The Sycamore Flyer
February 2016
School News
Let's Dance!
In November, the project “Cans For Jams” was finished and over 4,000 cans were collected by Sycamore Junior High School students! Since we met this challenge, we are going to have a Valentine's Day Dance on the 12th of February, and it will take place directly after school. Not only did we help the needy on Thanksgiving, we get to dance the night away!
A DJ was impressed with our worthy cause, and has offered to play music at our dance! We are also having Beta Club’s Compatibility Test again this year, if any of the 8th graders remember that. It's a great way to meet new friends based on your compatibility!
There was also a challenge for the aviator bell who brought in the most cans. That competition was won by Miss Endreola’s aviator bell class, and they get to “makeover” their teacher. Miss. Endreola’s class will decide her outfit for the dance! Poor Miss Endreola, we will keep our fingers crossed for you!
We donated to a great cause, and we hope to see you at our first Valentine's Dance in five years!By: Olivia Lindsey 8
Valentine's Day Dance
Great music!
Pizza and snacks for a nominal cost.
Compatibility results!
This is one school event you won't want to miss!
Make some great memories!
Friday, Feb 12, 2016, 03:15 PM
Sycamore Junior High School, Cooper Road, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Library Fines Getting High? Here's a Great Deal For YOU!
Snow Days 2016. Where are They?
Snow days are a magical thing: the snow, the games, the activities, and especially the chance to just take a break from school. So why haven’t we gotten many this year? Perhaps it is because of one simple thing- we have not adhered to the snow day myths, those traditional things we can all do to ensure enough snow to cancel school. We know the common ones, like flushing ice cubes, but what are ALL of them? Here is a list of suggestions.
Putting A Spoon Under The Pillow
Wearing Your Pajamas Inside-Out
Leave Ice Cubes On The Porch- more is better!
Put a white crayon in the freezer.
Do a Snow Dance!
Flush An Ice Cube Down Your Toilet
So even if we do get some snow, how much snow is needed for Sycamore Schools to cancel? After asking Mrs. Zelvy, I was informed that it all depends on the road conditions. Those are determined on, what time the snow falls, how quickly and heavily it falls, how much it accumulates, and how well pre-treated or cleared the roads are.
What is the best snow day activity? We took a survey and found out what the students prefer to do on their special day off. Below is a graph showing what the students said in the poll. In the end, the activity that was most popular is sleeping in or staying in pajamas, which is a ton of fun, and the least popular activity is doing homework, which is understandable. (Sorry teachers, but it is a snow day!)
By: Olivia Lindsey 8
Adopt a Senior Day
Sycamore is a fantastic school district, not only academically speaking, but also with helping others. From leaf raking for the elderly to the canned food drive, we are always doing something to improve the community.
One of the most recent philanthropic projects of the school’s was Adopt a Senior Day, which took place on the Friday before winter break. Adopt a Senior Day is a day when local senior citizens (including retired staff members) are invited to the junior high and are supplied with crafts, magic tricks, drinks, lunch, and homemade baked goods. And if that weren’t enough, he choirs put on a melodious concert for them at the end of the day.
Adopt a Senior Day has become of tradition here at Sycamore Junior High. It was started in the 80s by Mr. Tom McCormack who was a social studies teacher here at SJHS for many years. He not only attended this past event, but was honored there to celebrate what a grand success his idea has become. Mr. McCormack was the man who started this tradition, and lately Mrs. Nagel and Mrs. Darbyshire have been carrying it on. Sadly, this was the last Adopt a Senior Day Mrs. Nagel would be coordinating due of her upcoming retirement.
Of course, the success of ASD has depended on many more people. The Beta Club members, Ms. Mott, who did some risky yet skilled juggling (knives were involved), and Mr. Bemmes, who performed magic tricks, all made Adopt a Senior Day one to remember.
Hopefully, the Adopt a Senior Day celebration will continue on so that more and more community members get to experience this lovely Sycamore Junior High tradition. Everyone who helped out did an amazing job, and truly made these seniors’ holidays brighter.
By: Maya Goldenberg 8
SCHOOL SPORTS
Boys Basketball
The Sycamore Junior High basketball teams are getting prepared for the Great Miami Conference (GMC) tournament. The GMC tournament will begin on Thursday, February 4th, and will be played at Princeton Middle School on Saturday at 10:15. They have been working long and hard to make sure they get rid of any obstacle in their way, by keeping a record of 5-7 (5 wins, 7 losses).
I interviewed Tanner Harris, one of the team’s guards, to see what the team is doing to prepare.
How are you preparing for the GMC?
¨Every practice we are working our hardest and paying attention to Mr. James. We are preparing by always playing our hearts out no matter the circumstances."
How is Coach James coaching the team?
“He is a really good coach and knows a lot about basketball. He is probably the best coach I have had.”
Do you think your team is prepared?
“There are a lot of good teams in the conference, but I think we are a good team, so as long as we play our hearts out than we can be successful in this tournament.”
What are two ways in which you could improve your team?
