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Woodrow Wilson Challenger – Vol 1 Issue 1 January 24, 2012

The Spelling Bee!Siddhant PathakA few weeks ago, all the English teachers of Woodrow Wilson Middle School were informed to

hold a spelling bee for their own individual classes so that they could participate in the Scripps spelling bee. The students learned their grade’s words and faced immense difficulty and stiff competition from their classmates. Yet only a select few determined spellers managed to make it to make it to their grade’s spelling bee. Even out of those a limited number are going to compete on the school spelling bee against all finalists from all of Woodrow Wilson. These are the souls who went through a tornado of spelling words and yet managed to come out unscathed:

6th grade – Jennifer Guo, AmanVuppulla, (yours truly) Siddhant Pathak, DharaGohil, Harshita Jain, and Daniel Zhou

7th grade-Vignesh Sridhar, Brian Epstein, Sam Kim, Prem Patel, MeharKanwar, and Anusha Patil8th grade- to be announced laterSo let’s wish these valiant kids all the best as they face each other soon in January. Though not

everyone will be able to say that they went on to the district spelling bee, everyone will be able to say with their head held high that they were in the Woodrow Wilson spelling bee. And every single one of the kids that couldn’t move on any farther will come out sportingly and be able to have learned some lesson out of this ordeal. The Woodrow Wilson Challenger wishes these amazing spellers the best of luck.

The Spelling Bee Winner and a note to Mrs. MoroneySiddhant PathakOn December 20, 2011, all the students listed at the top and 5 more 8th graders faced off in the

Woodrow Wilson cafeteria against each other to ultimately decide who was going to the district bee. The social studies and English supervisors of the Edison district acted as judges along with Mrs. Moroney, the former vice principal of WWMS while Ms. Nilooban, 7th grade English teacher, became moderator. All of the students fell one by one. I, myself, was eliminated in the 5th round. I wished all those still standing, the best of luck and went my way. I learnt soon enough, that Elizabeth Li had won. I applaud her for her excellent skills in spelling and wish her the best of luck in the district bee. Who knows, a student from Woodrow Wilson might go to the regionals, and then, the nationals! But for now, we can only hope.

So good luck, Elizabeth! We are all with you!

Mrs. Moroney, thank you for giving us this opportunity! We loved being a part of a real-life spelling bee! We send you warm wishes for your new journey! You will be greatly missed!

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Travelling Claire GaoAre you bored to death at home and you really have nothing to do at all, it’s really time for you to experience the time of your lives with some traveling with your family, or alone. But if you say that you have really done some research online, and you don’t really have any places in mind, here are some traveling tips to help you get a better variety of choices.

San DiegoIf you’re in for some city-type life, San Diego is definitely the place. There are glorious shopping malls, and dozens of bars and cafes. You can also try surfing sometime! Don’t miss the nightlife! During the night, the city is awake, restaurants are crowded, people by the beach camping out, or they are simply just hanging out and enjoying the nightlife by taking a walk. When you are there, make sure you visit the zoo. San Diego is famous for its Sea World where Shamu the orca whale performs, along with indispensable dolphins and sea lion shows. Top Gun was also filmed here. While you’re there, make sure to visit La Jolla and watch the thousands of wild sea lions dock on the wooden boards. This area enjoys mild, sunny weather throughout the year. San Diego is a city that has a little bit for everyone.

Las VegasIf you just want to really relax and enjoy some celebrity life, Las Vegas is definitely your place. Las Vegas has luxurious hotels with grand ballrooms. It is mainly the center of gambling in the United States, but there are also many other things to do. Some include watching live entertainment, eating at gourmet restaurants, play golf, shop, or just hang by the pool. You should also try the day trip to the Grand Canyon. It is often very hot in the summer, so winter is the perfect season to go if you want to go somewhere warm for the holidays. Many movies were filmed in Las Vegas, such as Honeymoon in Las Vegas, both versions of Ocean’s Eleven, and CSI Las Vegas. So you can visit the places they filmed these shows. But whatever you do, just make sure that you have

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fun!

