping 13.5 billion but has easily portrayed himself as a selfish man who is hungry for money. Mark has also shown the downside of the world of business, where betrayal and loyalty pays off. Money is not only a good thing that shows that hard work has paid off, but it is also a dark shadow that shows that to some money means everything. In conclusion, Mark Zuckerberg, the most innovational person who has revolutionized the internet, will always remain as an inspirational figure with a past of darkness, excitement and happiness.

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opinionThe End of Homework?by Arthur Hwang

Try asking anyone, any student on the street: “Do you like homework?” Obviously, the answer would be: “No. Of course not.” Homework is every student’s enemy, but unfortunately, it is also a large part of every student’s life. At school, you’ll often find students questioning about a project due date or complaining about the amount of weekend homework or imploring others for homework answers. The problem is, we students hate homework, but we’ll get them anyway. What’s should we do? The district homework policy must be changed. There is no doubt that some of the homework given to Pleasanton students is unnecessary and ridiculous. One student at Pleasanton Middle School stated, “Once, we had one night to plan, prewrite, write, and type an essay. We barely had any time in class to prepare for it.” Another student claimed that tediously coloring pictures for homework was a waste of time and didn’t help him at all. In another school, students were required to write a ten page sequel to the Lorax in science class and make a colored title page for each next chapter in the math book. These assignments don’t teach students science or math. It’s a waste of time. Wouldn’t learning something else more meaningful be a better alternative than making a math book title page? When students find homework unnecessary, they don’t try to learn anything. Some won’t even bother to do it. Why assign that homework in the first place? Also, students are spending too much time on homework. One seventh grader expressed his frustration. “Truthfully, I once stayed up until five in the morning to finish up my homework.” This is unacceptable. In a recent PUSD survey, 86 percent of the teachers in grades six to twelve believed that students spend only 15 to 45 minutes to do homework. They were wrong—about 70 percent of parents and students said they spent 2 to 4 hours on homework daily. Staying up late to do homework adversely affects the health of students and their ability to concentrate in class. There is still hope, though. One interesting research even shows that when one elementary school in Toronto eliminated homework, children’s test scores rose by 3 percent. The school’s research found that there was no strong positive relationship between homework and higher grades. At best, it only gave tiny improvements, and at worst, it hindered academic achievement. Harris Cooper, a professor at Duke University agreed that too much homework hurts students because everyone’s different.

Currently, the Pleasanton Unified School District is holding a series of forums and meetings with teachers, parents, and students to change the district homework policy. Many teachers are agreeing with this plan. One PUSD teacher, who is also a parent, wants to make homework not graded. “I resent that homework is graded. Homework, from my perspective, should be review of concepts done in class - NOT new work, and the students should be able to do it independently,” she stated. According to Jane Golden,  director of curriculum and special projects, a revised homework policy could be brought to the board for consideration by May 2011. It is necessary to decide which homework is helpful and which is not. Those decisions must be made by all parents, teachers, and students, not only the teacher assigning them. Everyone “rethink” about homework and voice their opinion on making homework more meaningful and less stressful. If we do that, someday we might be able to say bye-bye to homework forever.

