Lincoln PRIDE—Personal Responsibility in Daily Endeavors

Leopards Rawwwr Volume 12, Issue 1 Quarter Three 2017-2018

New technology devices taking over Lincoln Middle School by Isaiah Lorenzen and Myrna Macias Have you noticed the new Chromebook carts? You probably have; they’re eve-rywhere. But where did they come from? Deb Hill, Lincoln Middle School’s educational tech-nology specialist, said that the more than 500 new Chromebooks were bought with newly approved bond funds, which Rio Rancho voters agreed the school district needed. To prepare for the upcom-ing testing season in April, English language arts and social studies classrooms

took part in the “Day in the PARCC” on February 23, using the new devices. “We tested them, and they all ran smoothly,” Ms. Hill said, thanks to the school’s added WAPS, or wireless access points. Chromebooks are a big part of the classroom now. Jessica Koppel, gifted English language arts teacher, said that students are using them on a regu-lar basis for activities in Nearpod and Google. Typ-ing essays and creating slideshows on the Chrome-books are a good way for students to become tech-nology-savvy in the digital

age. Yet, there are some issues. “I just sent my second one (Chromebook) out because it was broken,” said Ms. Koppel, later adding that the devices get the job done and that the students take good care of them.

Students, too, want to make sure that the comput-ers are being used for educa-tional purposes. “Kids are using Chrome-books for the wrong reasons, like playing games,” said Nicholas Martinez, an eighth grader.

Teenage Olympic heroes

by Samantha Baltz and Kee Atencio On social media, Olympic athletes got to showcase their experience in February. Many saw that even the young can be successful. Some teenagers online like to post that Chloe Kim is their “Generation Z.” Even adults agree. “We have to have a new genera-tion of ath-letes,” said Jenifer Barrett, a Lincoln Middle School seventh-grade math teacher. “I think it could encourage others.” Chloe, 17, is an American snowboarder. At the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea, she became the youngest woman to win a gold medal. “It can inspire people that, no matter how old they are, they can accomplish any-thing,” said Catharine Longo, a seventh-grade New Mexico history teacher. Social media is also a tool

for athletes to explain their sport to other people. On the internet, fans get to see how they perform and are able to win. It also allows them to be role models and share their personalities. Seventh-grader Bella Ger-man thinks this is positive. “Their opinion matters, too,” she said.

In addi-tion, get-ting to know these young athletes encour-ages more

teenagers to watch the Olympics. “I think this year’s Olym-pic players really show their generation that any-thing is possible,” said Ms. Longo.

Lincoln speed by Katie Covey and Ryleigh Garvin Lincoln Middle School students are running fast to be part of the track and field team this year. The 130 students who tried out are more than the number that joined last year. “We had a huge turn out, so it will be successful,” said Daniel Cunningham, athletic director. In this sport, there are no cuts. The huge interest can be attributed to dif-ferent reasons. “There are more eighth graders this year because of the volleyball and basketball off-seasons,” said Racquel Cuaderes, a Lincoln physical education teacher who is the girls’ coach. ”I think that there are more boys on the team than girls,” said Julianna Bandy, an eighth grader and track team member. Most definitely, Ms. Cuaderes is pleased with her team. “We will focus on teaching the fundamentals of track, and I will see lots of improvements with each individual,” she said. “As a whole, we have a strong team.” You might think track is just running, but there are many other events at track meets. There are hurdling, jumping, long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, throwing, shot put, discus throw, javelin throw, and hammer throw. The track season started February 20, with the first meet on March 15. The season ends April 28.

“Last season we took first in the Ram and Storm meets,” said Ms. Cuaderes.

The team members this year hope to live up to how the team did last year.

Check out more

articles about the

recent Winter

Olympics in South

Korea on page 3.

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A burning truth

WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND

by Tarra Adamson and Aubree Miller The flu is a common virus in the winter and early spring season. Yet, when combined with thousands of children that touch every-thing, it can become un-pleasant. “Sanitizing, sanitizing, sanitizing,” said Lincoln Middle School seventh-grade history teacher Cath-arine Longo. Each year, five to 20 per-cent of the U.S. population contracts the virus, which was particularly bad this season, taking lives. Most believe the worst of it is over. According to Today.com, washing your hands and keeping surfaces clean can, in fact, help stop the flu in its tracks. Nurse Anne Lewis suggests

that when you are not feeling well, stay home and take it easy. “I don’t send students home all the time, but when they have a fever, diarrhea, and are vomiting, I do,” she said. Meanwhile, the custodians are hard at work keeping the school free of the flu. Said Dan-iel Cunningham of his staff: “We wipe down everything con-stantly. We spray desks and door handles and anything that the kids could have con-taminated.” Beyond sani-tizing, there also is the flu shot. Out of ten students asked, only one report-ed getting it this school

year. However, according to Ms. Lewis, 76 Lincoln students received the free shot offered through the school district in recent months. Although the flu can be very dangerous and fright-ening at times, she said, “People should not be afraid of being sick.”

Spring Break: March

26—April 2

PARCC testing:

begins April 16

LMS Health and

Community Fair:

April 26

Spring EOCs: Week of

May 21

Youtuber affects LMS

by Patience L. Martinez and Maddox J. Presser Climate change is a contro-versial topic. But some believe it’s dangerous and it’s current. Seventh-grade science teacher Stephanie Weinkauf said, “It’s not a hoax invented by the Chi-nese.” Like a cycle, the cli-mate regularly changes over time. The earth heats up, cools down and repeats, which is com-pletely normal. Humans have tuned in to this cycle and have added too many greenhouse gases. Now the atmosphere’s temperature is rising and sci-entists say the effects could be catastrophic. Intense weather, including recent hurricanes José, Irma,

and Harvey, are proof of cli-mate change, some say. “Global warming has already triggered a sea level rise that could reach from six meters to twenty-five meters,” stated James Hansen on the NASA.gov website. This would

engulf a large per-centage of coastline states in water. Jacob Her-rera, a sev-enth-grader, wonders about the cold zones. ”If the polar ice caps melt, many places will overflow, forcing peo-ple to evacu-ate and move to

higher altitude, overpopulat-ing many places,” he said Although we cannot prevent climate change, we can slow it down, said Ms. Weinkauf. ”There is still time to lessen our impact,” she said, adding that people can recycle more and drive eco-friendly cars, for example.

by Brooke Baeza and Aaliyah Guerrero Logan Paul, who filmed images of someone who committed suicide and then made controversial re-marks, sparks strong opin-ions on the Lincoln Middle School campus. “He’s not smart; he’s in-sensitive,” said seventh grade history teacher Cath-arine Longo, of the famous YouTube poster. Gabriel Gallegos, an eighth-grader, tends to share the same perspective. “I feel like he’s an idiot because that’s a privacy violation that the person didn’t deserve,” he said.