Rangiroa, Tuamotu IslandsIf you just want to have fun with some surfing, and beautiful scenery, try the Rangiroa. Rangiroa is one of the most populated islands of the Tuamotu islands. You have probably never heard of it before. If you have, well, good for you. But if you haven’t, shame on you really. Because Rangiroa is one of the world’s best diving sites. It also has a really special bird sanctuary on MotuPaio. You might also want to see one of the many working black pearl farms. These pearls are all collected from the Rangiroa lagoon, natural and pure. And definitely don’t miss the amazing feeling of swimming with the dolphins. But there’s a thing that you must do before you leave, because you might not come back again. That is taking a lagoon cruise with a glass bottom to see the bottom of the lagoon without getting wet. The visitors, who go there and explore this amazing site, will be absolutely stunned. If you are one of those many people who will die never seeing the true wonders of this place, you will really die regretting it. Rangiroa definitely offers the visitors sunshine all year- round, white coral beaches, and an immense playground for water sports and activities.

Neuschwanstein, Germany If you really want to explore some amazing sites, come visit Neuschwanstein, the inspiration of the Disney logo, and Cinderella’s castle. This is truly one of the world’s greatest sites. It is located in Germany. People who come here are always stunned by its beauty no matter how old it is. Part of the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was filmed here. During the fall, the forest leaves change color. A man named Ludwig had this idea. So he called many architects to build this. But after seventeen years of long work, only fourteen of the three hundred sixty rooms were finished before Ludwig died. But even so, it is a truly amazing sight of the grand, wondrous rooms. Be sure you visit there someday. It will truly leave you unforgettable memories.

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Miscellaneous:Trivia Melissa Yang

Disclaimer- all the vocabulary problems came from Wordly Wise 3000 Book 4 By Kenneth Hodkinson and Sandra Adams

Vocabulary Directions: For #1-10, circle the letter of each correct answer to the questions below. Questions may have more than one correct answer. For #10-15, circle the two words that are either synonyms or antonyms, then write S for synonyms or A for antonyms on the line.

1. Which of the following can be shammed?(a) concern (c) sleep(b) honesty (d) interest

2. Which of the following would be irrelevant in judging a student’s writing?(a) the student’s age (c) the width of the margins(b) the student’s name (d) the color of the ink used

3. Which of the following might result in someone’s being evicted from a house?(a) failing to pay the rent (c) causing damage to it(b) using it for illegal purposes (d) running a business from it

4. Which of the following can abate?(a) anger (c) silence(b) high winds (d) applause

5. Which of the following might be considered a trek?(a) a trip to the corner store (c) a walk across Canada (b) a ride in a hot air balloon (d) a plane trip to Europe

6. In which of the following places might you find solitude?(a) a busy airport (c) a log cabin in Alaska(b) a crowded theater (d) an uninhabited island

7. Which of the following can be astute?(a) a reply (c) a solution(b) a person (d) an advertisement

8. Which of these occurred prior to 1990? (a) the Kennedy presidency (c) the 1984 Olympics(b) the death of Abraham Lincoln (d) the 1993 Florida hurricane

9. Which of the following might be devoured?(a) important news (c) a batch of cookies(b) an interesting novel (d) elevator music

10. Which of the following is a derogatory remark?(a) “You’re stupid.” (c) “You’re a saint.”(b) “It’s too expensive (d) “You could do better.”

11. ABATE RULEINCREASE EVICT __

12. AUTHORITY EXPERTAGENT PRACTICE __

13. SECRET IRRELEVANTFAIR IMPARTIAL __

14. INCREASE DESTROYDEVASTATE INFURIATE __

15. INDUSTRIOUS IRRELEVANTSTRONG LAZY

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Arcade Corner Nishant Nagalia

Modern Warfare (MW3)Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3delivers a multiplayer experience that continues to raise the bar by focusing on fast-paced, gun-on-gun combat, along with innovative features that support and enhance a large variety of play-styles. The game is a direct sequel to the previous game in the series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. In the game's single player campaign Russian Ultranationalist Vladimir Makarov continues his domination of Russian Federation forces in their invasion of the United States and Europe. In their way stands Task Force 141 with the legendary Captain John "Soap" MacTavish, and another huge character in the survival of the two countries, former SAS Captain John Price as well as new playable characters from Delta Force and the British SAS. Engage enemy forces in New York, Paris, Berlin and other attack sites across the globe. The world stands on the brink, and Makarov is intent on bringing civilization to its knees. Here are what the gamers have to say:

1. “It came, it saw, it flopped.”