HobbiesBy: Connie Zhou  People hear about great dancers who are on Dancing with the Stars, but someone, when they hear someone say, “I have to go to dance class”, they fail to make the connection. They think of dance as “something just for fun” and not as a sport until people reach the point where they are great. Same with cheerleading or pianists. But not soccer, football, or basketball. Even gymnastics! Why? Is it because they aren’t featured in March Madness, World Cup, the Superbowl or the Olympics (That is not a run-on sentence, it is polysyndeton)? Does it have to be? Dance is featured on Dancing with the Stars, but somehow, it still does not have the same status as the others. By the general public, it is still not considered a sport. What is a sport anyway? Merriam Webster defines it as "a source of diversion or physical activity". Dance fits in these categories. Nothing bars it so could it be a little deeper than a popularity contest? Skydiving. To most it is considered a wish for death, but for others it provides exhilaration. Some people are too scared to go skydiving, but does that mean it’s not a sport? No. Same with cheerleading and dance. Some people are too afraid to feel the pressure of hundreds or thousands of people watching you on stage. But that does not mean it is not a sport. If people really think, dancer may require more practice, more courage, than football or soccer. Cheerleading-one false move and the whole pyramid could collapse. No matter how banal the sayings, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” and “don’t judge a person until you have walked in their shoes” are, they apply to this situation as well. If you haven’t tried a sport or something that you don’t think is a sport, then you cannot scoff at people who have them as their hobby. Also, just because you do not like it doesn’t mean you can ridicule someone else for their own ideas. It goes against the whole “protecting people’s rights” idea. All in all, just don’t tell anyone how things you have never done are not “cool”.  It’s not just because a girl is writing this. After all, Tony Bellissimo and Michael Jackson were good dancers too.

“I resent that homework is graded.”

Photo: bhgrealestate.com; adventureblog.org

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Many people at Pleasanton Middle School get in many kinds of problems. Conflicts with friends, acquaintances,

family, teachers, and just everyone overall. Many problems with friends usually have something to do with jealousy or something else. There are

also many cases in which problems happen over the internet. Usually on a social networking site such as

facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. A lot of the teachers at our school recommend that we make sure that we think about what we say on these websites. Even if

you are joking with someone you have to be clear with them to make sure they do not take anything you say

seriously. To get help with your problems leave a note stating your problem and we will try our best to help you out. ~ Little Miss Pahwa

�����������������������������������

CONFLICT. DRAMA. RESOLUTION.

ADVICE COLUMN

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tech!"#$%&'()*+%,-.$'/0"

By David Jue" Whether we know of a date or not for a new gaming device, it's still big news. Recently in the month of March,

Sony Entertainments announced that their new handheld portable system will be releasing this year. The NGP, or Next Generation Gaming, will be almost a remake of Sony's previous and successful PSP systems." The NGP would be innovative as the 3DS will be but its bringing some new competition to the floor. Currently it's running with a 5 in. display. That not impressive since most phones are using 3-4 inch display. Whats impressive is the new resolution that the NGp is bringing. It supports a 960x544 resolution with a 16 million OLED display. (Organic Lighting Emitting Display) This means that there is going to be darker blacks, richer colors, and a wider viewing angle for the people that only watch people play games. Noobs." Just like the 3DS, this new portable also has a touchpad. Instead it's used on the back, along with the the front display. Whether this is going to become innovative or just annoying, we'll just have to wait to see. The new

NGP is getting rid of their UMP disks. they have changed it to downloads and buying small memory sticks at a game store." The aspects of the new device is nothing special because they're all bound to happen. But the thing that most surprises me is the two analog sticks placed on both sides of the device. This allows for a more immersive gaming experience and the ability to play games that require two analog sticks. Some games that are coming to the NGP that is going include these include Call of Duty, Uncharted, and many more." Currently we will have to wait and see what the NGP is going to be like.Will it stack up to the new 3DS? It's questions like these that only you can answer yourself and nobody else can.

AT&T Buys T-Mobile

By Jimmy Kim

On March 20, AT&T announced that, in the race to true 4G, it had agreed to purchase T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion. The merge will improve AT&T’s network quality and bandwidth coverage. Also, considering the use of AT&T smartphones increasing by about 80 times in the past 4 years, it will allow AT&T users more connection so that the network maximum capacities aren’t reached. Not to mention the fact that the merge will improve be 4G technology itself using the newly acquired phone networks. This major purchase will make AT&T the dominant mobile service company in the U.S. over Verizon and the other major mobile companies. After the merge, they will have a new total of 129+ million subscribers to their services, leaving Verizon wireless behind in the dust with only a little more than 102 million subscribers. The deal between AT&T and T-Mobile states that AT&T will be paying $25 billion in cash and the rest in stock. 8%

