The Knightly NewsCan you solve a Rubik’s

Cube in 30 seconds?Costume Party

a hit with7th-Graders

Above seventh-grader Justin Mallari with one of many of his Rubik’s cube puzzles.

What’s Inside this Issue of the

Knightly News

What’s Hot Community NewsMusic ManiacsTube Time

David O. DequinaKnightly News Staff

When Justin Mallari solves a Rubik’s Cube, his

fingers fly so fast you miss it if you blink. The de-

termination in his eyes burn like a flame that can

never be extinguished. He can finish it in less than

20 seconds, while adults would need a day of extreme

concentration.

Justin Mallari, a sevent-grader, is the fastest Rubik’s

solver at Franklin Middle School. Mallari loves the

3x3 version of the cube. He has 40-50 kinds of the

cubes at his house and he keeps at least five of them

with him at school.

For those of you who don’t know about the puzzle,

the Rubik’s Cube is a 3-D mechanical puzzle that was

invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and architec-

ture professor Erno Rubik. Originally known as the

"Magic Cube", the puzzle became widely popular in

the 1980’s and went on to become one of the most

popular toys with approximately 350 million cubes

sold worldwide.

"Justin is not real, he must be a robot," a seventh

grader said as they watched Justin solve a puzzle

within seconds.

He just might be a robot.

Justin’s fastest time for a 3x3 cube is 17.06 seconds,

1:09.53 for a 4x4, 2:48.68 for 5x5, 6.31 for 2x2, and

29.47 for a 3x3 one-handed.

Alyshia Hercules, a seventh-grader , said she

admires Mallari’s talent.

"Justin is very talented and I think he's very cool

since he can solve a Rubik's Cube," she said.

Justin places 421st in North America. That seems far

from first place, but keep in mind over 2,500 people

in the U.S. and Canada compete and many more in-

ternationally.

Nia Wadlington, a seventh-grader said Mallari is

very sharp.

“He’s a smart and very cool guy," she said.

Ayanna Forskin, a seventh-grader, also thinks Mal-

lari is one cool dude.

“He’s really smart,” she said. “I mean, how many

people can solve Rubik’s Cubes back to back? I

know I can’t!”

Rodney Point-Du-Jour, who has Mallari as a

student in his language arts literacy class said he is

very impressed with Mallari’s ability to solve Rubik

Cube.

“I remember having a cube when I was his age and

throwing it away because I was so frustrated at not

being able to solve it,’’ he said. “I’ve seen him solve

puzzles in seconds. It’s simply amazing what he is

able to do with a cube.”

Has your fingers ever flew over a Rubik’s Cube?

Has your determination ever reached the level of Jus-

tin’s when solving it? It doesn’t matter because you

still wouldn’t beat him.

Lauryn HenryKnightly News Staff

The music was blasting, the blood was pumping

and everyone was full of energy at the seventh-grade

costume ball.

It was absolutely awesome!

With lots of people dressed in costumes, seventh-

graders made the dance even more exciting. But what

made it even better was all of the costumes were

unique and fun. The festivities kicked off at 7 p.m.,

with seventh-graders rocking out to their favorite

tunes and beats until 9 p.m.

“I thought it was pretty fun,” said Alyshia Hercules,

who came dressed as a corpse bride.

Unlike the last dance, the deejay was better.

“I thought there was an awesome variety of music

and I’m glad that there wasn’t just club music,” said

Alyssa Jimenez, who attended the dance.

The deejay didn’t stop in the middle of the song and

mumble words no one could understand. He played

good music and everyone was having a good time.

Everyone was dancing and enjoying the party.

What was different about this dance compared to the

first one was that there wasn’t as much inappropriate

behavior. That actually made the dance more enjoy-

able, but in place of all the inappropriate behavior,

everybody began to make mosh pits now and then.

Don’t get me wrong: the mosh pits were fun. It’s just

that the teachers kept breaking them up. But other

than that, all the dancing was okay.

The snack room improved too!

Party continued on page 3

Gabriel Wilson Knightly News Staff

Chewing gum in school can result in many different

punishments. People say some of them are unfair and

some don’t agree and say they are fair. Here we have

some student’s opinions.

