The Paw Print
Novi Middle School's Student Newspaper
Volume 21 Issue 6 / February 23, 2021
NMS IN THE NEWS
Students prepare for Battle of the Books
By: Lorelai Raudszus
The Battle of The Books (BOB) is a reading incentive program for seventh graders held by Novi Middle School. It is intended to inspire students to read more and encourage the exploration of different genres. It is also another way to celebrate and embrace March’s Reading Month-- (designated by America's Charities as National Reading Month).
Ms. Wesner, NMS’s Media Specialist, has been the organizer of Battle of the Books for nearly 13 years and managed to find a way to continue the traditional battles virtually.
The date of Battle of the Books is March 25, 2021.
What to expect
In previous years, Battle of the Books was designed as a “Jeopardy!” game (a quiz competition). Students would sit at their table in groups and play “Jeopardy!” style. The winners of each class would be rewarded with a pizza party during school.
This year, however, will look much different. Students will be put into digital breakout rooms within Zoom, dividing each team. Because a pizza party is not possible during the pandemic, the winners will be able to earn gift cards to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the next NMS Book Fair.
How it works
There are 13 different puzzles and clues for each battle students have to work together to solve. The first team to unclose all electronic locks and decipher and decode the clues for each puzzle the fastest, wins. Students must do all this within the 45 minute ELA class period. So you are not only competing with others to solve all puzzles, but you are also racing against the clock.
How to prepare
According to Ms. Wesner, you should be fine just reading your book(s). There will be comprehension questions and application puzzles. You must be able to understand what happened in the book and apply it to the challenges. Be prepared for more puzzles, critical thinking, and teamwork involved than in the past.
Apply knowledge from ELA class
Students have learned various techniques in ELA related to reading and comprehension strategies. They have practiced class discussions, experienced breakout rooms, and are aware of appropriate behaviors. All of this knowledge and ability will prove very helpful when the Battle arrives.
Teamwork makes dreamwork
Ms. Wesner stresses that, “...teamwork and collaboration is a must.” Students may join in and participate; working together to succeed. As students have already been told, it is critical to make sure more than one person has read each book, and your team confers and discusses their findings or conclusions in meetings. When in your breakout rooms during the battles, remember to stay organized. Ms. Wesner suggests one student be the person to manage the breakout so you may prevent others from jumping all over the board. This way you can have everything answered in an orderly way.
Final words of advice
“Just have fun, read as much as you can, (and) try something new you wouldn’t normally read. This is a great time to do that because there's lots of fun prizes to be given out.” -Ms. Wesner
Mindfulness & Meditation: What’s The Difference?
By: DaYou Choi
What do you think of when you hear the word, “mindfulness”? You might think of deep breathing, sitting still, or relaxing your muscles. However, that is not exactly mindfulness. Sometimes the terms mindfulness and mediation are used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Mindfulness is a quality while mediation is the practice. You can achieve mindfulness through meditation - sitting comfortably in a quiet place, taking slow and deep breaths, and focusing on your breathing and mind. Doing this is said to have mental and physical benefits, but first, what is mindfulness?
According to the Greater Good Magazine by Berkeley University, mindfulness means “...maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” Meditation is thousands of years old, believed to be a way to find enlightenment. It has its roots in ancient Buddhist meditation practices but does not have to be practiced as a religion like some do. It magnifies focusing on the present instead dwelling on the past or the future.
Meditation and mindfulness is considered to reduce stress. The Harvard Gazette published an article on the benefits of mindfulness. A retired internal medicine doctor, Suzanne Westbrook, led an 8-week long mindfulness program that centered on reducing stress. Everyone experiences stress at some point in their life, as said by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. The aforementioned Harvard article includes information from a study conducted by Herbert Benson. Through his research he was able to conclude that meditation resulted in what he referred to as the “relaxation response” - a phenomenon where the human body sees benefits such as reduced blood pressure and heart rate. When the human body receives stress it can make your heart beat faster or make your muscles tense.
Studies like this have shown that stress can be reduced through meditation and mindfulness.
