Orchard Hills Times
Articles Written by the 2016 OHS Yearbook Staff
Commentary
How To Survive At Orchard Hills
By: Matt Bozorgi
How to survive at Orchard Hills. This is something that you can easily accomplish by staying on top of your work and being involved. If you are in classes that constantly give you homework, you have to be able to get it done. Like most, many have activities like sports or after school activities that can interfere with homework. That is why when you have free time in class, you should be working in homework because that will be less you have to do at home. Also, you have to begin homework straight away when you get home because procrastinating will lead to late nights doing homework which will affect the following school day. Finally, it is good to always pay attention to extra details that the teacher is explaining in class, if not it can lead to missing assignments or lack of materials.
Another way to survive at Orchard is to stay involved with after school activities or games at assemblies or lunch time activities. For the after school activities, this will help you make friends or engage your interest in something new. For example, David Eum said, “Doing the after school basketball tryouts and tournament really helped me love the game more. This will also give me opportunities to improve my skill.” As you can see, David has had great times participating in these games. Also, volunteering for games during assemblies will create a fun time throughout the assembly, and it will give you a chance to stand up after crouching in the bleachers for a long time. In conclusion, all of these ways that i have stated before will severely help many if you are having trouble with getting through the tough and long school year.Finding Strengths and Weaknesses
By: Heejae Park
Finding one’s strengths is crucial for their success, because if one wants to find out they can become better in what they do best, they first need to exactly what area that is. Finding which subject they work well in and which they don’t can be a helpful stepping stone for their future, and there’s a lot they can apply this information to, like their future career, for example. The best method is simply to try anything they can, because trying out more experiences and seeing where they excel can be a very good indication in where they are strong and where they can improve. In the field of academics, tests and exams can show one’s strongest academic field, especially in elective classes. It operates similarly to athletic fields, by testing if they can learn and do well in certain sports and activities.
The most common and possibly effective method to find your strengths and weaknesses it to try out new experiences. It doesn’t hurt to try out new things along in your life, and while you have fun doing it, you can analyze and observe in which activities you excel, do okay, need improvement, or fail terribly in. It’s a useful note of what you need to work on and also how you need to improve it. For areas you lack in, it’s useful because by knowing what you mess up in, you can answer questions such as “What exactly am I messing up on?” And “What is the proper way to do it? Is there another way I can think of that works better for me?” These questions, once answered, hopefully will assist you in your next attempt in that field, if you do want to try it again. Even when you don’t seem to do so bad or you do brilliantly, there’s always room for improvement. You can answer the same question even in the smallest mistake, and this will also help you catch tiny mistakes in other activities you try. Doing so will be helpful to you and will also be a good resource to come back to in the future.
In summary, finding where you will be your best and where you need serious improvement isn’t as hard as many tend to believe. It may cost some time and energy to try that many activities, but it actually results in something much better than anticipated. There is a lot that people can use this new information with, like seeing which activities one enjoys as well as excels in. There is so much that one can use this information with, and it can become a very resourceful tool later in their life. Knowing such information can play a key role in the book of your life.Precision
Precision is the quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate. Basically, it's how many times you could consistently get a perfect output. Precision is important in many jobs today. For example, Doctors, such as surgeons, must strive to be precise, if not they could lose their job and injure the patient. The UK led Mars Beagle crash landed because Mar's atmosphere was thinner than expected. The failure was caused due to the lack of precision.
In conclusion, precision is important in our everyday lives. Whether it's landing a space probe, or shooting hoops. We use precision because without it, we would have to rely on answers that are accurate but aren't spot on. That is why accuracy is less important than precision. I believe that we should strive to be more precise than accurate because to will help us enhance our knowledge on a specific topic.How To Get Your Teachers to Love You
By: Brandon Davis
The one thing that most students are worried about is if their teacher likes them or not. Throughout the year, I am constantly finding out new things about my teachers. What they like, and what they don't like. Your teachers are with you the whole entire school year, so it is always a great idea to be on their good side. In this article, I will express some thoughts on what I think teachers truly like and don’t like in a student.
The main thing that teachers always look for in a student, is the amount of respect you have. You should never yell out or speak while your teacher is giving a lesson. If you manage to show a lot of respect to your teacher, they will definitely like you more and also have more respect for you as well. Another thing that teachers look for in a student, is the amount of time you spend on the things they assign you. The more time and effort you put in their class, they will think of you as a better student and that you care about their class.
Making a good impression on your teacher is always a good thing. If you do respect them enough you will start getting rewards from it. If it is towards the end of the quarter and you have a 89, your teacher will most likely bring it up if they like you. I hope these two tips help you out and that you take them into consideration when you start a new school year or just anytime. These tips have helped me, and my teachers respected me more and also rounded my grade up.