2. “Typical of what happens when a franchise gets too big for itself.”

3. “Done with COD.”

NBA 2K 12This game is full of thrills from making you benchwarmer to a Hall of Famer and playing one of Michael Jordan’s best games, the possibilities are endless. This game celebrates the careers of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. The game creators are always updated on the player’s shoes to the players themselves, and the courts. They even created different mechanics to shoot, steal, pass, and dunk to create intuitive game play. The most impressive add-on was that they relived rivalries and careers that will always be in NBA history with incredible detail. Here are what the gamers have to say:

1. “Great game, but missing some things.”

2. “Worse than last year.”

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Commix Meghna Srinivasan Have you ever made your commix? I know most of you have probably drawn your own or sketched your own, but created it online? Now, I doubt that. Let me show you how to do that. There may be many websites that you can create your own, but there was one that really stood out to me. That was www.make beliefcommix.com. This website gives you access to make your own commix strips. From the moment you’re on, you immediately have access to many characters and emotions you can use in your own strips to make them more interesting *Well what are you waiting for?* *Go online and be creative*

Book Review Swasti Jain

Do you like books? These are some book reviews for some award winning books.

Son of Neptune: Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, has woken from a very deep sleep and come face to face with two snake-haired ladies who refuse to die. But they’re the least of his problems. Because Percy finds himself at a camp for half-bloods, which doesn’t ring any bells for him. There’s just one name he remembers from his past: Annabeth.

Number the Stars: is told from the point of view of ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen. The story is set in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark in September 1943, the third year of the Nazi occupation of Denmark. Annemarie and her best friend Ellen, who is Jewish, are stopped by soldiers on their way home from school. The two girls, who go to the same school and live in the same building, are unsettled by their first direct encounter with the Germans. Mrs. Johansen and Mrs. Rosen are concerned and ask the girls to take a new route to school. The encounter makes Annemarie reflect on what her father has taught her about Denmark and also about her older sister Lise's death a few years before the start of the novel.

Ella Enchanted: Based on Gail Carson Levine's award winning novel, this is the story of Ella, a young woman who was given a "gift" of obedience by a fairy named Lucinda. Anything anyone tells her to do, she must obey. When her mother passes away, Ella is cared for by her thoughtless and greedy father who remarries a loathsome woman with two treacherous daughters. This modern-day, fantasy Cinderella features fairies, ogres and elves...as well as a hero in the guise of Prince Charmont, whom Ella falls in love with. Unlike Cinderella though, Ella must depend on herself and her intelligence to get her through her troubles and find Lucinda in order for her "curse" to be broken.Maniac Magee: For those of you, who haven't already had the pleasure, let us introduce you to this wonderful book? It's about prejudice and love and home and baseball and fear and understanding. It's about Jeffrey Lionel Magee, sometimes known as Maniac Magee, and about the people of the town of Two Mills. Jeffrey’s parents were killed in a trolley accident when he was three and he spent the next eight years in the bizarre household of his Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan, who hated each other but refused to divorce and so lived in the same house without speaking to each other, using Jeffrey as their go-between. In a scene that will remind some of you of John Irving's adult novel, Prayer for Owen Meany, Jeffrey screams at them from the middle of a school concert, "Talk to each other!" and then runs away.

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Movie Review: Hugo Siddhant Pathak

A few weeks ago, I visited the movie theater to search for a movie that would cater to my niche tastes. I found Hugo, a movie made after the hit novel – The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I had not read the book, so I didn’t know what to expect, which sometimes is a good thing. The beginning was a little slow and didn’t reveal the plot so soon. But as time passed, we got to know about the sad tale about Hugo Cabret. I feel that the people who have read the book will, strangely, have a less interesting time watching this movie because they can already guess what is going to happen in the movie and will not enjoy the movie. But everyone in the family will have an amazing time watching this amazing, heart rending movie.