stock will be going to Deutsche Telekom (the company that’s in control of T-Mobile who also have subsidiaries such as T-Home, T-Online, and T-Systems) which is currently worth approximately $14 billion. The merge will be completed probably sometime next year, though both boards of directors have approved the merge (there were snarky comments, fear, outrage and dismay when this was announced). Not only will the size of the subscriber base rise, but the merge will also combine the two largest GSM carriers in the U.S., leaving customers with only one carrier to choose from if they want to

use that sort of wireless standard (this may be a big problem for users who were content with T-Mobile’s lower prices). GSM is the dominant wireless technology internationally (a standard in Europe). What this means is that people who travel frequently will want to be using GSM… which will now be (almost) exclusively available for AT&T users. In addition, the merge will give T-Mobile users access to 4G connection through LTE, or Long Term Evolution technology. T-Mobile has HSPA+ right now (which it will be keeping till the merge next year), which delivers 4G-like speeds, but it's not a real 4G technology. Also, it seems that T-Mobile has no plans for upgrades beyond HSPA+ for now. Some may be looking forward to this merge (i.e. AT&T users who are in need of better network connections) and some may not (i.e. those who want the T-Mobile prices for mobile services while still maintaining decent connection). But for now, we won’t know the reactions until a year has passed and gone. Till then, AT&T users can wait and T-Mobile users who want to save will have to live this year up and be ready to either join the others (who will be joining AT&T) or switch mobile services.

Photos: pspmygames.org, pocketnow.om,

12

By Alex RochaAs many of you know the world is changing with revolutionary new electronics and technology. Also compared to even a few years ago today is extremely advanced not only in electronics but how people converse. Today there are many sites to converse with your friends through email, chat, and video chat. Some popular sites are Facebook, Formspring, Gmail, Skype, and Twitter etc. Two very similar sites are Skype and Gmail."Janny Rocha talks about today’s current technological state “Well when I was a little many years back there were no computers or phones that I could easily access. I had to use a dictionary to find words and talked to my friends with the home phone we had. Not only until I was about 18 were portable phones created. They were very large and heavy but was still a major advancement.”"First lets look at Skype, it is very simple and easy to use. It simply has a changeable profile, contacts list, adding contacts, chatting, and group video chatting which is a special feature that Gmail does not have."On the other hand Gmail is also quite simple but looks rather outdated in some ways, but is very functional. It has a changeable profile, contacts list, adding contacts, chatting, and video chatting (single). Its special features compared to Skype are it has inbox, mail, and Buzz.

V.S.

Results:

Skype

Gmail

0 7.5 15 22.5 30

Skype: 33%Gmail: 66%

Photo: skype.com; gmail.com, courtesy of Nintendo

By Karen ChangNintendo is excelling with its products. This year they made the new Nintendo 3DS hand–held, portable console. You could play with this just with your eyes –no 3D glasses needed.

This new Nintendo has the choice of colors of Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black. There are two screens: the top is 3D while the bottom is a touch screen.However, the top screen is about 10% bigger than the touch screen. The 3D only comes on when you insert 3D games, otherwise, you could still insert the other DS games. The charger for this is like a cradle, different from the previous DS that Nintendo made. In this 3DS you could adjust sound, insert a SD Card (A two gigabyte card is included for the new 3DS), have all the regular functions and buttons as a DS. But, there is a new feature, an Analog Circle Pad, which helps you function something else, such as moving your point of view, etc. For having a 3D console, you could adjust how “3D” you want it. It could even be a regular 2D if you want. There is a depth slide bar to adjust how much of the “realness” you want to see. There is also a gyro sensor and motion sensor to reacting to the motion that you do to the 3DS. You could, for instance, move this system up and down, or side to side, and it will still react to your motion instantly.