Alexis Smith, seventh-grade, said there are too many

rules.

“Well it’s not really that fair because this school’s

rules are kind of harsh,” said Smith.

Seventh-grader Tyler Simon believes that the school

rules are fair and that students shouldn’t chew gum.

“The students in this school get enough warnings but

they still decide to not listen,” he said.

Amanda White can see both sides of the issue.

”It’s fair but also unfair at the same time,’’ she said.

“The reason it is fair is because the school says not

to chew gum in school because kids can get sick or

choke. Its also unfair because some people can’t help

but chew gum.”

Well there are lots more comments but too much to

fit so we’re going to move on to why gum is bad to

chew in school and in class.

The reason gum chewing is bad in school is because

when kids chew gum in school it can be addicting.

When you’re addicted to something your brain wants

you to have it all the time. And that is surely bad. If

you’re addicted to gum in school then you’re going

to always have to chew gum and when that happens

you’re probably going to get caught. Which means

you will get in trouble. That’s the reason why almost

everyone gets in trouble for one silly thing like chew-

ing gum.

Bobby Morgan, a seventh-grader, said chewing gum

can be harmful to ones health.

” I think (swallowing) gum chewing is bad in school

because it does not come out of your body for 7

years,’’ he said.

Ayanna Forskin, a seventh-graderchewing gum

could make students become better learners.

”Gum chewing is good because its juicy flavor

makes children concentrate harder,’’ she said.

The rest of the people interviewed for this story

think it’s bad to chew gum in school.

To Chew, Or Not To Chew Gum: Students Debate

The FMS PBIS Committee and FMS Student Government present

The FMS Talent Show at 7 p.m. on April 8th Tickets are $5 and will be sold two days in advance during lunch periods, as well as at the door

Skinny Jeans aren’t just for girls

What’s Hot What’s Hot Favorite Teachers FMS

Misconceptions

Get a pair of Chuckers

Walk to the right ‘cause you know it’s right.

Ayanna ForskinTaylor Jordan

Knightly News Staff

Who can wear skinny jeans? Well, the short answer

is EVERYONE!

It doesn’t matter if you’re are boy, girl, short, tall,

skinny or fat, you can wear skinny jeans no matter

what. They go with whatever you choose to wear.

Skinny jeans come in all colors of the rainbow like

red, blue, green and orange. They also can have cool

designs or patterns on them like checkerboard or

print.

Skinny jeans go great with everything. Converse

and Ed Hardy’s are a couple of the shoes that go great

with these stylish jeans. They’re also perfect to tuck

into your Ugg boots.

Also, skinny jeans look amazing with graphic tees

and solid color shirts. Skinny jeans also look great if

you want to go with a more casual look. A good style

to have when wearing skinny jean is the super popu-

lar nerd or hobo sheik look. The nerd style is when

you look like a nerd, but a cool version of one. Hobo

sheik is when all your clothes have a lot of holes and

rips in them, making you look slightly like a hobo, in

a stylish way.

Do you ever wonder whether skinny jeans are more

for girls or guys?

Alyshia Hercules, a seventh-grader said she thinks

skinny jeans are for anyone and everyone.

“I don’t really think skinny jeans are for one group

of people. They’re really for everyone,” she said.

Some people have different opinions.

Nana Kissi, a seventh-grader, thinks skinny jeans

look better on boys.

“I think skinny jeans are more for guys,” he said. “I

think we wear it bette”

So, the question is what do YOU think?

A poll states that 86% of people love these fabulous

jeans but a slim 14% say these jeans are oh so drab.

In our personal opinions we think that these jeans are

just plain awesome.

Emily Krempa, an eighth-grader, disagrees and

thinks the jeans really aren’t very cool.

“They hug your legs and feel uncomfortable,” she

said.

David Dequina also thinks skinny jeans are over-

rated.

“They are really not that great,” he said.

No matter how you feel about skinny jeans just

remember one thing: don’t let anyone change your

style. You’ve created a style that is uniquely you. No

matter what other people think, keep the one thing

that makes you who you are…your style.

Alexis Gibson

Knightly News Staff They are more than just a pair of sneakers.