After the footage was broadcast, Mr. Paul publi-cally said he was sorry. “He was sincere about his apology but his actions after his apology showed otherwise,” said physical education teacher Alan Sanchez. Such video images are harmful, some say. “It will desensitize the youth,” said Greer Gessler, a seventh-grade English language arts teacher. Ms. Longo had some ad-vice for those who were affected by the video. “Just caution the youth to be careful and choose wisely,” she said.

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Brr! It was cold in South Korea’s Pyeongchang by Deanza Garcia and Pablo Gonzales This year's Winter Olym-pics in South Korea was the coldest in more than two decades. In fact, the tempera-tures that stayed mostly in the mid-teens to low 20s degrees Fahrenheit caused trouble with some of the events, including delays, warped skis and hypothermia among spec-tators. The frigid temps meant an icy track for skeleton, and bobsled athletes had slick surfaces. The last time the games were this

chilly was in Norway in 1994. Yet, die-hard Olympic fans in Pyeongchang persevered. So would some Lincoln Middle School teachers, if given the chance to see a Winter Olym-pics. “I would have piled on as many layers as I could and invested in lots of those warming packets to keep in-side my shoes and on my hands,” said Erin Lopez, an English language arts teacher. At least one student agrees. “I would still like to go to the Winter Olympics because it is just something I want to see,” said Marisa Molina, an eighth-grader. “I would just bundle up.”

Snowboarders Shred slopes

by Idaly Velazquez, Dyllan Encinias and Estevan Morales While there was an array of sports at the Winter Olympics in South Korea this February, snowboarding soared with fans. The sport, inspired by skateboard-ing, surfing, sledding and skiing, was invented in the United States in the 1960s. It became a winter Olympic sport in 1998 during the Nagano, Japan, games.

American Shaun White has made a name for himself in the sport. Called the “Flying Toma-to,” he captured his third gold medal in the men’s halfpipe in Pyeongchang.

“What I know about snowboarding is that you need boots, warm clothing and you need to get on a terrifying ski lift,” said Mariah Tolzmann, a seventh-grade English lan-guage arts teacher at Lincoln Middle School. Stephanie Weinkauf, a seventh-grade sci-

ence teacher, is a snowboarder. “Snowboarding is a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s also really hard to do.”

Fortnite video game is all the rage at LMS — and beyond

by Kai Fitak and Jordan Gachupin What's building momen-tum faster? Trump’s wall or Fortnite? Donald Trump is trying to fund a wall along the Mexi-can and United States bor-der to keep immigrants from crossing over. Fort-nite: Battle Royale is a free-to-play third-person survival video game that continues to rise in popu-larity. Already, 40 million gam-ers are enjoying the expe-rience worldwide as of January, according to the

Epic Games website. Lincoln Middle School stu-dents and staff are among them. “I think Fortnite is rapidly growing because you get to play with your friends and accomplish a goal,” said band and orchestra teacher Frank Slife. Who knew there was a six-year delay on this great game? That’s right! Fortnite was first revealed in 2011. Sebastian Rubio is a sev-enth-grader who is a big fan of the game. ”Fortnite is a lot of fun and it makes me use my brain, which I never use,”

he joked. For Sandra Cope, a sixth-grade world his-tory teacher, video games are big in her home, where her son is an avid player. While he has tried out Fort-nite, he isn’t hooked. “He prefers to play other games,” she said. Countless other gam-ers, however, have chosen Fortnite, where players leap out of a plane on a small island and then fight. What’s not to like about that?

Scandal strikes some athletes at 2018 Olympics

by Jacob Pacheco and Delaney Kronbeck Some Russian Olympic ath-letes didn’t get to shine in South Korea during February. Instead, they were accused of doping in Pyeongchang. “I think that the Russians should be suspended because doping is illegal, and it can lead to unfair advantages,” said Jenifer Barrett, a sev-enth-grade math teacher at Lincoln Middle School. Should Russia be given an-other opportunity to show off its athletes’ skills? ”No, I don't think they de-serves a second chance be-cause of what they did,” said

Stephanie Weinkauf, a sev-enth-grade life science teacher. The doping allegations met with strong fan feelings, both at the Olympics and across the world. Part of that might be be-cause Russia has had 41 Olympic medals taken away due to doping violations over the years. ”It’s dumb how the Rus-sians had risked a lot to get in the games and have their athletes use steroids,” said seventh-grader David Va-lerio. ”It was a risky move and they paid the price.”

2018 Olympic Medals

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by Scarlet Greenwall, Onos Idiake and Jalen Sandoval The sounds of construction can be heard at Lincoln Mid-dle School. The highly anticipated new gym, taking shape just out-side the doors of the old gym, will be bigger and bet-ter than its predecessor by almost 7,000 square feet. Despite making it more difficult to get to the field or take out recycling, assistant principal Betty Scheppmann is thrilled about the progress already being made. The first cement slab for the structure was poured on March 7. “The goal for the gym com-

pletion is December of 2018,” she said, adding that hopefully the weather and other issues won’t stop construction. LMS students, especially athletes, see the benefits of a more modern facility. “I think that the new gym will be a lot safer and will allow the basketball games to go on without all the safety issues,” said Derrick Quintana, a seventh-grader. Alan Sanchez, a physical education teacher, is ready to teach in a bigger space. “The new gym will accom-modate the student body and will have a concession stand,” he said.