This picture has a star cast full of promising actors such as Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Mortez, and veterans like Ben Kingsley and a surprise appearance by Christopher Lee, the veteran actor from Star Wars and Lord of the Rings

The setting of the movie is in France with a little boy named Hugo Cabret who secretly lives in the train station of Paris taking care of the clocks. The little boy is trying his hardest to fix an automaton he and his father found years ago. The automaton is an old style robot which could originally write, but in Hugo’s case, starts to illustrate the beautiful artworks of Monsieur Labisse(Ben Kingsley). He starts stealing from a toy shop owner, Monsieur Labisse until he is caught. He later discovers, with the help of the shop owner’s granddaughter (Chloe Grace Mortez), the secret of the man’s past, and discovers a new goal, to remind him of his past and helps him realize his true calling. And in the end, his efforts pay and he finds the family again that he once had.

The movie also uses 3D to its best capabilities unlike other movies who pay lip-service to 3D just to get the bean counters ringing. The camera unfolds layers of depth in 3D so beautifully that it is mesmerizing to watch.

Note that this movie may not be suitable for very small kids due to its serious undertones. This is not a Toy Story or Happy Feet for tiny tots. It tugs the right strings and is a touching tale. To all the readers of The Woodrow Wilson Challenger; this movie is a hit in my heart and hopefully, will be in yours too.

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Are you Left-Brained or Right-Brained Joheen Chakraborty Take this simple quiz to see which side of your brain is dominant.

1.) It is easier for you to look for:

A. Specific details

B. Main ideas

2.) Do you remember you dreams?

A. I do not recall dreaming

B. I have dreams and recall them

3.) Do you do your best thinking…

A. Sitting upright

B. Lying down or taking a walk

4.) When given the topic “school”, would you prefer to express your feelings through…

A. Writing

B. Drawing

5.) Do you think of yourself as…

A. Organized

B. Unorganized

6.) Are you usually running late for class or other appointments?

A. No

B. Yes

7.) Which applies most to you:

A. I’m very consistent

B. I’m very spontaneous

8.) Which would you prefer:

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A. I would rather use a general outline when I write

B. I would not want to use an outline when writing

9.) When taking a test, which is easier for you?

A. Objective (multiple choice, true/false, matching)

B. Subjective (discussion, open-ended, short answer)

10.)In a desk or other areas, you arrange objects according to:

A. Function

B. Appearance

11.)Deadlines and schedules:

A. Make your work easier to do

B. They interfere with the way you work

12.)When asked your opinion, you:

A. Think thoroughly before you speak

B. Immediately say what’s on your mind

13.)When you walk into a theater, auditorium, classroom, or any other type of hall (assuming there are no influential factors), would you rather sit on the

A. Left side

B. Right side

14.)Are you better at:

A. Analyzing the different parts of a problem

B. Thinking of many solutions to the problem

15.)Do you often have hunches?

A. No

B. Yes

16.)Do you like to keep things the way they are, or often change their arrangement?

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A. Keep

B. Change

17.)You get word plays and jokes…

A. Within a second or two of thought

B. Immediately

18.)Your workspace is…

A. Neat and organized

B. Cluttered with all the stuff you might need

19.)When doing work…

A. You must do so in absolute silence

B. You like to listen to music

20.)Which is easier for you?

A. Algebra

B. Geometry

Results:Count up the number of A’s and B’s.

If you got mostly A’s, your brain has Left Hemisphere Dominance. You are probably linear, sequential, symbolic, logical, verbal, and reality-based. If you have left hemisphere dominance, you process information from part to whole. You are probably a list-maker and good planner. You are good at following directions and pay attention to details. You are comfortable with symbols, which involve linguistic and mathematical endeavors. You don’t have trouble expressing yourself with words, you are probably a good speller, and feel comfortable with assignments which involve analyzing and reasoning.