In this Nintendo, there’s a light, which could be in four different colors: Blue meaning a Spot Pass NotiUication,Green meaning Street Pass NotiUication, Orange meaning your friends are online, and lastly, red meaning your 3DS battery is low and needs charging. Details are limited. On the 3DS there is an inner camera facing you and two outward, other cameras. This portable system would be release to public on March 27, 2011.

The

is Here.

13

storytimeSleep

by Kaylee Vandagriff

Chapter ITORA

I can’t tell what time it is. Or what day it is. Or year, or month, or week, or hour. Just me, me and what I guess used to be the world. Most people think being the last person on earth would be awesome. Well, those people are right…for a while…

There was no bedtime, no school, no homework, and no annoying room to clean. But there was also no Mom, no Dad, no Kibo, and no friends. Even if I had everything in the world, I longed for something that was out of it. I felt selfish, but I guess if I was going to be selfish, this was the right thing to be selfish about…wasn’t it?

I sat, staring at the television as it flashed and danced with color. I wasn’t acknowledging it though. I was wondering the same thing you’re probably wondering right now.. Where did everyone go? I wish I knew, but all I remembered was having cancer, learning about a new cure, going into cyber sleep to get cured, and then waking up to…nobody. At first I had thought it was a crazy joke my brother put together, but after an hour of no people, I realized I was alone. Now I wasn’t sure if I was still going to die, if I had been cured, Heck, I didn’t even know if I was really awake! I prayed to God that I wasn’t.

KIBOI held my sign up higher as the doors to the cyber sleep chambers opened and the cured cancer patients walked out. I was so excited to see Tora, she was my baby sister, after all. But twenty minutes later, we were the only people left,

besides a few people that were still codling their cured children, and a doctor that had a look that said ‘Houston, we have a problem.’ He scanned the faces of all of the families, until he stopped on mine, his brown eyes were worried. Never good on the face of a doctor. He began towards us, and with every step he took, I willed him to turn around. But he just kept coming. I lowered my sign as he stopped in front of my Father; they shook hands.

“Excuse me, are you Tora Kōken'nin’s family?” He asked, his voice sounded concerned, and almost a little sad. Not ever something you like to hear from a doctor.

“Yes. Is there a problem?” My Dad’s voice was deep and kind. His forehead was all scrunched up, as foreheads are when one is concerned.

“Well, yes, I’m afraid your daughter is in a coma, she was taken out of cyber sleep and she didn’t wake. She should be awake soon , so no worries.” Even as he said it, I could see he was lying, trying to hide his obvious failiure.

“No Worries? NO WORRIES?!?! My sister is in a coma and all you can say is NO WORRIES?!?!? What is wrong with you?!?” I shouted, throwing down my poster.

“Kibo!” my Mother gasped, looking at the doctor apologetically.

“It’ll be fine! The doctor told us, she should be awake soon!”

“And if she isn’t? What then? You don’t get it!” I grabbed the car keys from the floor, and turned to go

“I’ll be in the car.” I growled, just before storming away. I knew I would hear about it later, but right now, I didn’t care.

As I got to the parking lot under the hospital, I felt awful. My little sister’s last words to me were ‘I know you’ll protect me. You’re my big brother.’ I felt like I had failed. I was unable to protect her from the cancer, and now I was unable to protect her from the coma. Some brother I am. I reached the van, it was worn, old, and the paint was chipping. I leaned against it, not wanting to get inside it. I remembered exactly what had happened the day she went to be cured….

Tora was in her blue hospital outfit, and she had spent the whole day with me, having the best time ever. I was helping her to put up her hair, and she was talking to me about a new boy at school. I had asked if I should check him out.

“Kibo!” she laughed, shoving me gently. I laughed,

“You know, I’ll always protect you.” She had looked up at me and said

“I know you’ll protect me, you’re my big brother.”