Gigantic gym in the works

Leopards Rawwwr Volume 12, Issue 1

“I think it was interesting to see everything, and it was a busy place,” she said. “We think that it’s important to meet the peo-ple in the Roundhouse and see the government.” Eighth-grade AVID stu-

dent Kathleen Nguyen is glad she had the op-portunity to see legisla-tors in action. “We got to see what was going on and the daily life of those on the

job,” she said. As students think about their schedules for next school year, Ms. Garretson wants them to keep her class in mind. “If there are any seventh graders that are interested in leadership, we have re-quest forms for next year,” she said.

by Kylee Maxwell and Taylyn Horn Lincoln Middle School stu-dents got a taste of leadership on Valentine’s Day. Eighth-graders from AVID and leadership classes went on a field trip to the Round-house, which is an annual tradi-tion that in-cludes riding the Rail Runner to San-ta Fe. “We had a lot of fun,” said AVID teacher Natosha Barrick-low. “My favorite part was the bonding experience for the AVID students and myself.” Rachel Garretson, who teach-es the leadership class and sponsors Student Council, also found the trip rewarding. Stu-dents were able to meet sev-eral lawmakers and sit in on important decision-making.

Walking around the Roundhouse

Do you have school spirit?

by Fernanda Estrada and Brianna Campos A middle school where students feel pride in their community is a school in which students succeed. “I do think that we need to spend more time building school pride, and school assemblies would be one good way of doing it,” said Holly Anthony, an eighth-grade U.S. history teacher at Lincoln Middle School. “The most important thing about assemblies is the content. If we select carefully, it most definitely can bring our school com-munity closer. We have a lot to be proud of and we need to celebrate it together.” One way staff members are trying to spur school pride this semester is by offering rewards if students receive more posi-tive referrals than negative ones. Since the goal was met in February, students and staff were treated to a pajama day on March 9. Other ideas include community-service projects and sporting events. Principal Veronica Sanders agreed that more sports would build community but more funds would be needed. “It would be nice if we had more exciting things to do around LMS,” said eighth-grader Victor Gonzales.

Dance like nobody’s watching...or listening

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by Natasia Parris and Kyara Smith School dances can be grand social events. Such was the case at Lincoln Mid-dle School’s annual Febru-ary Friendship Dance, which raised $658. Sixth, seventh and eighth graders filed into the dark-ened, decorated gym and socialized with friends. Food and beverages were availa-ble, too. Jennifer Swafford said dances are an important part of school tradition. Yet, the educational assistant said the event would be better if it wasn’t right after the school day ended. “I think that the dance

should be at night, so then kids could get ready and get a little more excited,” she said. Organizers of the event hailed it a success. But there were glitches. While the DJ played a song with bleeped-out words, some students sang the inappropriate words anyway. Principal Veronica Sanders was not very amused about the situation. “I didn’t realize at first, but I was pleased with the DJ when he told stu-dents to stop,” she said. “In the future, I would like for the

DJ to give us a list of songs, so we can prevent this.” Overall, students had a memorable time. “I thought that we had an amazing turnout,” said Ms. Sanders. “I was happy to do something fun.”

Importance of

Pride Club at LMS

by Felix Concha and Josiah Santillanes Across the country, Pride Clubs are providing students a safe haven. They allow a wide variety of people to support each other, no mat-ter their identity or who they choose to love. Lincoln Middle School has had its own Pride Club for the past two years. Members gather each Tuesday morn-ing before school. Activities included a breakfast in the fall, a yearly day of silence, and a scheduled service pro-ject at Roadrunner Food Bank in April. The group also hopes to sponsor a kindness-themed movie in the spring. “Leopard Pride Club is LMS’s Gay Straight Alliance,” said Sheryl Bauer, school counselor, who oversees the club. “We give a safe space for students of all back-grounds to share their expe-riences and support one an-other in making LMS a kinder school.” Many staff have “safe space” stickers on their doors or in their classrooms. “This means that these classrooms and individuals are supportive places to go if you are having an issue re-lated to gender identity or sexual orientation,” Ms. Bau-er said. “If a student is hav-ing problems with others being disrespectful, then these are safe places they can go to find support.” Members of the club love the safety net of the group. “It gives us time to get to know each other, learn each other’s stories and support one another when there are problems,” said Landry John-son, a seventh-grader. Another seventh-grader, Tarra Adamson, agreed: “The club helps others to feel like they are supported and lets them know that they are not alone.”

Published memories

Science on a circuit

by Selena Cde Baca and Talayia Suleiman Robots plus coding equals fun. For members of the Lincoln Middle School Robotics Club, this is the equation necessary to get their robo fix. “There are two competitions a year, Sumo Bot and Robo Rave,” said Paula Blagrave, robotics teacher and club sponsor. Students in the club meet after school on Tuesdays to prepare. It is an environment full of collaboration, where Ms. Blagrave encourages stu-dents to come out of their shells to experience new things. Someone familiar with sci-ence thinks the club is a great

outlet for some students. “I think it is a cool way to apply engineering and math,” said Michael Lewis, a seventh-grade science teacher. Sometimes, students in the robotics class decide to join the club, if their grades are high and other requirements are met. “I would be interested in possibly joining the club,” said eighth-grader Zach Daniels. For sure, he enjoys the robotics class. Eighth graders recently fashioned chairs from cardboard.

by Kaylee Anderson and Bianca Anaya Yearbooks are filled with moments from the past, meant to be explored years after a person finishes mid-dle school, as well as high school. “It shows memories and how you’ve grown,” said Catharine Longo, who teaches seventh-grade New Mexico history at Lincoln Middle School. Even though yearbooks can be costly, they are well worth it, many say. “The price is so high be-cause of the publishing companies,” said principal Veronica Sanders. “If I could lower it, I would.” Yearbooks costs $40. If purchased before March 16, they are $35. Jaclyn Rivera, school at-tendance secretary who oversees the yearbook, definitely understands the emotions behind the photo-graphs that appear. She takes many of them herself. It’s a wonderful way “to hold on to more memories,” she said. Students like seventh-grader Graycie Platero can see into her future. She buys yearbooks “to remem-ber your old friends.”

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School security on the minds of many these days

Leopards Rawwwr Volume 12, Issue 1

by Sofia Araujo and Azure Armijo They may only be in middle school but already Lincoln Middle School AVID students are thinking ahead to col-lege. And they are traveling to campuses to get a taste of what life could be like after high school. This year, for exam-ple, eighth graders went to New Mexico State University in Las Cru-ces, and to the Univer-sity of New Mexico in Albuquerque, with a handful of seventh graders accompanying them, too. “I believe that our NMSU trip was the most impactful for the students,” said AVID teacher Natasha Barricklow, adding that they were able

to attend an exciting football game during the trip. There are many reasons to raise money and travel to the campuses. Counselor Sheryl Bauer said that such experiences “strengthen their skills” and “teach good study habits.”