Much more comes behind them than as something

you wear on your feet. They are comfortable and

they look cool. They are the most worn pair of shoes

by this generation and known by famous rock stars

to give their look a renegade edge. And yes, you

probably own a pair.

I’m talking about Converse sneakers.

These fabulous sneakers have a great story behind

them.

It all started in 1908, when Marquis M. Converse

opened the Converse Rubber shoe Company in

Malden, Massachusetts. The company begun as a

rubber shoe manufacturer, which offered winterized

rubber soled footwear for men, women, and children.

By 1910 the Converse Company was producing

4,000 shoes daily, but it wasn't until 1912, that the

company first started producing athletic shoes for

tennis. So who knows, maybe your parents owned

a pair!

Charles H. Taylor, a basketball player from Akron

Firestones, to come into possession of his converses,

he introduced basketball as sport to Americans

across country. So yes he was being stylish and

doing something very remarkable at the same time.

Chuck Taylors first joined Converses in 1921,

and nearly 80 years later, young and old wear these

sneakers.

Jordyn Williams, a seventh-grader, said Converses

are “unique in their own way.”Alyshia Hercules, a

seventh-grader, said a nice pair of Chuckers could

define person’s style.

“Converses are hot and in style at the moment,”

she said.

Another one that is right! There was a long period

of time when people didn’t wear converses and then

kids started wearing them again in recent years.

Jacquelyn Jordan, a seventh-grader, said that a nice

pair of Cons is what she looks forward to slipping on

her feet every morning.

“They are awesome and I like how they come in

so many different styles,” Jordan said. Converses

come in over probably 100 colors. You could also go

online and customize a pair and make them look like

your own style.

So, if you don’t have a pair, get yourself one right

now. Go to the mall and get yourself a pair because

they are so in!

Abraham Nnamah Knightly News Staff

There are many great teachers here at Franklin

Middle School.

In the 100 hall, there’s Michael Swist and Lee Blum.

They both teach social studies. They both teach many

students and help them get ready for their future.

Samantha Llanos, an eighth-grader, said Lee Blum

makes learning Social Studies fun and easy.

“He taught us what we needed to learn and in more

exciting and fun ways,’’ she said. “He keeps the stu-

dents interested in the lesson while learning.”

In the 200 hall, there’ Shannon Leyland and Birgit

Ayrey. They both teach science, they teach students

about science and how to be a scientist.

Gabriel Wilson, a seventh grader, said he enjoys

Ayrey’s clas

“Miss Ayrey makes learning science, fun, nice and

makes us understand science by making us teach our-

selves,” he said.

In the 500 hall, there’s Edward Clark and Ellen Beat-

tie. Clark teaches design and problem solving, as well

as how to create stuff out of wood.

Beattie, she teaches theatre arts

Isaiah Johnson, a seventh grader, thinks Beattie is

a great teacher.

“She uses our imagination to teach us and she’s very

dramatic,” he said.

Carrie Smith is a physical education teacher who

teaches students about sports. Smith is my personal

favorite teacher.

Adrian Fernandez, a seventh grader, thinks Smith is

a good teacher. “She has a good sense of humor and

demonstrates the moves of the games, before we try

them,” he said.

Party continued from page 1.

There were more snacks to choose from but they

still didn’t have too much of a variety. “There weren’t

enough snacks for people with braces and there

should’ve been more variety,” said Nia Washington.

The only problem this time was that they ran out

of water right in the middle of the dance! Now I was

doing a lot of dancing and trust me the water fountain

could never be as good as an ice cold water bottle. I

thought they would have some more water and would

refill the bucket later- but they didn’t. So the only

source of water for the rest of the night was from the

water fountain.

At the end of the night, about 20 minutes before we

had to go, they gave costume awards: The Most Cre-

ative Costume, Best Make-up, Best Overall Costume,

and Funniest Costume.

The dance was really fun, everybody enjoyed it and

the costumes were creative.

I can’t wait for the next one.

Nana Kissi

Knightly News Staff Before you walk out those doors and dominate the

city don’t forget that graphic tee.

Graphic t-shirts have exploded into the lastest fash-

ion craze, even before cast members of Jersey Shore

were donning them. Graphic tees in Franklin Middle

School are now very popular.