How to STEAM
From digital designing to robotics, STEAM is a course in Orchard Hills that is filled with modern technology for students to enjoy. However any current STEAM student knows that any assignment given has a due-date that comes up like fire and TNT. As a two year STEAM student myself, I’ve carefully examined how the work pace goes in both STEAM 1 and STEAM 2, and succeeding designs that have been made with great efficiency and skill. What I believe that you should do in STEAM is to always keep focused, carefully plan your builds, and never rush.
An essential part of being a STEAM student is to always stay focused on every minute of the class. One mistake that I have seen that some STEAM students have made is to relax. EVERY tidbit of information given to you should be fully absorbed for it will help you on an assignment. For example, once students get into STEAM 2 they will be given a strict criteria on how to finish a VEX build. The mission is written in paragraph form which must be carefully analyzed what the teacher will be looking for. During building you will have to focus on all parts of criteria in order to get a complete VEX build that receives an A+.
Planning is the most important part of any build in STEAM. Careful planning can range from a complete design on paper or a great base where your build can start. If planning is not done well, your build can swirl into a tornado of disaster. Students in STEAM are provided engineering notebooks to sketch and plan a build. A first step that is essential is to write the mission of the build. Knowing your mission, gives you an idea of how your build will operate. Once you have analyzed the mission thoroughly, it is time to make a sketch of your build and label the parts. Once you’ve agreed with your partner, it is time to build.
The nemesis of an A+ on a build is a horrible entity named rushing. Trying to finish your build as fast as possible is a guarantee to an unsuccessful build. Recalling the last paragraph careful planning is key to success in STEAM. Setting goals for everyday until the due date provides you with a certain schedule which you should be able to complete. A good schedule shouldn’t have too much on one day for you will not finish it all in 40 minutes. Never overdo your work, not carefully plan, or think that you’re finished. An overall calm, yet focused plan is the best way to create and get the grade you want on a STEAM build.
So any students that are joining STEAM or considering STEAM, this should be an overall guideline to any of your builds. Your mental checklist whenever starting a new build is to stay focused on the mission, sketch and plan your build, and never attempt to finish in one-two days. So will you as a student join STEAM? Are you ready for one of the toughest, yet exciting journeys within your Orchard Hills Career?
Universal Studios or Disneyland?
By: Haley Nguyen
Two new of the most popular amusement parks the OH students are going to are either Universal Studios or Disneyland. Lots of the students here have been going to Disneyland more because of its close location and the fun Disney rides. Since Universal Studios has recently opened their Harry Potter theme in the park, they have attracted more customers and also middle school students, like from our school.
Every year the 8th grade class goes on to a Disneyland trip at the end of the year. This is the last time for the 8th grade middle school students to relax and hang out with their friends before they become high school freshmans. Lots of the students look forward to this time of their 8th grade year, but how many students would want to go to Universal Studios instead?
Some students would may like to go to Universal Studios because it could be less crowded. When tourists come to visit sunny Southern California, one of the most popular places to visit is Disneyland. If you go to Universal Studios, it could be less crowded. Another reason that the students would want to go to Universal Studios is because it’s smaller and there is less ground to cover. Thus might be a good thing for people who want to try to ride all of the rides in the park. Lastly, this can be a good amusement park for people who don’t really like Disney.
Going to Disneyland wouldn’t be such a bad choice either. Disneyland is known as the “Happiest place on Earth,” and, most visitors agree. This amusement park is full of fun rides and meeting the famous Disney characters. This park is close to our school and is a large park for everybody to enjoy. The main reason that tourists come to this park is because they love the rides, food, and also the disney themed rides. Even though Universal Studios may be smaller and less crowded, Disneyland has a lot more rides and attractions for everyone to enjoy.
If the 8th grade class got to vote on which park they wanted to go to, both would still be fun because all that matters is hanging out with your friends and getting to have fun before becoming a freshman in highschool. This would be one of the most memorable time for most students because it’s the one of the lasts time to just feel like a kids before the driving and adult responsibilities come their way.
Don't Do It Tomorrow
Procrastination is taking over people all over the world. This terror is when someone puts off a task or delays it. We are all guilty of it. According to Psychologist Today, 20% of people chronically avoid difficult tasks and often look for tasks. Distractions are everywhere, especially now with technology, We are all guilty of going on our phones while doing homework or doing anything we can to put off a task. Psychologist Clarry Lay, a writer on the subject of procrastination, says that procrastination is when there is a “temporal gap between intended behavior and enacted behavior.” Lay is saying that there is gap between when someone intends to do a job and when they actually do it. Procrastination can be stopped, people just to learn how to do it.
Even Nobel-Prize winners procrastinate. George Akerlof, who won the nobel-prize for Economic Sciences in 2001, but when faced with a simple task, waited eight months. Procrastination is something that happens to everyone. Procrastination could be something we are just so used to doing. One essay by economist George Ainslie, in The Thief of Time, a collection of essays written about procrastination, states exactly that. George Ainslie argues that procrastinating is “as fundamental as the shape of time and could well be called a basic impulse.”