For sure, the students learn about how to be cooperative. “There is a lot of team build-ing that happens on these field trips,” said principal Veronica Sanders.

by Janessa Martinez and Sydney Cooney In this day of school shootings, Lincoln Middle School admin-istrators want to ensure everyone is as safe as possible when on campus. “Any added security is extremely important,” said Veronica Sanders, principal. LMS is joining schools across the country that are looking closely at ways to im-prove these types of measures. Elsewhere in New Mexico, for example, Santa Fe schools are considering adding armed security, according to a recent article in the Albuquerque Journal. For sure, the threats to schools in the Rio Rancho and Albuquerque area, all of which have been hoaxes, do not please many students. “I think that it’s annoying, because I feel like schools are having to worry about things they shouldn't have to think about,” said Halle Peterson, a seventh-grade student. Betty Scheppmann, an assistant principal, believes there should be consequences for these incidents, including the pos-sibility of criminal charges. Safety, she added, is everyone’s goal.

Power of college life experiences

Lincoln safety measures Drills are part of school routine then and now

by Antonia Raia and Zaria Samuel Lincoln Middle School stu-dents know the drills: fire, lockdown, lockout, and shel-

ter in place. Prac-ticing them is rou-tine. These days, when school shootings, including the one that claimed 17 lives at a Florida high school in Feb-ruary, dominate the news, such drills are important

ways to know what to do to be as safe as possible. But the practice sessions have been part of the school routine as long as anyone can remember. Sometimes, they are called because of

incidents that are rare. Sandra Cope, a sixth-grade world history teacher, recalled when there was a lockout at her school in California, locat-ed in an area primarily filled with farms. Lessons continued as usual, but no one was al-lowed outside. “There was rumored to be a mountain lion,” she said. Often, students would rather not have to practice these drills. Aaliyah Guerrero, how-ever, understands that they are necessary. “It is helpful in a way,” the seventh-grader said. Being quiet is a big part of any type of drill. Jennifer Swafford, an educa-tional assistant, said that mid-dle school students know how to behave correctly. Practice makes perfect.

Having fun with wonderful words

by Donevyn Culkin-Hall Lincoln Middle School’s Estrella Aragon knows her way around words. Students like her understand the val-ue of spelling. Estrella and the runner-up, Kasi Montoya, were victori-ous in the school’s annual spelling bee, which was held last December. More recently, Miriam Gil-Gomez captured the top prize in the Spanish spelling bee, held March 1. Yesenya Pena came in second. Both will represent LMS on March 21 at the district bee featur-ing words in Spanish. ”These students deserve a big round of applause for their perseverance in main-

taining two languages in today’s multicultural society,” said Bon-nie Serna, English language development teacher, who oversaw the Spanish bee. In 1925, the first spelling bee was held in Washington D.C. “A spelling bee can spark a love of language and learning in students that will serve them well throughout their entire lives,” said librarian Sue Hall, who oversaw the English spelling bee. “The literacy, cog-nitive and life skills that they develop through study and competing have benefits far beyond the scope of mere spelling ability, reaching into every aspect of life and learn-ing.”

The legend of the ‘night ninjas’ at Lincoln Middle School lives on by Haylie Carreathers, Azalia Cardenas and Aeneas Dorsey Have you heard the tale of the night ninjas? Sweeping the halls faster than wind. Cleaning the classrooms carefully. Although students may

disregard the tale, teachers are completely aware. “They do things that people don’t even notice,” said Lincoln Middle School teacher Eric Yazzie-Campbell, a seventh-grade New Mexico history teacher. Those night ninjas are the custodians who work after stu-

dents leave the building, erasing the dirt of the day. “They clean up after us, and we shouldn't make a mess anyway,” said Jude Waring, a seventh-grader. Each member of the custo-dial staff has a specific area of the school they have to clean each night. Their lead-

er is Daniel Cunningham, also the school’s athletic director. He begins his days at 6 a.m. In the afternoon, the other janitors arrive and do their jobs until the school sparkles. “Kids should be thankful for the clean school they come to every day,” he said.

by James Jenkins and David Martinez Lincoln Middle School staff and students are packing their bags in an-ticipation of trav-eling during the upcoming spring break. “I’m going camping at Red River,” said Greer Gessler, a sev-enth-grade Eng-lish language arts teacher. Red River is a resort town in Taos County, located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Traveling is routine for Crys-

tal Mendez, special education instructional leader, who likes to hit the road during the week off in the spring. “We have taken the boys

(her sons) to Hou-ston, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix and even the Grand Canyon for spring break in the past,” she said. Spring Break starts March 26 and ends April 2. Eighth-grade stu-dent Zach Vigil is

content hanging out with his friends and sleeping, alt-hough he has traveled in the past to Idaho and California.

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Taking a break in spring

by Autumn Coccimiglio and Taylor Bombard Each February, Black His-tory Month is a time to cele-brate the accomplishments of African-Americans. “It reminds us that we are all equal and there should not be segregation. Skin color shouldn’t matter,” said Alan Sanchez, seventh-grade physical education teacher at Lincoln Middle School. Some students agree. “The actions that African-Americans did changed our

history,” said Analeesa Gutierrez, a seventh-grader. Black History Month, which began in 1976 in the United States, also is highlighted in Canada and the United King-dom, according to the Histo-ry Channel’s website. “I support Black Histo-ry Month because it is history,” said seventh-grader Jacksyn Troxclair.

History beHind st. Patty’s day by Vanessa Tomlinson and Natalyanna Minitrez Everybody knows people enjoy wearing green on March 17. But what’s the history behind the St. Pat-rick’s Day tradition? The holiday began in the early 17th century to cele-brate the patron saint of Ireland, a country full of greenery. St. Patrick is cele-brated for converting Chris-tians. While many think he was Irish, in fact, he was British. The holiday made its way to the United States because

of Irish immigra-tion. Sandra Cope, a sixth-grade world his-tory teach-er, said Chicago is “a city that turns its rivers green.” Other cities dye the water in their fountains. Another St. Patty’s Day tradi-tion - pinching people - is dis-couraged at LMS. “I think pinching people is not a good thing because some people get bruises,” said sev-enth-grader Taylyn Horn.