As students, it is common to be stressed about work or other extra curriculars. I have personally noticed that by taking even just two or three minutes to take a deep breath and close my eyes, I feel more relaxed and less stressed about school work.
Another benefit from meditation and mindfulness is that it improves focus and concentration. When you start to meditate, you might begin to notice the sounds around you better. That is because your mind is calm, and you can focus on where you are. In an article by Penn State University, it states, “As you learn to concentrate and focus on your breath, you will notice more thoughts because you are aware of them. So it may seem as if a thousand things come to you during this time. But this means your attention is actually working better…”. By heightening and practicing paying attention to detail through meditation we can become more mindful of how you and others around you feel. This benefits students by allowing them to be more attuned to their surroundings and mental state. Being more aware of yourself it can help you know when you’re stressed and when to take a break.
Mindfulness and meditation might seem like hard to grasp, mysterious concepts, but they can be easily incorporated into your life. Try finding time to be in a quiet place and learn about how you are feeling. If you are stressed, take a few deep breaths and relax. Pay attention to the sounds near you. You can play some calming music or nature sounds to focus on. Meditation and mindfulness are scientifically proven to have health benefits. Try it out the next time you feel stressed or have some free time, it can provide positive benefits for you.
BEYOND THE BLUE ROOF
COVID numbers down, hope arrives
By: Srijan Agarwal and Abhiram Gadde
We all have experienced 10+ months of quarantine because of the wide spreading COVID-19 disease. Each day in the news, we would hear high numbers of COVID-19 cases that were reported that day. Unfortunately, on January 8th, 2021, the U.S. received a total of 308,309 NEW COVID-19 cases (Worldometers). This number was the highest since ten months of the dangerous and deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
But, there is some news that gives us hope. Since January 9th, 2021 till date, the daily number of cases have lowered to 121,627 (data of February 4th, 2021) (Worldometers). Now, the vaccination process started around the beginning of December. As a result, we can infer that since people started getting vaccinated, the spread started to decrease. This amount is nearly 1/3rd of the data received on January 8th, 2021. Now, the point is, should we be complacent and careless in following the norms of COVID?
States are easing rules and regulations on COVID-19
According to CNN Health, Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts announced on Thursday, February 4th, 2021, that businesses in the state are allowed to increase their operating capacity of 25% to 40% starting from Monday, February 7th, 2021. Similar decisions were made by the Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor of Rhode Island. Pryor announced that starting Friday, February 5th, 2021, restaurants are allowed to have 50% capacity since the surge in COVID-19 cases has decreased. New Jersey made its place in this list by “announcing it will ease indoor gathering limits and lift the 10 p.m. curfew for restaurants, citing decreasing Covid-19 spreading rates and hospitalization rates. Indoor gathering capacity limits, including for indoor dining, will be raised to 35% from 25%.” This huge decision was made on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021. In addition, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced that if the positivity rate of the virus continued to decline, -- as of Jan. 29 the rate was at 4.6%, the lowest since Nov. 28 -- indoor dining could resume with 25% capacity on Sunday, February 14th, 2021. However, is the daily death rate of the U.S. also declining? (CNN Health)
COVID cases are declining, but is the economy recovering?
According to Bloomberg, the economy is starting to recover and good news is coming in. States easing regulations, restaurants allowing 50% capacity, Americans enjoying the $900 billion stimulus package are some signs that show improvement. And, there is a chance that there will be no more stimulus paychecks distributed. But, we cannot fully ascertain that the economy is recovered. Some states are still receiving many requests for unemployment benefits. OpenTable U.S. Seated Diners, YoY (year over year) % Change has decreased to -58.6 (as of January 29th, 2021) (Bloomberg). However, there are also risks that sectors most adversely continue to suffer if the new variants of the Coronavirus start to spread around aggressively.
The daily COVID-19 case decline will result in good news, but things can still go wrong. States easing regulations may result in a sudden increase because of the high amounts of people allowed. New York, a former COVID-19 hotspot, is allowing restaurants to function at 25% capacity which might not be such a good decision. Results can take very sharp turns sometimes and they can be dangerous.