If you got mostly B’s, your brain has Right Hemisphere Dominance. You are probably holistic, random, concrete, intuitive, non-verbal, and fantasy-oriented. If you have right hemisphere dominance, you process information from whole to parts. You don’t pay much attention to details but look insteadat the big picture. You don’t adapt very well to fixed schedules or rules; you like to manage your own time. You learn best with pictures, diagrams, chart, and videos. You may be artistically or musically inclined. Sometimes you may know something but not why. You are probably impulsive and very expressive, and probably a dreamer.

If you got an equal amount of A’s and B’s, your brain has Integrated Hemisphere Dominance. You have what is known as the Golden Brain: you have strong qualities from either hemisphere. You can see the whole picture when processing information but can as well pay attention to details. You like organizing a schedule, but enjoy too being spontaneous and changing it whenever you feel like it. You are good at endeavors that require language, math, reasoning, and analyzing, but also have a specific feeling for the arts and music. You have reasoning abilities, but you also follow your gut.

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Robots Adithiya Rachakulla Here is a great android, which is now playing Ping-Pong. You may not believe it but, this is the first humanoid athlete. There may be other robots, for example; there can be robots from movies, magazines, graphic novels and games. There was a new movie that was released a year ago. It was an Indian movie that is now in every Indian etymological knowledge. There are two different names. One of names goes to two languages. The other one on the other hand only goes to one language [Tamil].The other languages are [Hindi,Telegu]. The two names are Enthiran for Tamil, and Robot or Robo for Telegu and Hindi. If you look close enough then you see a scientist is making a robot. You can also tell that this is not a costume because there are wires attached to him. This is snap shot from the movie Robo. If you wanted to make an android, it would at least take nine years, wouldn’t it? But this man made it in 4 years. This may not be the most famous movie, but there is one advanced robot movie and the title is……………..” Terminator, it’s been a huge hit; I saw the ending where the terminator goes into lava. Don’t you see human skin and technology overlapping? If the makers of these robots can make them noticeable in movies then why can’t they make them visible in real life? With one more thing to say I could see wires going in and out of this robot. I want you to answer this question before we are done, ‘’Will androids take over the world after 3 more decades?” Now another snap shot from Robo. Yes right here you see a chopped off robot head? Do you see a brain with blood gushing out or a mechanical wires, possessors and microchips? Think of the best android picture for the army use, Yes, you may have thought of fabulous ones but in my opinion I may have good one .Now all of this is to prove that robots exist will exist some day.

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Turning Stress into Strength Peter WuIn a recent issue of Time magazine, the cover story was about anxiety. Anxiety, one of the most

common reactions right now in the world, can be a hazardous one if you don’t know how to handle it. In some cases, being too anxious can lead to increased perception of pain, reduced production of immune cells (you can get sick more often) and last but not least, the stress hormones can cause higher blood pressure.

Too much work is claimed to be one of the leading causes of anxiety. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should stop complaining about your work to reduce it. In fact, new studies show that a little anxiety can actually boost performance in word, tests and many other things. But beware, too much can be counterproductive and lead to exhaustion.

Adults are not the only ones that have to deal with stress. Stress is also a concern among students in schools because they have many things to worry about, especially for sixth grade students because of the sudden change of environment and more responsibilities.

Recently, I conducted a survey among sixth-grade students in Woodrow Wilson Middle school on what they worry about. About sixty percent of the students I interviewed had claimed that grades were what they mostly worried about. About twenty percent of them said that nothing worried them in school. Five percent added that parent teacher conferences worried them about the rest mentioned another reason, such as friends.

Woodrow Wilson is full of competitive students. Getting good grades does not come stress-free. It means hard work. The stress will drive people to work harder. As you can see, stress and concern can be a positive thing- it motivates.

But too much stress can counteract all that hard work. Some may be too exhausted from the stress to study. Some others may pull a late-nighter and find out that they forgot everything they studied yesterday. As a result, too much stress can be a negative factor – it exhausts students to the students to push themselves and achieve more.

The way that you can tell that you are experiencing too much anxiety is by sudden fatigue, and the natural resistance of not wanting to do anything because of fatigue. You need to make sure you know how to balance on the peak of better performance.