That’s correct, said Sheryl Bauer, a Lincoln counselor. “The more we know about history, the more likely we will not repeat the bad things,” she said.

February tradition: Celebrating achievements of African-Americans Oscar opinions by Eric Gill and Andre Diaz The Oscars are a momentous occasion. Americans adore movies and they love to cele-brate those who make and star in them. At this year’s Academy Awards ceremony held on March 4, the big winner was The Shape of Water, a film about a cleaning lady who develops a relationship with a mysterious, scaly creature. “The Oscars are a fun event to follow,” said Eric Yazzie-Campbell, a seventh-grade history teacher said, adding that he likes “the surprise that comes with them.” Michael Lewis a seventh-grade science teacher, has a personal connection to the annual awards event. ”My mom used to work on the Oscars,” he said. She sometimes helped create the backdrop on the stage and even occasionally took her son to movie sets. “I think people get excited about them (Oscars), because they get to see their favorite stars, their elaborate clothes, and they maybe even wish that what they see could be them someday,” Mr. Lewis said. Sherry Montoya, a sixth-grade math teacher, enjoys movies but doesn’t see many of them in the theater. Her favorite film is Romancing the Stone, in which the characters are seeking a priceless gem. “I consider a movie awesome and love it if I watch it again and again and again,” she said.

Black Panther movie makes it rain with

record-breaking money at the box office

by Daniel Santiago and Michael Wood Black Panther is breaking records at the movie box office. Earn-ing $1 billion so far, the film about the Marvel Comics superhero is delighting audiences. “I think it is getting all this hype because of the time of the year,” said Maureen Storz, a Lincoln Middle School educational assistant, adding that it is early in 2018 and the Oscar award season has sparked people’s inter-est in movie-going. The Marvel movie,

released in mid-February, features the franchise’s first predominately black cast.

Catharine Longo, a seventh-grade New Mexico history teacher, hasn’t seen Black

Panther but her children have. “From what they said, I think that it is a top 5 movie,” she said. Seventh-grader Joshua Allen is a fan. “I think it’s break-ing records because Black Panther is an old Marvel charac-ter and they brought him back, making him look more advanced,” he said.

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Food at your doorstep

by Carter Bergsten and Jacksyn Troxclair Let's face it: The Tide Pod Challenge is not a trend, it's a problem. Those who fall prey to it are not only posing a threat to themselves, but also the company itself. “It’s stupid and ridiculous, and people should have more common sense,” said Lincoln Middle School sixth-grade science teacher Mi-chael Sylvester. Some people think that there should be an age re-quirement or a license need-

by Fabian Andujo and Luke Cummings Imagine ordering your favorite food without hav-ing to leave the comfort of your home. Uber Eats al-lows you to purchase food from certain restaurants and an Uber driver picks up the order and delivers it to you. While some think it is a fun novelty, others don’t see the need. “I think it’s an unneces-sary expense,” said Rachel Garretson, Lincoln Middle

School’s consumer science teacher, adding that it is a great service when you are sick or don’t have transpor-tation. Likewise, Frank Slife en-joys eating out. “I’d rather go to a restau-rant where you can actually sit down and enjoy a meal,” said the band and orchestra teacher. Do apps like Uber Eats make things too easy? “It definitely has made people lazy,” said Wyatt Fontenot, an eighth-grader.

McDonalds: Banishing cheeseburgers by Braxton Andrews and Jonathan Zwiebel The McDonald’s Happy Meal is getting a healthy makeover. The fast-food restaurant has decided not to offer the cheeseburger as one of its kid meal options.

The news broke in Febru-ary. By 2022, parents may still ask for it but the main choices in Happy Meals will be hamburgers and four- or six-piece Chicken McNuggets. French fry siz-es, also, will be smaller. McDonald’s has pledged to serve more fruits, vege-

tables and grains. Andrew Kretz, a Lincoln Middle School student, is con-scious of his health. “I will

be happy if they get rid of the cheeseburger,” the seventh-grader said. While Cynthia Cook, health teacher, ate many a Happy Meal while growing up, she does see the upside to meals that help Americans slim down. “It was easy for my mom, especially because I was al-ways on the go to soccer prac-tice or games,” she said of the McDonald’s kid meals. For middle school students, between 1,800 and 2,400 calo-ries should be eaten a day, depending on a person’s activi-ty level, Ms. Cook advised. “I think McDonald’s is wise to offer more healthy options in order to keep their base hap-py,” she said.

Social media challenge met with criticism ed to buy Tide pods, which are brightly colored packets of liquid laundry detergent. Earlier this year, videos of people biting into the pods went viral. Con-suming the detergent can make people sick and even cause death. The laundry-eating dare also caused a flurry of fake news accounts. “Stores should start locking up Tide pods,” said Greer Gessler, a seventh-grade English lan-guage arts teacher. “I’m not angry. I’m just very disappoint-ed. Once one person does it, it makes other people do it. That’s

the problem with social me-dia.” According to Tide.com, the company wishes the challenge would fade away. “We can’t discontinue just because people are making bad decisions,” states a quote on the website.

The most powerful rocket in the world

by Dominic Montoya and Aiden Lucio The quick burst of fire sent the rocket into space. On the afternoon of Febru-ary 6, SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket, carry-ing a Tesla Roadster as its cargo and bringing to life the possibility of sending humans to Mars. Some students and staff at Lincoln Middle School react-ed to the event, which grabbed the headlines. “I think that it is inspira-tional to young minds,” said Andrew Kretz, a seventh-grader. Meanwhile, sixth-grade science teacher Michael Syl-vester commented on SpaceX’s goal, which is “to increase space exploration,” he said. Other space com-panies, including Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, also will try to spearhead similar launches. For RJ Acosta, a seventh-grader, the sky’s the limit. “I think it’s going to be pretty cool,“ he said. SpaceX plans to send an-other rocket into space in June, carrying dozens of satellites and spacecraft into orbit.