Biden's Cabinet choices demonstrate diversity
By: Arvind Salem
President Biden had some important decisions to make with his Cabinet. Many of his secretaries served under President Obama and his picks are some of the most diverse in history. Below are his appointees who have been confirmed. Those confirmed have their accolades listed. Listed at the end are those who haven’t been confirmed yet.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Denis McDonough has been confirmed by the Senate and served as President Obama’s Chief of Staff from 2013 to 2017 and before that was the deputy national security advisor.
Secretary of Transportation: Pete Buttigieg was the mayor of South Bend Indiana and was confirmed by the Senate. However, he doesn’t have any experience outside of that and has no experience in transportation.
Secretary of Homeland Security: Alejandro Mayorkas was confirmed by the Senate. He has previous experience with the department, helping implement the DACA immigration program of the Obama administration. He will be responsible for continuing his work with DACA and other immigration programs.
Secretary of State: Antony Blinken was a key member of President Biden’s campaign and is a longtime aide to President Biden. He served on the National Security Council under President Clinton and was Democratic Staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair.
Secretary of Treasury: Janet Yellen was a former chair of the Federal Reserve ( the federal bank of the United States). She has a lot of experience.
Secretary of Defense: Lloyd Austin was a four star general in the U.S. Army, commanded an entire division in combat and oversaw an entire theatre of operations. He worked under President Obama along with Biden.
Director of National Intelligence: Avril Haines was the deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy CIA Director in the Obama administration.
Additional picks: Miguel Cardona ( for Secretary of Education), Marcia Fudge ( for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), Jenifer Granholm( for Secretary of Energy), Gina Raimondo ( for Secretary of Commerce), Cecilia Rouse ( for the Chair of Council of Economic Advisors), Linda Thomas- Greenfied ( for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations), Tom Vilsack ( for Secretary of Agriculture), Marty Walsh ( for Secretary of Labor), Xavier Becarra (for Secretary of Health and Human Services), Merrick Garland ( for Attorney General), Deb Haaland ( for Secretary of the Interior), Isabel Guzman ( for Administrator of the Small Business Administration), Eric Lander ( for Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy), Micheal Regan ( for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency), Katherine Tai ( for United States Trade Representative), and Neera Tanden (for Director of the Office of Management and Budget).
Unabomber
By: Rebecca Borlace
Ted Kaczynski is also known as The Unabomber. His reign of terror lasted from 1978 to 1996 and is, to this day, the most expensive FBI case in history.
Kaczynski was a certified genius and math prodigy with an IQ of 167. However, while Kaczynski was smart, he had trouble adjusting socially. Ted's mother recalls that, as a child, Kaczynski would refuse to speak when forced into a social situation.
Eventually, he gave up, deciding instead to live in a log cabin in the Montana wilderness, occasionally going into town to visit the library. It was here that Kaczynski started to despise the idea of technology altogether. His newfound hatred of technology is what inspired him to start building bombs.
The first bomb was opened by Terry Maker, a security guard at Northwestern University. In the explosion, Maker suffered several minor cuts and burns. Luckily he survived. At the time of the incident, this bombing was written off as a prank. But, it's now credited as the start of Kaczynski's 17-year long bombing career.
Kaczynski sent 15 more bombs to academics and eventually worked his way up to business executives and others.
One of Kaczynski's more famous bombings was the failed bombing of American Airlines Flight 444. This bomb wasn't the most destructive of Kaczynski's bombs, but it led the FBI to start investigating Kaczynski.Fortunately, due to a miswiring, the bomb didn't go off. But, if it had, over 100 people could have lost their lives in the crash.
Eventually, after Kaczynski killed three people, and injured 27, his younger brother, David Kaczynski, reported suspicious behavior. Police arrested Ted after they found the makings of the Unabomber's newest bomb in his log cabin.
That was the end of The Unabomber. Ted served his sentence at the only supermax prison in the US, ADX Florence, in Florence, Colorado. Some reports of Kaczynski's life in imprisonment describe Kaczynski making friends with fellow ADX prison mates Timothy McVeigh and Ramzi Yousef, known as the Oklahoma City Bomber and 1993 World Trade Center Bomber respectively.