“If I could improve the team in one way, I think we can play with more intensity and fire. We could also use our heads more and focus on not turning the ball over.”Gunjan Bahri 7
A Day at Sycamore Junior High School
WORLD NEWS
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day you may think of as just a long weekend in January. But do you know its true meaning?
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was both a minister at a Baptist church and a civil rights activist dedicated to the rights of African Americans. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, King organized nonviolent protests, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and March on Washington, believing that ”...hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” In 1955, a woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama and was arrested. A day later, the NAACP, or Nation Association for the Advancement of Colored People, planned a boycott of the Montgomery city buses. The boycott was led by MLK and lasted 381 days. Additionally, Martin Luther King, Jr. organized an event called March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. King also encouraged sit-ins, protests where students would sit at segregated lunch counters, and accept abuse with no violence.
On April 4, 1963, Dr. King was assassinated while standing on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was on his way to dinner after supporting a sanitation workers’ strike in the city when he was shot by a criminal named James Earl Ray, one day after delivering his speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”.
The federal holiday was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 and went into effect in 1986, but was still not accepted by all states at that time. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day happens on the third Monday of every January which is close to the day of King’s birthday on January 15th.
Many events occurred this year in honor of Dr. King, such as a march in Cincinnati from the Freedom Center to Music Hall. There is also a Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington D.C. that opened in 2011. The holiday honors the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr, one that Americans must never forget.
By: Allison McElroy 7
Fired Up About Gun Laws
In October, there was yet another mass shooting. Voice dropping in disbelief, President Barack Obama stated that “We’ve become numb to this.” While in front of cameras, he lashed out at the lawmakers out of frustration. He sees them as cowards. Now that there has been a series of mass shootings in Oregon, South Carolina and California, Obama has been encouraged to enact a few gun safety measures.
On January 12, 2016, he tried to press for public support on the issue at a live town hall which was hosted by CNN. This coincided with Obama’s final State of the Union address. Obama has a slight advantage- he has the power to issue what is called an “executive order.” This means that he can issue an order or rule to the executive branch of the government, and has the force of law.
This ties in with the 2016 Presidential Elections. If Hillary Clinton becomes Commander in Chief, as a Democrat, she would most likely keep the gun laws he enacted. On the contrary, if a Republican such as Donald Trump were to be elected, they would be allowed to veto those safety measures given by Obama. Currently the White House is trying to expand background checks on gun buyers. The real question is whether or not Obama’s gun control plan will actually work.
Nikhil Gupta 7
Rising Drug Prices: A Major Problem for Many Americans
Daraprim is a widely used drug that fights malaria and toxoplasmosis, which affects people with weak immune systems from varying causes including chemotherapy, AIDS, and pregnancy. It was initially produced by the company GlaxoSmithKline, but is currently owned by Turing Pharmaceuticals of New York. Originally, the drug sold for about a dollar a tablet, and the price was raised to $13.50 per tablet. Soon after purchasing the drug, Turing Pharmaceuticals raised the price of the popular drug to an overwhelming price of $750 per tablet, which marks an increase of approximately 5,000 percent.
People were immediately troubled by the increased price, and it’s not just Turing Pharmaceuticals that is raising its drug prices. Many companies are doing the same; the annual cost of treatment for some patients is now hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to a report from the Prime Institute at the University of Minnesota, the average cost of brand-name medication rose 13 percent in 2013.
Dahlia Wang 8
Lifestyle
Who Needs the NFL?
The Puppy Bowl is an annual television program on Animal Planet that is similar to the Super Bowl, but instead with puppies as the players. This year on Super Bowl Sunday, the show will consist of footage of 84 puppies that play inside a model stadium, with commentary on their actions. The Puppy Bowl is shown on February 7, 2005. The puppies that are featured in the Puppy Bowl are from shelters. Puppies from every state come and compete. There are two teams, Team Ruff and Team Fluff.
Not only is there a Puppy Bowl, there is also the Kitty Halftime Show which features kittens playing for 30 minutes with a wide variety of toys. The grand finale of the Puppy Bowl Halftime Show is a confetti blast that sends most of the cats running away. All the kittens are also animals from shelters, and are adoptable. This year there will be goat cheerleaders. Previous cheerleaders were bunnies, chickens, hedgehogs, pigs, and penguins.
By: Olivia Lindsey 8
Beauty Trends That Need Some Help
Ah, spring. The beauty trends during this nearing season tend to be so wonderfully dark- now hold on… that sounds more like winter, in all of its dimly shaded lipsticks, bushy brows, and cakey contouring glory. Now don’t get me wrong, the popular makeup modes during this holiday season have been very exciting, inventive, and fun to try out, but there comes a time when trends woke up from the past (hello 90’s) will go back to their original home.
Some of the most recent makeup things-of-the-moment have originated from the famous- two of which may have become more well known than the stars they came
from. I am talking about contouring and thick eyebrows. They both started out as striking and new ideas, but as most things do, they got blown out of proportion. Instead of the feathery and luxuriant brows Cara Delevingne is known for, people began filling them in much too dark and boxy to the point where they didn’t look natural anymore.