Will automated cars get the green light? by Ethan Hill and John Waring As technology continues to rocket skyward, self-driving cars are becoming reality. They use different tech-niques, like ra-dar, GPS, laser light and comput-er vision, to sense the envi-ronment around them. Some pre-dict that they will be noticeable on the roads by 2020. Proponents say they could improve traffic safety, while others shoot the technology down with criticism. “Technology will always fail

you,” said John Waring, an eighth-grade U.S. history teacher, citing examples of glitches, blackouts and wonky tech issues. Wes Koerner, a social studies

teacher, sees the merits of humans driving cars. ”I don’t under-stand why people are so excited” about driverless cars, he said.

Jude Waring, a seventh-grader, can visualize a world of autonomous cars, but also recognizes that accidents could happen. “It only takes one to screw it up for everyone else,” he said.

by Khayden Preston and Aidan Smith The inventor of the flying machine and painter of the Mona Lisa is being celebrated at the New Mexico Natural History and Science Museum. The exhibit, which opened in February and runs until July 29, has been crowded. It in-cludes more than 200 of Leonardo da Vinci’s works. Seventy-five of them are large or interactive models of things he invented. “I would love to see his

inventions and what he did,” said Catharine Longo, a sev-enth-grade New Mexico his-tory teacher.

Pam Elam, mean-while, is fascinated with da Vinci’s artistic mind. “I think it is such an honor to see a world-famous artist and what he did,” she said. LMS students also see beauty in art.

“Even though I don’t know him, it would be a pretty cool experience,” said Deondre Washington, who is a sev-enth-grade student.

Page 9 Leopards Rawwwr Volume 12, Issue 1

by Ryan Amhaus and Seth Lee In past years, people have found National Basketball Association All-Star games to be exciting, filled with flash. Trick plays and crazy dunks can be fun to watch. Yet, this year’s game was a little different. Fergie’s Star-Spangled Ban-ner stole the show, in a sense. Saying she was trying something new, the singer-songwriter slowed down the song, which didn’t sit well with everyone. “I was not a big fan,” said Brandon Lucero, sixth-grade world history teacher at Lin-coln Middle School. “I almost thought it was a joke.” The game itself, which took place February 18 in Los An-

geles, was viewed by Greer Gessler, a seventh-grade English language arts teach-er, who enjoyed the compe-tition between Team Lebron and Team Stephen. This year, players got to chose their rosters. In the end, Cleveland Cava-liers player LeBron James and his teammates were the winners, by three points. “I think they were actually trying this time,” Mr. Gessler said. “They even said before the game that they were going to try harder.” There were some fans who wished that their favorite players had made the team. Seventh-grader Derrick Quintana, for one, would have enjoyed seeing the Los Angeles Clippers’ Lou Wil-liams on the court.

All-Star game or Fergie Show

Cancer cure coming soon?

Amazing inventor comes to NM Sixteen and zero by Nicholas Garcia and Payton Roybal Basketball has always been a popu-lar sport at Lincoln Middle School. By winning 16 games, this school year’s eighth-grade team went undefeated for the first time in five years. “The will of the players, getting them to buy into the system, and the great chemistry was what made it possible to go undefeated,” said coach Greer Gessler, who teaches seventh-grade English language arts. Player Andrew Sanchez is satisfied with the season, which be-gan in late 2017 and ended in January. “Our team chemistry is by far the best of all the other schools,” he said. Even with a winning record, athletes on the team still reflected on what was most difficult for them. “The most challenging part of being a player is having people sub in for me and for them to not do the best they possibly could,” said Devon Dyer. When it comes to match ups, Rio Rancho Middle School was the Lincoln squad’s toughest opponent. “They have two six-footers that we had a hard time defend-ing,” said Mr. Gessler, adding that he ordered hoodies that read: “16-0.”

by Mathias Gantner and Joseph Sena While many Super Bowls are not close contests, the 52nd one definitely was a game worth watching. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots, which was a surprise to some. Eric Yazzie-Campbell, a Lincoln Middle School seventh-grade New Mexico history teacher, was happy about the outcome. “I wanted the Eagles to win because they are my brother’s favorite football team,” he said. “They deserve to win because they played a good game.” Patriot fans wonder if the team’s quarterback will remain with the team. “Tom Brady won’t play next year because he’s 40 and, if he gets tackled, he’ll cry,” said seventh-grader Dominic Gutierrez. Already, some have their sights on the next Super Bowl. “I think the Kansas City Chiefs will win next year,” predicted Aaron Mitchell, a reading intervention teacher.

Super Bowl 52

Voters OK millions of dollars for Rio Rancho by Kaleigh Matthews and Adriana Avilez Rio Rancho roads are about to be improved, thanks to a $10 million bond that was approved on March 6. Nearly 78 percent of Rio Rancho voters said “yes” to the money. ”The roads could be better,” said Mariah Tolzmann, a sev-enth-grade English language arts teacher. “It is a lot of money, unfortunately, but if it helps to save our city, then we should do it.” Yet, Lincoln Middle School staff members know that differ-ent cities have worse issues with their roadways. “The roads aren't as bad as other places I've been to but they could be better,” said principal Veronica Sanders, who was in favor of the road bond. Now it’s time to be careful in the construction zones that will be popping up.

by Sarah Honaberger and Genesis Sandavol Cancer rates are drop-ping, according to the American Cancer Society, down 26 percent from 1991 to 2015. Doctors attribute the good news to reduced smoking rates, early detection and en-hanced treat-ments. At Lin-coln Middle School, Lilly Behnam is ready to be rid of the disease. “Cancer is horrible and I hope nobody dies from it,” the seventh-grader said. Often, chemotherapy is what many think of as the best way to combat the

disease. However, it’s not the only way. Immunotherapy alerts the immune system of the cancer so it can fight it. The body doesn’t recognize cancer as a threat because it looks like any

other body cell. “If it’s success-ful, it can be a very good way to fight cancer,” said Mi-chael Syl-vester, a sixth-grade science

teacher. Hopefully, cures for all forms of cancer are just around the corner. “If they can help people, I think everyone should know about them,” said Jenifer Bar-rett, a seventh-grade math teacher.

Why homework?