Science & Technology
Touch ID Returning to Future Apple Devices
By: Akilesh Bharat
Touch ID is one of Apple's biometric systems to unlock your Apple device. Introduced in the iPhone 5s when it was released in 2013, it was very popular. IN 2017, Apple introduced Face ID on the iPhone 10/iPhone X, replacing Touch Id for Apple's more expensive phones. Now, Touch ID may make a comeback to the upcoming 2021 iPhone, possibly called the iPhone 12s/iPhone 13.
Touch ID is still around in Apple products such as the iPhone SE, the only iPhone to have Touch ID right now. Then there is the iPad 8th Generation, iPad mini, and iPad Air. (Touch ID is normally in devices with home buttons, but Apple's iPad Air has it in its top button to maintain a cheaper priced device with a fullscreen display with no home button.) The iPhone XR, 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 Pro have Face ID. The devices listed are only the devices Apple still sells on their website as new devices. There are multiple other Apple devices with Face ID and Touch ID.
The iPhone 12s/iPhone 13 may come with a Touch ID. When people might expect it to come in the side button/power button of the device like Apple's iPad Air so that the iPhone can still hold its fullscreen display, rumors suggest that the device will perhaps come with an Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. This way of biometric authentication is the same way Samsung and other Android flagship companies use for their devices.
This process of unlocking a device by keeping your finger on the screen will be done by using a similar version of how Touch ID worked in iPhone, iPad, and Mac models with Touch ID. The fingerprint is finding your fingerprint using an image of it. Once your phone takes that image and sends it to the device's software/neural engine/place to find if the fingerprint is a match or not a match. An Ultrasonic fingerprint is different from other fingerprint scanners/sensors. It uses pulses and sound waves to find your fingerprint. The pulses are Ultrasonic, which may be why this type of biometric fingerprint authentication is called Ultrasonic fingerprint scanners/sensors. Ultrasonic fingerprints are better than optical fingerprint sensors/scanners is that ultrasonic fingerprints are better in terms of finding fingerprints in different conditions such as wet fingerprints. Ultrasonic fingerprints compare to capacitive fingerprints, which are in all of Apple's devices that have so far been released with Touch ID built in the home button or top button of the device. This type of fingerprint scanner may be the simplest fingerprint scanner. It uses electricity and takes an image of your fingerprint to check if the fingerprint is a match or not.
A return of Touch ID on Apple’s fullscreen phones would be greatly appreciated for most people because now we are experiencing a pandemic around the world where we have to wear masks, where Face ID does not work. Apple has come up with a solution that is available on iPhones running developer/public betas. This ios update will most likely come to everyone as an update soon. This solution may not be available for everyone with an iPhone that is running this beta/once it releases to the public as an update because you need an Apple Watch to do this. This method of unlocking uses your Watch to unlock your iPhone. Your Apple Watch needs to have a passcode, has to be unlocked and on your wrist, for it to unlock your iPhone. Your iPhone would know it is you and then use your Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone. This is only available for iPhones with Face ID. This will not work with iPads with Face ID. It is not stated that the phone will know it is you, Apple's description shows it just recognizes a face for the ios 14.5 Apple Watch unlocking feature for people who have an Apple Watch with a passcode and an iPhone with Face ID.
Climate Change's impact increases
By: Raima Saha
What is Climate Change?
Climate change’s textbook definition is “a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular, a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.” But that’s a complicated definition. In simple words that means that carbon dioxide is being produced when we burn fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, or oil) and this gets released into the atmosphere. And this traps unwanted heat in the atmosphere causing Earth to heat up. But there are more consequences to this. Burning fossil fuels will cause something to become warmer, hazier, or acidic. These are unwanted in our ecosystems.
A Brief History
Climate change started way back in ancient Greece. They came up with the theory that we can affect the temperature if we burn items and cut down trees. In the 1820s, a mathematician came up with a simplified theory of the greenhouse effect. This effect said that the Earth’s atmosphere is like a greenhouse and that heat gets trapped inside. In the 1900s, people started talking about climate change, and people welcomed the fact that global warming could happen. From 1940-1970, there was a brief cooling period. In the 1980s though, global warming became real. The summer of 1988 was the hottest on record. With severe drought and forest fires. In the following years, the topic of climate change became political in America. With America agreeing and then disagreeing on various climate change plans.