Why? Well, I can easily put them with many ac-

cessories such as skinny jeans, khaki shorts and jean

shorts, and these days they make these shirts very

stylish. Some of the brands that are known for making

graphic tees includes American Eagle, Aeropostale,

Hollister and Old Navy.

Jahmir Ingram, a seventh-grader, said he likes

graphic T-shirts.

“I think they are hot and stylish,’’ he said, while

sitting in the cafeteria enjoying lunch.

Seventh-graders love wearing graphic T-shirts with

high tops, beanies, fitted caps and skinny jeans. Other

accessories people wear with graphic tees are cardi-

gans, vests, wrist watches, and bracelets. No matter

what you choose to wear with them, you will look

cool.

Americans have a long history with the T-shirt.

Following World War II it became common to see

veterans wearing their uniform trousers with their T-

shirts as casual clothing, and they became even more

popular after Marlon Brando wore one in the movie

A Streetcar Named Desire, finally achieving status as

fashionable, stand-alone, outer-wear garments.

By the late 1960s, the T-shirt became a medium fo

r memorable art. Psychedelic art poster designer War-

ren Dayton pioneered several political, protest and

pop-culture art featuring images of Cesar Chavez,

political cartoons and other cultural icons in an ar-

ticle in the Los Angeles Times magazine, West in late

1969. Examples include the bright yellow happy face

T-shirts, the Rolling Stones tops with their "tongue

and lips" logo, and the iconic "I ♥ N Y.”

Another popular shirt design among tourists is the

funny phrase, “My parents went to ______ (name of

place), and all I got was this lousy shirt!”

Did you know that one of the most expensive

graphic t-shirts in the world includes a grungy look-

ing garb labeled with the name Home. The t-shirt was

named after a restaurant and worn by John Lennon,

who visited the restaurant often in the 70’s.

It became iconic and today it’s worth $16,400.

Graphic Tees Aim To Please

Ya gotta give

respect to get

respect

Priti KantesariaKnightly News Staff

If you were judged based on personality, looks and

just what people think, what would people think about

you? Would they think you were nice, rude, smart,or

crazy?

Now think about this school. What would people

expect our school to be like, based on it’s location,

students or even teachers?

Not every situation is valid but I know that there are

at least three misconceptions about Franklin Middle

School.

I believe a large misconception is that we have “beat

downs.” This happens not very often and people only

have a few scratches on their ego. Every school has

it’s fights.

Alisa Jimenez, seventh-grade, said people are mis-

taken to think that FMS has many fights.

“Our school is thought to have a lot of fights and

things like that,” she said.

That is another misconception. Once in a while we

have our fights, we aren’t angels.

Second, people believe we are “ghetto.”

Rebecca Lawerence, eighth-grade, agrees.

“This is one of the largest misconceptions about

FMS,’’ she said. “We are mostly good students and

I know that people will like to believe it but it is not

true. Ghettoes are places know to have bad things like

drugs and gangs. Not here.”

So, the most important misconception is “ghetto”

rumor. Next is beat downs. And finally, there is fre-

quent fights.

Do you know the saying, “don’t judge a book by its

cover?” Well, that applies here big time. What else

would people think about our school?

FMS Dance

Showcase

Free Admission

Beginning 7pm on Jan. 26th

Community news

Make this year’s memories last forever

Order your 2010-11

year-book TODAy!!!

See Ms. Ghanem for more details

Valentine’s Day Is Coming

Purchase a carnation with a personalized message

for a loved one.

Look for sales during your lunch period between Feb.

3-9.

Thank You!Principal Roberta Mitchell

Vice-Principal Nikkii TatumVice-Principal Michael Rich

Sunil Fernandes

For your assistance and support

The Knightly News Volume III, Issue I

2010-11

ReportersLillian Alonzo

Divine Coleman Yvette Bedeau Rochelle Regis David Dequina Alexis Gibson

Nana Kissi Nick Rossi

Adrian FernandezAlyshia HerculesJacquelyn Jordan

Taylor Jordan Ayanna ForskinEmily Krempa

Rebecca LawrenceJordyn Williams

Abraham NnamahSelena Brown

Brent PearlmanSamantha Llanos

RJ Moreen Pritti Kantesari

Adviser

Rodney Point-Du-Jour

So...what do you think?Do you think it’s fair to

get a detention for being tardy to class? Send an email with your opinion to rpointdujour@franklinboe.organd your comments may appear

in

The Knightly News

Barry’s the

Best

Looking for advice about

school?