I sank to the floor as I remembered. I knew that I might never see my sister smile again.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Welcome to my very first story time! I would write you a!very!long chapter for the first time, but unfortunately, I was given a week to write this first chapter. But worry not, my friends, for I am a person who loves to write and will do my!very best!to provide you with a nice!long!story. But also know, the other chapters should be much longer, this one is short because, as I said, I have a deadline that is very close. (And the fact that it took me twenty minutes to pick the right font) But that’s enough about me! It’s time for a little on Tora and Kibo! Ok, so since I want to get you to the story, I’ll just explain their names, Tora’s name is Tiger in Japanese, and Kibo’s is Hope in Japanese. Their last name, Kōken'nin, is Guardian in Japanese. Now… To the story! -KAYLEE VANDAGRIFF

14

"

Fly on and Fly

High

BY MAX BURNS

Kat’s Point of View

If I had a choice on what things happen in life, in what laws of science we are forced to follow without complaint, in what things are fairy-tales and what are real, gravity would not exist." Right now, all I wish for is for gravity to be banished, so I can fly millions of miles away, and never have to face Planet Earth again." But…those rules do exist, and the highest I’m getting is about six feet. " In a park." On a swing." It creaked and groaned at my weight as I flew back and forth, my legs becoming sore from the constant bend, straight, bend, straight. Every time I would fly up I could see the top of the low roofs of neighborhoods around me, and I’d feel on top." But all too soon, gravity would take its toll and I’d fly back down, the force sending tingles through my stomach. " Suddenly, I was not staring at the beautiful houses and looming trees, but a small park with a playground, basketball courts, and a few patches of semi-green grass." I sighed and stopped my swings, deciding that the fantasy of flying was one I’d never be able to fulfill. " Dragging my feet along the tanbark brought it to a full stop, and I jumped up lightly. The swing jiggled lightly at the loss of weight.

I walked away from the swing set and out of the park, my neon-blue converse thudding against the paved path. Glancing back, I watched as some energetic little kids jumped at the chance of the open swing set, giggling like crazy.

I smiled and continued walking, not

bothering to look where I was going.

Because of my lack of attention, I

failed to see the figure that came

running towards me at full force.

Soon, it

launched itself at me.

My breath left my body in an audible whoosh as we tumbled to the ground, an awkward pile of limbs on the ground. I coughed and gasped, relishing in the newfound air. My frantic eyes settled on a girl on top of me. She had dark brown hair and the brightest grey eyes, with a blemish-free face. Her small mouth seemed to be working on overdrive as she panted and panted.

I furrowed my eyebrows and said quite rudely to the strange girl, “What the heck?! You don’t just run into random people in the street.”

She rolled her eyes, but kept the big smile, “Kat! Kat, it’s me, Mel!”

My eyes widened dramatically as I stared at her, a smile forming on my face, “Mel?! Mel as in my best friend who mysteriously moved away a year ago? Oh my gosh! Where have you been? What was your other school like? Were you just on vacation, or did you move there? Wait, why are you here? Are you on vacation now? Or are you coming back? If you don’t, I swear-“

She threw her head back and laughed, “Calm down Kat! Yes, I’m on vacation now. Yes, I did move there. The school is crappy to say the least.

And….I can’t remember the rest of your questions.”

I chuckled, “Came to my house! We can catch up there.”

Her eyes brightened, “Yay! Hey, can I stay there too? I don’t want to stay at a hotel.”

“Duh! I wouldn’t let you stay at a hotel even if you had rabies!”

She smirked, “Thought so.”I laughed and grabbed her

arm, dragging her down the empty street with me. We ran and laughed like the crazy teenage girls we are, towards my house.

She called out, “Race ya!”

My smile dropped, “You’re kidding

me! You

know I can’t run!

Mel! Come on!”She smiled and

stopped in the street, rolling her eyes.

I walked to her stopped figure.She did poses while turned

around, making me laugh some more. One time though, her loose t-shirt rode up and something shone against her back, big and white.

I frowned, “Mel, what’s on you back?”

She stopped her poses and spun wildly toward me, eyes wide, “Nothing.”

I crossed my arms and jogged to her, “No, let me see.”