Page 1 0 Leopards Rawwwr

Media literacy education is going national

by Xavier Hess and Gavin Lucero The question every student asks, “Do we really need homework?” According to principal Veronica Sanders, homework is one of the greatest practices and keeps fami-lies engaged in what their children are doing. “A student’s job is school, and we want them to succeed in life,” she said. Studies show that the ideal amount of homework per night for middle school students should be about an hour, according to web research. When it turns into three hours a day, stress levels rise dra-matically, states an article on the Stanford University’s College of Education website. “I usually get two to three pages of homework a night,” said Marlon Samaniego, a seventh-grader. Experts say that homework should be relevant and purposeful. “Homework should be for prac-tice,” said Betty Scheppmann, an LMS assistant principal.

by Richard Kriesel and Joshua Soto Fake news is common on the internet. As a result, several states around the country are enacting laws to enhance media literacy edu-cation. Recent examples include Connecticut and Rhode Is-land. At New Mexico’s Roundhouse, a media litera-cy bill was introduced but then tabled due to funding cuts. Lincoln Middle School teachers think that making students media savvy in the digital age is vital.

“If people recognized fake news, they would be more informed,” said Trish Pope, a sixth-grade English language arts teacher. While media literacy focuses on arming stu-dents with ways to spot fake news, it also takes on journal-ism as-pects, as well. It teaches students how to create unbiased, solid arti-

cles with little to no mis-takes. “Media literacy class is important so future re-porters know how to re-port and not take sides,” said Betty Scheppmann, an assistant principal.

by Tyler Baer and Kayleigh Hunter The 2016 presidential election has been over for awhile but people still talk about whether Russians tried to meddle in it by spreading misinformation. At Lincoln Middle School, staff and students have

their opinions about the controversy, which began when Democrat Hillary Clinton ran against Re-publican Donald Trump. Sandra Cope, a sixth-grade world history teach-er, thinks Russia is inter-fering in American politics for “control over the lead-ers and favorable legisla-

tion.” In mid-February, the U.S. Justice Department indict-ed 13 Russians for election misdeeds. Seventh-grade New Mexi-co history teacher Cath-arine Longo said that, if they are found guilty, they should be prosecuted by the United States. Will Russia meddle again?

Your mind deserves a break today

Volume 12, Issue 1

Will Russia strike back digitally?

by Katie Rogers and Madi Shadle Do you think letting your brain relax every now and then is a good idea? Called brain breaks, many think they are im-portant during the school day so that students have opportunities to ensure their minds don’t become overwhelmed. “Do anything that gets your blood flowing,” said Catharine Longo, a sev-enth-grade New Mexico history teacher at Lincoln Middle School. Students have tests, homework, assignments, and projects. They have six classes to do all of these in, while maintain-ing a good grade point average. It can be drain-ing. However, Alan Sanchez

a, physical education teacher thinks students already take brain breaks on their own, “all day, when they feel like it, or they stop listening,” he said. “If it’s a break for your brain, you shouldn't be doing anything.” Brain breaks can help someone focus and should happen various times a day. They can include something physical or any activity that works your brain in a different way. “Brain breaks should hap-pen every half hour,” said Karissa Rehen, a seventh-grade student. “Students do have a lot of pressure, and zone out without breaks,” said Stephanie Weinkauf, a seventh-grade science teacher. So, give your brain a break right now.

Life of P.E. student is strenuous

by Jacob Cummings and Landon Moody As a student in a physical education class, expect to be asked to be physical. Daily routines include straight-leg kicks, moving lunges, sumo squats, inch worms, high knees and high skips. “Warm-ups and dynamic stretches are for warming up the muscles and getting ready for daily activity,” said P.E. teacher Alan Sanchez. As the semester progresses, there are a variety of units, from bas-ketball to soccer and even ultimate football. “Every unit starts off with a lot of note-taking and going over the rules,” said Gavin Rich-ards, a student in sev-enth grade, who has the elective in the morning this semester. Students take about six tests per semester. There are times that Mr. Sanchez would like more time to dive deeper into the various sports. “I wish there were year-long classes so we could get more done,” he said.

President Donald Trumps’s first year in the White House by Cesar Rojas and Harland Silva Around Lincoln Middle School, students and staff are mixed about President Donald Trump’s first year in office. His proponents are pleased with his tax plan and work on maintaining a strong econo-my. Others, however, worry about the adversarial rela-tionship with North Korea and his stance on immigration. Betty Scheppmann, an as-

sistant principal, thinks he is doing a good job. “But there's always room for improvement and that could go for anyone in of-fice,” she said. “I think the media only gives the part they want.” On the other hand, educa-tional assistant Jennifer Swafford said: “I am not im-pressed with what he's done.” Eric Yazzie-Campbell, who teaches seventh-grade New Mexico history, mentioned his

Page 11 Leopards Rawwwr Volume 12, Issue 1

What causes employment?

by Nathan Le and Josh Allen

In the past eight years, the

number of people with jobs

has increased, as the coun-

try’s unemployment rate has

dipped from 10 percent to 4

percent.

Other rosy economic news

includes the fact that wages

have increased. According to

a recent article in The Wash-

ington Post, the United

States economy added

235,000 new jobs in Febru-

ary.

However, for those still

seeking a place to work,

there are lessons to be

learned.

If principal Veronica Sand-

ers ever found herself out of

work, “I would hope that I

would seek a new skill,” she

said. That way, she would be

more marketable to those

who were hiring.

While new jobs are being

added in the digital age,

some positions once held by

people are being taken over

by machines, said Michael

Sylvester, a sixth-grade sci-

ence teacher.

This worries seventh-

grader Talon Lucas.

“I think it’s sad how they

(Americans) lose their jobs,”

he said, adding that he

hopes unemployed workers

don’t stop looking for other

opportunities.

Trump’s wall meT wiTh mixed reacTion

by Demitri Legendre and Talon Lucas Tesla is in the business of creating dream cars. Founded in 2003, it spe-cializes in electric cars that look and feel magical to some car enthusiasts. Atop the recent SpaceX rocket was a Tesla Road-ster, which was launched into orbit. Alan Sanchez, one of Lincoln Middle School’s physical education teach-er, is impressed with the car company, “especially with the technology,” he said. Eric Yazzie-Campbell, a seventh-grade New Mexi-co history teacher, is amazed at the “new safe-ty features” of Tesla’s models. Even LMS students are

ready to ride inside these unique cars. “Tesla is a great car and it’s really useful,” said Delaney Kronbeck, a seventh-grader.

frequent use of social media. “He’s our president, end quote,” he said. “Tweeting isn't a good way to communi-cate.” As far as student reac-tions to Trump’s first 12 months, reviews also are varied. “He's taking

initiative,” said seventh-grader Aden Lorimer.

by Evan Lee and Ireland Foley If someone asked you your opinion about Presi-dent Donald Trump's wall proposal between the United States and its southern neighbor, what

would you say? “I think that there are better things to spend money on,” said Frank Slife, a music teach-er at Lincoln Middle School. “I think that Trump is building it because it was a campaign promise.” So far, Congress has not ap-

proved funding for the wall that Trump believes would stop the flow of illegal im-migration. Neither has the Mexican government said it would fund it, something that Trump has asked it to do. However, in February, a

U.S. district judge ruled that the president has the right to waive environmental laws to start construction. Sever-al prototypes of what the wall might look like are be-ing tested in California, where Trump visited on March 13. Paula Blagrave, robotics teacher, does not embrace Trump’s proposal. "I think that there are bet-ter things that money could be spent on, and I don't believe that it would ever happen and it shouldn't,” she said.