Climate Change's Impact
Climate change affects us because summer sea ice has been disappearing and this is vital to arctic animals for them to survive. The average temp of the arctic has increased by 2.3 degrees Celsius or 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the arctic sea ice is melting this has opened more shipping routes. This can cause black carbon emissions to speed up the melting and the sounds can affect whales. This can also affect the paths animals and people take.
Climate change will also affect jobs because people who work in the labor industry will be affected by extreme weather events and this could result in job losses. This could also impact businesses because machines and production sites could get damaged. It could impact how workers work because of extreme heat. If we try to move to a low carbon economy then this could impact jobs even further. Jobs will be created, eliminated, and substituted. Jobs will be created for the green sector, jobs will be eliminated through banning manufacturing methods and jobs will be substituted because of industrial transformation.
How Can We Stop This?
Enough of the depressing stuff though. Since climate change is already a big concept out there and we can’t make it go away with a snap of our fingers, what can we do to stop it? The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It is how countries are dealing with climate change, and how they will reduce greenhouse gasses. Then in 2024 when countries say how they worked to meet the goals others will give recommendations.
The Green New Deal is a deal that helps the U.S.A tackle climate change. The goal of this deal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Green New Deal was made when the United Nations and federal scientists issued reports warned that if global temperatures continue to rise, the world would be headed for more intense heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts. The research also warned that continuing down this path could result in the US economy losing billions of dollars due to climate change. Europe has planned to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. This would put Europe on track to be climate neutral by 2050.
Some ways our families can do something about climate change is that we can swap gas stoves for electric stoves, unplug unused electronics, (computers, tablets, TVs, etc) washing clothes in cold water, and air dry, or using dryer balls instead of using the dryer, and switching to LED lightbulbs. Climate change is a very real thing that is happening right now, and so we need to do all that we can to help stop this. With these methods, maybe we can stop the predicted path from becoming a reality.
Mac products advance in technology
By: Vineeth Shashidhar
With the release of Apple’s new M1 Mac chip, people are already criticizing or praising the performance boost it gives. However, some have their doubts about buying it without knowing if it is truly worth the money. Is the M1 chip really as good as they say?
For starters, the chip is only available through products like the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and the Mac Mini. The products using this chip starts at the Mac Mini ($699) to the 13 inch Mac Pro ($2099). Quite expensive considering the speculations. The chip itself has 8 cores and a clock speed of 3.2 GHz. As for processing performance, it has up to 3.9x faster video processing and up to 7.1x faster image processing. Looking at the battery life of the chip, it’s nothing to laugh about.
According to tomshardware.com, “The M1 MacBook Air can stay powered on for up to 16 hours and 20 minutes, which is about 5 hours more than the publication’s numbers for the latest Intel MacBook Air. That's also about 7 hours more than...battery benchmark(s) for the latest Intel MacBook Air.” This can allow people needing to work long hours to use the laptop for extended periods of time without worrying about the battery life too much.
As for those who are interested in graphic performance for gaming, there is information for you too. Though it cannot match up with Nvidia’s 3000 series GPUs or older GPUs like the GTX 1080, it can beat old standard cards like the Radeon RX 560 and the GTX 1050 ti. For instance, tomshardware.com states that “...on high-level GFXBench tests like 1440p Manhattan 3.1.1, the Apple M1 hit 130.9 frames per second, while the 1050 Ti only hit 127.4 fps and the Radeon RX 560 was capped out at 101.4 fps. Meanwhile, on the more intensive Aztec Ruins High Tier test, the M1 hit 77.4 fps while the GTX 1050 Ti maxed out at 61.4 fps. The Radeon RX 560 did perform best in this test, with a score of 82.5 fps, but generally has lower frame rates across most tests.” Overall, the M1 chip can run games decently well. But, let’s see if it can match up with the competition.