“No, really Kat, it’s nothing.”I glared, “Let me see.”She sighed, closing her eyes,

“Fine.”I pulled up the back of her

shirt, and while I expected to see her back, I didn’t. Instead, two curved shapes were pressed tightly against her, shining against the sun.

My eyes widened as I took a closer look, “Mel, are these…wings?”

"

Photo: fli

ckr.co

m

15

Passa" #r$gh TimeBY: ELENI COMSTOCK

Always looking for the perfect picture

Time and time again.

Trying to release the perfect shot;

Adjusting the settings,

awaiting the flash . . .

One picture, of a little girl,

Squinting at the lens;

Another of a teen,

Too chill for the camera.

Here on this camera,

You can see the passage of time,

The pictures develop,

Like a child grows.

Tae Kwon Do

for Life

BY NIHAR PATIL

Tae Kwon Do is the Korean martial art created by General Choi Hong Hi. His development of this art has not only impacted the country’s military but also many others’ lives. Today, Tae Kwon Do is the official military practice of South Korea. It is also the art that many men and women in America practice to stay fit, be disciplined, and just have fun.

At a local Tae Kwon Do studio in Pleasanton CA, named “Jue’s Tae Kwon Do”, you could see dedicated students working hard with sweat beads dripping from their foreheads. The proprietor and teacher of this establishment is Mr. Gordon Jue. He said, “Tae Kwon Do is not just for body

strengthening, but it is also for the mind to be disciplined.” Some of his students say that ever since they started Tae Kwon Do, their life has changed because their ability to focus has increased and they are able to do better in P.E. A resident of Pleasanton and Tae Kwon Do student, Gaurav Gulati, said, “Tae Kwon Do is hard work but it is fun because you know there is a goal at the end and something good will come out of it. Also, it is a good place to make more friends, because all the people I have met there are good natured. Tae Kwon Do has impacted my life by helping me build more discipline and focus, which indirectly improved my reading, writing, and studying skills. It helps me to keep active and make more friends.”

Master Jue works round the clock at the studio making sure that his students receive the proper education in this field of martial arts. In order to instill discipline, he punishes the late students with one hundred push-ups. Our interviewed student, Gaurav Gulati said, “Even though the punishment

may be harsh, it is still worth it because you get to attend the class in the end.”

“The amount of dedication students put into this activity corresponds to what type of person they are,” said Nikhil Armana, another Tae Kwon Do student who is currently studying at Foothill High school. Both Gaurav Gulati and Nikhil Armana said, “Tae Kwon Do is not something you can give up. It sticks with you throughout your whole life.”

Photo: Courtesty of Nikon

Master Jue working with his students (Photo courtesy of www.juestkd.com)

Fashion Editorial

���������: Loosing our Own Style

BY THE GIRL WITH EARRINGSHave you ever felt as if what you were wearing made other people

laugh hysterically? Well, if you have-- Urgent Newsflash! Just because you wear out of the box clothing doesn’t mean that you’re a freak. Lots of us have our own style. It isn’t just about what are

the coolest new stores to go shopping at. Put “you” into what you wear! So just go ahead and wear that bright mango colored shirt with your polka dot pants. Just be YOU!

Most teenagers our age care about what we wear and if we look fabulous. Some even care what people say. For example, Aunt Jude bought you a plain green sweater. Inside, you secretly admire it.

However, do you throw it away? What if it isn’t in style? Some people would forget about it on purpose, but this isn’t the right thing to do. What if Aunt Jude comes along one day and sees the

exact same sweater she bought you in the trash can? How would that make her feel? Jennifer stone, a well known actor from the Disney Channel Hit Wizards of Waverly Place, doesn’t care about what other people say about her style. She makes her own unique

clothing. Don’t listen to anyone else, go for it! Don’t let anyone tell you to start shopping at some expensive store with clothes that barely fit you.

ITS YOU… DEFINE IT.Wear. Live. Ignore.