Some tips on how to balance your stress and work are:

Make sure you get good night’s sleep. People who didn’t study but rested well

Tend to do better than those who studied, but stayed up late doing so. Get your priorities straight and don’t procrastinate. If you focus and finish early, you can get a

good night’s rest. You might even get a chance to play video games. Organize it. Some people felt better knowing where his/her things are.

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Interview with Mr.Scully Siddhant Pathak and Nithish Selvaraj

Recently, Nithish and I had the pleasure of interviewing the new vice principal of our own WWMS, Mr.Scullly. During the lunch break, Mr.Scully was kind enough to come down to the “WWMS Challenger” headquarters and sit down for an interview with us. Here are the questions we asked him:

1. Mr. Scully, tell us a little bit about yourself. A: I’ve been working in middle schools for 20 years. I have four children, all boys, and the eldest one is in 6th grade. I am a Yankee fan and a Dallas Cowboy fan, and I coach football and baseball.

2. How were your experiences at John Adams Middle School? A: They were wonderful. Extremely positive. I am proud of it.

3. What emotions did you feel during your transitions during John Adams and Woodrow

Wilson? A: I felt excited to come to WWMS and a little nostalgic because I worked at John Adams for so long.

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4. Are you enjoying your time at WWMS? A: Very much

5. As a child, did you have any unpleasant experiences? Do you think children today face the same issues? If so, what do you think kids can do to get over their problems?

A: None unpleasant, but times today are much different than when I was a child. Technology has progressed greatly. I think kids can talk to trusted adults such as counselors, administrators, and teachers.

6. Do you think the students of Woodrow Wilson Middle School show appreciation to you? A: It’s a tough question. Time will tell.

7. Any words on the sports of WWMS? A: Keep up the good work and make us proud. You guys are wonderful athletes.

8. Do you think the students of WWMS are getting good grades? A: Absolutely. It’s one of the highest performing middle schools in the district.

9. Any last words? A: I’m looking forward to meeting all the students. I’m excited about being part of the Woodrow Wilson family.

Chorus Melissa YangLaaaaa~ I hope you all went to the Winter Concert and listened to the 6 th and 7th and 8th grade sing! But who is the best at singing choir music (at least, those who take Chorus as an elective,) really? This was determined at the Regional Auditions on January 7th, 2011.

I would like to congratulate:(8th Grade)

Tanaya Badsa Prachi Deshpande Melinda Hu Vaisnnari Rao David Schildkraut

(7th Grade) Devina Lohani Akshat Gakhale Aabha Joshi Shobhana Sridar

(6th Grade) Sangeevani Joshi Melissa Yang Juliana Martino

for getting into the Regional Chorus!

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If you were one of the people that did not get in, don’t be depressed, as there are many people who were trying out for Soprano II who did not get in. Also, singing in choir is different than regular singing along with the radio. Maybe you’re talented in something else. Don’t give up!

If you did not audition and are curious of the songs that the people that auditioned sang, then read on!

1. Major Scale Cappella- Sop. I: G, Sop. II: E, Alto: B flat2. “America” (My Country Tis of Thee) 3. “Red River Valley” with accompaniment

If this information was not clear enough, please visit http://cjmea.org/Documents/Intermediate_Chorus_Audition_Requirements%20091711.pdf for more information about the songs. Spring Chorus Information

If you are thinking of singing along with the choir for this spring, see Miss Jensen as soon as possible! The Spring Concert is on May 17, 2012, Thursday, at 7 P.M. The songs are, so far, a secret!

Sports Tejas Venkatasubramanian

Still looking for the NBA game? Well, they’re still in a lockout. The lockout began when owners stopped all NBA work on July 1. It’s been a long slog from then on. Though there were at least four times when a deal seemed imminent, it came about only recently. But no games. Yet.

But, Christmas really brings hope. According to the deal announced on November 26, the season starts December 25. I now have three reasons to celebrate. Christmas, the NBA season, but just as important, my little sister’s birthday. A true trifecta.

On the basketball side, I finally get to see Dirk Nowitzki after I moved to New Jersey. Not only does my name mean Texas in Spanish, I was also born there and is the only place I have ever known. I remember crying when the Dallas Mavericks lost in 2006 and was doubly delighted when they beat the same team, the Miami Heat, this year for the Championship that they had lost to in 2006.