Despite the wide availability of existing data, Intel still wants to prove that computers running Windows 10 with Intel’s new 11th generation “Tiger Lake” processors can beat Apple M1 machines. Intel ran some benchmarks using RUG(real-world guidelines) and saw that with productivity apps like Microsoft Office and Chrome, that the Intel Core i7-1186G7 and 16GB of ram got 30% more performance than the M1 and 16GB of ram. Internal RUG tests also show that the i7-1186G7 beat the M1 on adobe apps. Battery life was also a test for benchmarking. When stacking an Acer Swift 5 with a MacBook Air to see which could stay alive longer while running a Netflix stream and multiple browser tabs. The results showed that the MacBook Air came out ahead with 6 minutes more battery life.
In conclusion, the M1 chip is very useful and powerful, but it still has room to improve in the future.
ENTERTAINMENT & OPINIONS
Try to spark positivity in quarantine
By: Arianna Huyck
So let’s just get straight to the point: Quarantine sucks. You’re worrying about family members getting COVID, you’re feeling isolated, you can’t see friends, and, whenever you go out in public, you have to wear a mask. And this is just the beginning!
So what’s the good in all this chaos? Is there anything to be happy about? Well, surprise; there is! So we’ve compiled a list of things to be happy about during this quarantine.
It helps people become better neighbors. So, got that neighbor that you never talk to but kind of want to meet? Try helping them out during the quarantine. Write a note, help them shovel their driveway, wave hello, and be a good person. It feels good knowing that you are helping out someone else.
It gives you “me” time. Dying for some alone time in your stressful life? Well with pretty much nowhere to go and nothing to do, go write a book. Start a journal. Watch a movie. Draw. Get some time to yourself.
Honoring the heroes of our societies. Healthcare workers, teachers, and so many more people are risking their lives every day, not just during a pandemic. It was about time that they got some credit for making our world a better place.
It helps you realize, you are not alone. Realize the quarantine and pandemic is worldwide. Sometimes it can be comforting to know that everyone is in the same boat as you.
Your family can connect more. You and your family don’t get along most of the time? Some time at home can help you and give you time to sort out your differences. Many families are doing Zoom and Facetime more often, so try that with your extended friends and family.
Go outside and get fresh air! What’s shocking is people rarely went outside before this quarantine came along. You can go for a run, play in the snow, and so much more. So get outside and get some fresh air!
Coloring... Research shows, coloring helps you relax. Especially in these trying times, a little relaxation can only do us some good! Why not? We have all the time we need now.
Disney+ popularity grows as it unveils its new releases
By: Alexander Dyga
Since its launch in late 2019, the Disney-owned streaming service Disney+ has quickly become one of the most popular on-demand entertainment services in the country. Currently, the service has over 73 million subscribers and has made The Walt Disney Company billions in subscription fees.
Much of the service’s past success can be attributed to the hit shows The Mandalorian and WandaVision. However now that it has been revealed that the next season of The Mandalorian will not release for several years and that WandaVision is nearing its conclusion, many are wondering what original content will be premiering on Disney+ within the next year. Fans of superheroes are sure to be pleased with the answer.
On March 19th, a new and highly anticipated TV show from Marvel Studios will be released on Disney+. This show is titled The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and will follow the adventures of legendary superheroes Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as they cement their legacy in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. This show will run for 6 episodes, each being approximately 50 minutes long. According to Screenrant.com The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will carry a TV-14 rating for, “Strong coarse language and intense violence.” This rating suggests that Marvel may move toward “edgier” content far before Deadpool 3 premieres as the first R-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Additionally, at least 3 more Marvel Studios productions will release on Disney+ this year. These productions include a 6 hour TV show following fan-favorite anti-hero Loki (Tom Hiddleston), a TV series introducing the teenage superhero Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and a series featuring the Avenger Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and his daughter (Ava Russo). As of now few details have been released regarding the plots of these 3 series.
There is also a slim possibility that Marvel’s Black Widow may premiere on Disney+ later this year. That said, financial analysts and movie critics have pointed out that this is extremely unlikely due to the film’s large budget and the failure of other straight-to-streaming films, such as the live-action Mulan reboot.