Join Us!The Knightly News needs

writers, photographers, poets, cartoonists...what-ever your interest, there’s a place for your voice to

be heard.

Adrian FernandezKnightly News Staff

Barry Sanders brought a completely different

meaning to being a running-back in the National

Football League. He had a serious head injury and

made a commercial about it called “Impossible is

Nothing”. He made smooth and clean cuts and

could help him juke out of any situation.

Sanders was selected as the first-round pick in the

NFL draft in 1989 for the Detroit Lions. He was the

first person to run 1000 yards in 10 seasons. He had

the rushing record for four seasons and voted NFL

MVP in 1997 for running 2053 yards in 14 straight

touchdowns during that period.

However, the debate goes on for who was the best

running back between Barry Sanders and Walter

Payton.

My vote is Barry.

Rodney Point-Du-Jour, a language arts teacher at

Franklin Middle School, said he thinks that the

former Detroit Lion is a true Hall of Famer.

“Barry Sanders is the greatest running back of all

time!” he said.

My homeroom teacher, Norman Hill, who teaches

science, said Sanders always did his best without

rubbing his success in his opponents faces.

“He gave it percent,” said Hill. “He let his playing

do his talking. Barry was a gentleman since he never

talked trashed.”

Sanders was especially known for his end-zone.

Every time Sanders got a touchdown, he would

simply find the ref and hand him the ball.

Carry Smith, a gym teacher at FMS, said she has

high regard for Sanders.

“Best running back I’ve ever seen he’s a team

player and works great with kids,” she said.

Lee Blum, a social studies teacher, said that Sand-

ers we very elusive.

“One of the greatest running backs of all time,’’ he

said. “He was one of the hardest to tackle. He still

retired the best there is.”

Serena BrownKnightly News Staff

Having a hard time getting to class on time?

The passing time in the hallway is currently three to

four minutes for all students. The time was okay on

the first day of school but many days later, some kids

can’t make it in time for class. They get caught after

the end bell and get caught in hall sweeps.

The reason for this is students are talking and wast-

ing their own time, which causes them to get caught

in hall sweeps. Others focused on getting to class on

time usually make it before the late bell.

Sometimes, safety officers close the hallway doors on

the late kids so they can learn to be on time to class.

I guess that’s better than getting caught in a hall sweep

by one of the deans.

John Webb, a safety officer at Franklin Middle

School, said he catches students in hall sweeps to re-

teach the expectations of being on-time for class but

appreciates it even more when he finds students doing

the right thing on their own.

“I feel a lot better for the early kids because they

think about the going to class before the end bell and

learn,” said Webb.

Tardy students are usually the ones who are talking

to their friends, doing mean jokes to each other and

teasing each others.

There was one student who was in a rush to get to

class but had a great suggestion.

“I’m use to the school bells so far,” said a seventh-

grader, as she hurried to class. “I just wish there was a

warning bell to warn kids how many minutes are left

until the late bell rings.”

Go to Class

On Time

Divine Coleman Knightly News Staff

Most students enjoy doing their homework after

school.

Ah, yeah…right!

After school, most kids go home, kick back and re-

lax with a bowl of popcorn as they turn on the televi-

sion. Many students watch enjoy watching Family

Guy, Jersey Shore, Phineas & Ferb, Everybody Hates

Chris and Degrassi.

Students watch these shows because they are funny

and they have a lot of drama. A lot of people watch

these shows to entertain themselves. People are dif-

ferent so they like different shows. A lot of people

watch these shows because they give them something

to look forward to watch.

There are many other shows on television, but most

of the student like the shows that were previously

mentioned. If people cancelled these shows almost

everyone will be upset.

During school hours when students are not watching

TV they are bored.

Among her favorites is Everybody Hates Chris, said

Ayanna Forskin.

“It’s a really funny show!” said the seventh-grader.

Manali Patel, a seventh-grader, also likes watching

Everybody Hates Chris.

“It’s funny and I can relate to it,” she said.