Then there is contouring. At first, contouring was a way to subtly define certain areas on the face, which is how Kendall Jenner used it-until she took it too far. So far in fact, that other members of her family, fans, and the public followed. Contouring became not-so-subtle and more like someone scribbling on a face with dark powder. In short, it became a hot mess.
Yes, what happened to those trends were truly tragic, but now is not the time to forget the trends completely. Kendall stated she’d be toning down the contouring, which would result in looking more natural and fresh. As for the eyebrows, keeping them feathery, but still on the thicker side, is the way to go.
In the end, refining these makeup-things-of-the-moments will make their time last longer and into the spring. As for the black lipstick, it’s on its way back to the 90’s. This coming spring is all about looking clean and fresh with neutral nudes, crimson reds, and pretty pinks. I have to say I’m pretty excited.
By: Maya Goldenberg 8
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Donald Trump For President?
Building a wall may stop immigrants from entering the U.S., but it will not stop the racist comments that Donald Trump has made about certain classes of citizens. Donald Trump has been known to “say what's on his mind”, or “speak the truth”, and many young voters are hooked by the non political businessman's edgy words. However other people do not feel the same way. Donald Trump has been known to slander women, Latinos ,and other presidential candidates in the 2016 election. Recently, Donald Trump defended his comment about calling women “fat pigs, slobs, and disgusting animals.” Well, shaming women doesn't sound like a “good time” to the women in America.
Some may wonder why Donald Trump is so high in the election polls. One reason for this is that Donald is not a politician, which makes the American people believe that they can trust his words and that he won’t provide them with false hope. Another reason is that reporters say Donald Trump is edgy because he says what he believes attracts young, new voters. After the recent terrorist attacks, American voters are afraid that something tragic may potentially happen again in America. Voters want a president who will take action and take care of what they believe to be immigration problems.
Donald Trump has been a part of the business world since 1971, when he first joined his family’s business, Trump Organization. He then pursued to build his empire. He was also a part of the hit reality show The Apprentice, in which he gave celebrities ravishing prizes after certain challenges that were presented to them. Later, Trump allowed business people to join so they had the opportunity to get a job in Donald’s organization. Although Trump has had his business success, he did also have failures. Trump almost filed for bankruptcy in 1990 after the real estate market declined, leaving Trump’s businesses to take a decrease of an estimated 500$ million to 1.7 billion. However, shortly after the fall, Donald Trump was back on top of the market.
Donald Trump has proven to be a powerful businessman, but can he be a powerful president? Donald Trump has been a part of the business world for 45 years, so if he is elected for president, will he run America as a business? I guess we will have to wait for the presidential election of 2016.
Mia Maniet 8
Drones: Run For Your Life!
Drones. Maybe when you hear this word, you think of something futuristic or science fiction-y. However, these creatures are upon us. Some of them are simply fun toys, but others can be extremely creepy. Drones are being sold to the public equipped with cameras and video and audio capability. They can be used to look into people’s houses and private property. Put simply: drones can help people stalk others.
Bethany R. Brown 8
Fine Arts Forgotten?
The Sycamore Junior High does a fantastic job acknowledging athletic and academic achievements, but our fine art programs are often overlooked.
Every Monday, our school announces a Student of the Week and an Athlete of the Week, but we don’t recognize any students active in fine arts programs. Also, both the eighth grade band and orchestra performed at the Ohio Music Education Association conference this month. That was a huge honor, but unless you are a part of either of these activities you wouldn’t have known about it. This is because achievements that fall under the fine arts category aren’t announced or publicized as much as other programs. Finally, all the choirs have a Choir Student of the Month, but that is most likely unknown to anyone who doesn't participate in choir because that award isn't addressed as much as other awards.
When asked their opinion on the acknowledgements of fine arts, most were quick to say they thought the program was under-appreciated at our school or that it does not get as much recognition as other programs, such as academics or athletics. One student even said “‘I think we should treat our sports like the fine arts. The fine arts should get more recognition because everyone knows what happens in sports, but they don’t know much about our music, art, or theater programs.’” In conclusion, anyone who participates in activities that fall under the fine arts program puts a lot of work and effort into becoming better, but but unfortunately their dedication isn’t recognized as much as other school programs.
Lindsey Brinkman 8
THE FLYER STAFF
The Flyer Staff
Issue Four. February 5, 2016
Instagram: @thesycamoreflyer
Our staff includes thirteen brilliant writers, two editors, thirteen photographers and 850 student contributors.
Editors: Caroline Skwara, Dahlia Wang
Layout Editor: Lydia Masset
Cartoon Artwork: Ella Wahlquist, Allison McElroy
Staff Writers: Gunjan Bahri, Allison McElroy, Nikhil Gupta, Maya Goldenberg, Lindsey Brinkman, Marc Filippelli, Olivia Lindsey, Bethany Brown, Athena Eborall
Email: theflyer@sycamoreschools.org
Location: 5757 Cooper Road, Cincinnati, OH, United States