While a large amount of the original content coming to Disney+ is related to the Marvel franchise, there is also plenty of new content coming for those who are not superhero fans. On March 5th the Pixar film Raya and the Last Dragon will become available on Disney+ for a fee of $30 U.S dollars. Additionally, the series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changer will begin streaming on March 26th.
Dear Wildcat
By: Alyna Dohadwala
Dear Wildcat: Each unit, I study so hard for my quizzes and tests, and the hard work doesn't pay off. I get 3 or 4 wrong every time and end up in the C's. Any advice?
-Somber Studier
Dear Somber Student: It’s great that you study so hard, but sometimes, the best thing to do is to ask for help. My bet is that your teachers would be more than willing to help you. If there isn't time in class, some teachers offer tutoring after school. You could also ask for help from an older sibling or your parents. Just remember that asking for help is completely okay, and you shouldn’t be afraid to do so.
__________
Dear Wildcat: Many tests on a single day are causing stress! I wish teachers would talk to each other so they don't all schedule them at the same time. Last week I had two quizzes, a test, and a lab to finish. Being virtual seems to make it even more difficult.
-Stressed Student
Dear Stressed Student: Many students, virtual or hybrid, are feeling this way too. As I stated above, you can always ask for help. Making a schedule to organize your time always helps too. But in addition to that, you can use some strategies to lower stress, such as exercising (yep really!), sleeping well the night before an exam, and doing things you enjoy. Always remember to study before a test, as that can put your thoughts in order. Whatever you decide to do, remember that you are not alone!
How to solve a 3 by 3 Rubik’s Cube: The Ultimate Guide
By: Apoorva Rai
Part 3: Orienting Corners on the last layer, along with permutation of the last layer, therefore completing the cube.
Orienting Corners on the 3rd layer
Congratulations! You have made it to the last few steps of solving your rubik's cube! In order to solve the corners in the last layer of your cube, double check to see if the white side is at the bottom. Remember, the white side will always have to be on the bottom when you are solving. Observe the cube and you will find one of two scenarios. Either, two of the corners adjacent will have to be switched or, two corners opposite to each other will have to be switched. Don’t worry about the yellow side of the corners matching with the centerpiece, just evaluate which two corners need to be switched. In both of the cases you hold your cube white side down, yellow side up, and do the algorithms on the side. You have to do the Righty Alg. three times and then turn the cube to the left and then do the Lefty Alg two times. If you do not know these algorithms, please make sure to check out previous issues of The Paw Print for more information. After you have done that, you will either have put your corners in the correct spots or may need to switch two more corners.
Fixing the Corners
Once you get all your corners in the right place, you have to turn the cube upside down, just for this one move. By upside down, I mean that the yellow side should be on the bottom and the white side should be on the top. This move is intended to make all the yellow sides of your corner pieces be aligned with the yellow centerpiece. Do the Righty Alg. and check if it matches with the centerpiece, repeat as needed, the most times you will have to do this is four. After you notice that the yellow side of the cube is flush with the yellow centerpiece then you turn the bottom layer (yellow layer) to the next corner whose yellow side is not flush with the centerpiece. Repeat for all corners, but obviously you do not have to do this for the pieces which are already flush with the yellow centerpiece.
Permuting the Last Layer
Now, you have ended in a situation where the edge pieces of your cube are messed up, but other than that it is solved! Some scrambles also result in this step to not be required but if your edge pieces are messed up (which they usually will be) you will be in one of two situations. One is where one whole side of the cube is solved but the other three sides are not. On the side which is solved do the Rightly Alg. once, then do the Lefty Alg. then you have to do U’ R U R and then U R U’ R. You will need to do this one - two times in order to solve your cube. If you do not have a solved side in your cube, do the same algorithm you would do if you did have a solved side, which will result in a solved side on the first try, then you have a solved side so repeat the Alg. on the solved side and… Congratulations you just solved your 3x3 Rubik's cube!
Novi Middle School
Email: kenneth.fenchel@novik12.org
Website: https://ms.novi.k12.mi.us/
Location: 49000 West 11 Mile Road, Novi, MI, USA
Phone: (248)-449-1600