Dream car rockets into space It’s a bit of a problem by Traiven Williams and Michael Jimenez-Wright A new currency that de-buted in 2009 called bitcoin has gotten a lot of attention. It allows people to buy things anonymously without a middle man. Youtubers, including Mr. Beast, have used the cryptocurrency for videos, donating the pro-ceeds to charity. While some embrace it, others don’t see it as a real way to purchase things. “It will crash in the future,” said Michael Sylvester, a sixth-grade science teacher at Lincoln Middle School. If it does become popular, as some predict, Brandon Lucero might check out the craze and teach his world history students about it. Dealing with digital money, however, can pose dangers because of people who can hack into other’s accounts.

Slowing down Internet sites

Page 1 2 Leopards Rawwwr

Snapchat social media has both positives and negatives

by Alex Mori and Connor Ayers The internet of the future may not be as free or quick as it is today. Laws surrounding the ways people use the web could be repealed, setting in motion whether some websites should be blocked. Net neutrality, as it is known, is on the digital mind these days, even at Lincoln Middle School. “It is stupid how big companies can just do whatever they want,” said eighth-grader Nicholas Mar-tinez. Jessica Koppel, gifted English lan-guage arts teacher, doesn’t like the fact that the decision is in the hands of the Federal Communica-tion Communication, not the gen-eral public. “I think people should be able to access legal websites for free,” she said. According to some media reports, the FCC is attempting this in order to gain money by charging people for their internet. “It doesn’t make sense that peo-ple would make us pay for our stuff,” said eighth-grader Marisa Dusseau. If the FCC takes away our internet privileges, said eighth-grade sci-ence teacher Burton Melancon, “They’re going to have a massive outcry.”

by Savannah Jurrens and Caleb Stephens Is Snapchat really safe? The selfies, the filters, the stories — it all seems like innocent fun and a great way to connect with friends and family. But could the mega-popular social media app have a negative effect on mental health? According to some experts, it could, and now is the time to take ac-tion. Among those who suffer the most from Snapchat are teen girls, who are also one of the biggest user groups of the platform. One of the respondents in a recent na-tional survey reported on the CNN website said that

photo-sharing apps like Snapchat make it easy for girls to feel their bodies aren’t good enough, compared to people who carefully edit and add filters to the photos they share. “All social media has the potential to be dangerous,” said Paula Blagrave, Lincoln Middle School ro-botics teacher. For Veronica Sanders, principal, social media platforms are part of her life because of her chil-dren. “I do have an account, but only because my kid has to use Snapchat to

text her friends and me,” she said. SnapMap, Snapchat's latest feature, uses a Bit-moji on a map to show everyone where a person is, opening the door to other potential dangers.

Volume 12, Issue 1

Tech: Good or bad? by Ana Drake and Dechanel Banks Like many things in life, technol-ogy has its pros and cons. “This is the way kids live now,” said Julie Fredericks, a seventh-grade English language arts teacher. On the good side, tech moti-vates students to learn because they get to create digitally. “ Sometimes tech helps me in class because I can look up things easier,” said seventh-grade Joan-na Rodriguez. “Tech is taking over the world.” However, there are downsides. “It could be a problem if stu-dents come to the point that they are being disrespectful to me and the computers,” said Mariah Tolzmann, a seventh-grade Eng-lish language arts teacher. “I think that it is important to moni-tor them.”

To tech or not to tech is the question by Taylor Cipcic and Zaden Inthavong Groggy students arrive for class each day, some of them exhausted from spending too much time late at night on their phones or other screens. Would a tech curfew help turn tired students into wide-awake learners? “Yes,” said Eric Yazzie-Campbell, a seventh-grade New Mexico history teacher at Lincoln Middle School. “It can help people be aware of

their surround-ings the next day.” Principal Veroni-ca Sanders is of the same mind. “It could give students more sleep and focus on the task at hand,” she said. Even students see the benefits of turning off technology in order to get enough shut-eye. Sev-enth-grader Dylan Smith had some advice for par-

ents. “Make sure they’re not secretly watching TV at night,” he said.

Are video games bad for children? by Santiago Anaya and Julien Gonzales Video gamers will tell you that the skills they are build-ing are im-portant. Those who don’t see the point believe that the games are too violent and playing them for hours on end can cause health prob-lems. The debate rages on.

“They can help your cog-nitive skills,” said Michael Sylvester, a sixth-grade science teacher at Lincoln Middle School, adding that

they are wor-thy until peo-ple let them interfere with other im-portant things in life. Ryan Vigil, a seventh-grader, doesn’t be-lieve they are a waste of time, either.

Still, Noah Lopez said: “Video games are not good because people spend way too much time on them daily.” According to a study on kidshealth.org, video gaming can improve hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and the ability to process information. The best games for teens are science-fiction games, such as Star Wars’ Battlefront 2, and problem-solving games, including ones made by Lego.

Page 13 Leopards Rawwwr Volume 12, Issue 1

Political

Editorial Cartoons

by Talon Lucas by Gavin Lucero

by Brooke Baeza by Tyler Baer

Volume 12, Issue 1 Page 1 4 Leopards Rawwwr

This issue of the Leopards Roar was created by students in

Ms. Kelly Pearce’s media literacy classes.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK!

by Ryan Amhaus by Jacob Cummings

Sports Editorial Cartoons

by Ana Drake-Hermosillo by Katie Rogers

Technology Editorial Cartoons