I know my parents are going to be after me to not watch the NBA on TV, but I just have to beg and plead with them to be able to. Perhaps I can convince them that I could watch the games in return for good grades. Now, that is a thought.

Boys and girls basketball games are beginning soon, so don’t miss our beloved Challengers play. It would’ve been even better if I’d have had a chance to play myself, but I’ll get better next year. I will be cheering the Challengers till my throat is dry. All enjoy basketball. Wish me luck on my grades, so that I can do the same.

WWMS Current News Tejas Venkatasubramanian and Aditya

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http://cjmea.org/Documents/Intermediate_Chorus_Audition_Requirements%20091711.pdf


IyerThe holiday season is still with us and it is spectacularly awesome!!! Holidays such as Christmas,

New Year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and, an upcoming holiday: Valentine’s Day. First off, with all these holidays that happened, there was NO SCHOOL!!!! Second is, that, due to family time and the traveling that usually took place during the holiday season is that you received much less homework than usual! Third, are the school breaks that students and teachers alike love and wait weeks and months for, and holidays, too.

We know many big holidays, but, did you know what they stood for? The biggest holiday we all know is Christmas of course, because that’s when we got all the cool presents from “Santa” and get to spend time with our families. New Year’s Eve was another big holiday because we celebrated the coming of the New Year, and we made our resolutions or things we wished to change about ourselves for the year. Martin Luther King Day reminds us of the cherished values of equality and civil rights to us all. Valentine’s Day, another big holiday, is when we express our feelings for our loved ones. Those are just a few of the many possible holidays we chose to explain.

Though holidays may have been the best thing around the block, there was also big news like the school spelling bee and the geography bee finals. There are also the report cards for the students. We’re sure parents and students alike are excited to see how the students are doing in school. Also, remember to save up your money and buy some great books at the WWMS Scholastic book fair. It’s one of the school’s most fun fundraisers. Also don’t forget that boys and girls basketball games are on the way so don’t forget to watch our Challengers play! You may also want to sign up for wrestling, which is still up in the air for anyone who wishes to participate. So overall, there are many things to do at WWMS but that’s not all. They also have various clubs that you could join like Odyssey of the Mind, Newspaper Club, Math Club, Cross Country, and Make a Change Club. With all this news we’re sure you’ll think twice about doing nothing in school other than your everyday required activities and classes.

However, over and above all this is the fact that we have to reflect on what has gone by and what we need to do next. A whole year came to an end. A time when we let the past go by and look for new beginnings. Life is all about renewal, learning from the past and reaching to newer and higher things. I wish all of us a great, more responsible and happy future.

The Great Play Meghna Srinivasan

On Thursday, January 19th Mrs. Cotoia was nice enough to let the 6th graders watch the winter play, performed by both 6th and 7th graders. The play was split into two shows. The first, called The Great Americans Of the 20 th century was put on by the 6th graders. The play was showed us as an awards assembly to explain all the heroes who helped construct our nation right now. These kids worked extremely hard (worked

early morning and late afternoon) to give everyone a stunning performance.

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On the other hand, the 7th graders, worked hard to put on Bullies Anonymous. This show told us how we can stop bullies from being…. bullies. They demonstrated how much bullies hurt people, what they like, and much more. I myself thought this play was outstanding and learned from it. A special thanks to all cast and

especially Mrs.Luckenbaugh and Ms. Jensen for making this a truly inspiring event. Hope everyone liked it!

Thanks for being ‘chicken’ for a great cause, Mr. Papernick!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the first issue of The Woodrow Wilson Challenger!

The Newspaper Team

Teacher Supervisor: Mrs. Colicchio

Editor-in-chief: Siddhant Pathak

Journalists:

Siddhant Pathak

Claire Gao

Melissa Yang

Meghna Srinivasan

Peter Wu

Joheen Chakraborty

Tejas Venkatasubramanian

17


Swasti Jain

Nithish Selvaraj

Nishant Nagalia

Aditya Iyer

Adithya Rachakulla

18