Seventh-grader Sarah Ferner said she also enjoys the

humor of the show.

“I like Everybody Hates Chris because it is funny!”

she said.

Family Guy is a favorite among many students, in-

cluding seventh-grader Alyshia Hercules.

“It is hilarious,” Hercules said.

Jordyn Williams, a seventh-grader, said she enjoys

the high school drama known as Degrassi.

“I like Degrassi,’’ she said. “It’s a soap opera for kids

and it’s interesting.”

Our Favorites

on the Tube

Rebecca LawrenceJacquelyn Jordan

Emily KrempaKnightly News Staff

Lady Gaga wears dresses made of meat, wears

wired hats and has several chart toping hits on the

billboards.

See…there are some crazy people who know what

they’re doing.

Lady Gaga is a singer, artist and dancer. Her ec-

centric style and appreciation to modern is why she

has been given the title Princess of Pop. Her success-

ful career started in April 2008 when her first single

“Just Dance” was released. Since then she has had

6 hit songs including “Poker Face,” “Love Game,”

“Paparazzi,” “Bad Romance,” “Telephone” and “Ale-

jandro.”

Her album “The Fame” was released in August 2008

and was #1 in the United Kingdom, Canada, Austria,

Germany and Ireland. She has been #1 on the Bill-

board Hot 100 several times.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as

Lady Gaga, was born on March 28th 1986 in New

York City. Before she was famous she worked as a

songwriter for Streamline Records. Later she was dis-

covered for her many talents and was signed for KON

Live Distributions. This was the start of a brand new

generation of dance and music.

Although 10 percent of people don’t like Lady Gaga

the other 90 percent love her, among people we polled

for this story. How many people in our school feel the

same way?

Taylor Jordan, a seventh-grader, who was hanging

out in the Knightly News Bureau Room, said she

thinks Lady Gaga is unique.

“She’s crazy and definitely knows how to express

her own exotic style,” said Jordan.

Jamie Gist, an eighth-grader who was sitting at

home, said she dislikes Lady Gaga.

“I don’t care much for her,” said Gist.

Danielle Russo, a seventh-grader who was hanging

out at home, said she loves Lady Gaga.

“Lady Gaga is awesome! Her music rocks and she

is cooler than other singers!” said Russo.

As of August 2010, Lady Gaga has sold more than

15 million albums. Recently, Lady Gaga has won

three MTV awards including Best Pop. Best Female,

and Best Song.

Lady Gaga has had a successful career so far and we

are intrigued to see what she will do in the future with

her amazing talents.

Lady Gaga’s Crazy Good

Dear Reader,

We here at the Knightly News are starting an advice

column where you can share your feelings, thoughts

or concerns about anything related to school.

When in need of advice please use a different name

so we can hide who you are and not embarrass any-

one.

There will be a box located in the cafeteria next to

the heaters and the Knight Token boxes. We will be

checking them every Friday and respond to school

issues and concerns.

Please keep your concerns to issues related to school

issues in relation to your classes and subjects.

Thanks,

The Knightly News Staff

Javale HansonKnightly News Staff

Franklin Middle School’s newest rap group Lights

Out is taking the school by storm.

The group consists of five eighth-grade friends who

share the same passion for music. Abdul “Breezy”

Bangura, Javale “Ziggy the Truth” Hanson, Dontrae

“Trae” Smith, Marius “Stutter” Torres and Hakeem

“MC Wise” Blackburn could take their friendship all

the way back to preschool.

These friends are committed artists who are trying

to get to a higher level in music. The group plans to

hopefully find a recording studio where they could

record their first mix tape.

Also the group is looking forward to performing

students in the near future.

These gentlemen plan on taking their music to another

level by seeking a bigger stage where they can share

their passion with the rest for the world and inspire

people.

These up coming stars say that they use rap to ex-

press how they feel and think people can relate to their

lyrics.

Bangura, one of the members of Lights Out, said

his group doesn’t fit the stereotype of a typical rap

group.

“We do write like everyday rappers but we don’t

about luxuries money or females,’’ Bangura said. “

We rap to tell stories and to express and show our

feelings.’’

Lights Out Ready

For Spotlight

Music Maniacs

Ya gotta give

respect to get

respect