Procrastination is something that almost every student goes through. Studies show that college students that procrastinate more get lower grades. Procrastination begins now. According to a study done with over 5,000 college students, most scholars don’t start their homework the day it is assigned. Instead a majority of students started the work no more than three days before the due date. Homework is hard. We have seven classes a day, for forty-five minutes and come home to even more work. Everyone is bound to want to sit and watch television, but that one choice can affect your entire future. Procrastination affects your grade because you can’t put you all into the project.
In Roy Baumeister and John Tierney’s book, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength,they talk about an alternative to procrastination. Try doing nothing. It may sound weird, but think about it. If the alternative is to do nothing, then the task you are supposed to do won’t seem as boring. If you need to clean your room, then try telling yourself, “Do nothing.” Doing nothing as an alternative to go on your phone helps you resist the desire to procrastinate.
If you give yourself a strategy to not procrastinate, you will stop. Procrastination is a bad habit. Habits don’t just stop overnight. To stop a habit, you need to persistently do things to make you stop. Keep making yourself do something until the little switch in your brain that tells you to procrastinate stops flipping on. Breaking the bad habit of procrastination will be tough, but the end result will be a smile on your face because you finished before everyone else in your class.
One way to break this terrible habit is to give yourself rewards. For example, you give yourself a delicious piece of candy or food, but only if you finished the task. The taste of that food will be the taste of success. If you cheat yourself and give yourself the food and you didn’t finish your task, it won’t taste as good. The sweet taste of success is better than anything else because you earned it.
You can also have someone check on you or join a group to work on it together. Having someone check up on you every once in awhile is an alternative that might work. If you have your mom or friend come up to you or text you asking if you did your homework, you will instantly remember. Working on it a group gives you the motivation to meet with your group and you have other members to push you to do the work instead of procrastinate. Having someone to remind you is never a bad idea.
Procrastination can be stopped, you just have to know how. Using these easy steps is one step closer to better grades and a better smile. You will feel successful and it will definitely show. Working on something might be tough, but the end product is infinitely better. Procrastination is a bad habit and an impulse. Stopping this terror won’t be easy, but it will be great.
School History
Orchard Hills has changed over the years. It was a home for the animals and a beautiful view to see. Now it has turned into a school for students. It provides a learning location for the children. It holds over 1000 students within its property every day. I think they built the school because they wanted a green environment to educate students. The school holds students from fifth grade to eighth grade. The school currently has two quads, the middle school, and fifth grade. The school hopes to build a kindergarten structure so it will be kindergarten through eighth grade.
Building Orchard Hills took about two years to make. Our school was originally meant to teach kindergarten through eighth grade, but because there were too many students attending Orchard Hills, it got made into a middle school. Orchard Hills has a great variety of classes for all kids no matter how skilled they are in their academics. There are honors classes, strategic classes, regular classes, and many more. Orchard Hills also provides a variety of different sports in and out of school. The school has it’s own volleyball, swimming, and hockey team. We have different electives that we choose every year. An elective is a free choice class that you can choose to find your element.
I think building the school was a success on our part. Even though we used up the animals land, we used it for a good reason. The school holds fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. The school educates students and teaches them new skills they will need later in life. The school is based off intelligent animals, hawks. Our former principal said that he chose this landscape because of the hawks, and he named them after our school maskout. This school is not only home to animals, but to students.How Long Does It Take To Do Homework?
According to a college student at Fullerton, she says “Last year when I was a junior it took me 3-4 hours to do my homework and 1 hour to study.” To many students, homework isn't easy. Especially in middle school or high school because they have multiple classes. Parents and teachers put a lot of pressure on students to make sure they finish all of their homework so they can get good grades. Parents get mad if they take too long or don’t finish. While this is all happening, the students also have to study for upcoming tests or quizzes. According to CNN.com, “In the study involving questionnaires filled out by more than 1,100 English and Spanish speaking parents of children in kindergarten through grade 12, researchers found children in the first grade had up to three times the homework load recommended by the NEA and the National PTA.” Now imagine if you were in middle school or high school, the homework criteria would be bigger and harder. Homework has been an amazing way to teach kids at home, but when there is too much, it becomes way too stressful.
DIY- Homemade
Candles are IT!
by Hannah Meyerson on May 3, 2016
In this article, I will be giving you instructions on how to make homemade candles. Using my directions to make a candle you can make them in different shapes, scents, and however you would like to. Let's jump right into it and make some candles.
To set up the candle wicks in your containers, you’ll want to lay the metal piece flat against the bottom. Then use your chopsticks/skewers to hold up the wicks, and tape the ends of the chopsticks to keep everything in place.
Measure out the amount of candle wax flakes you’ll need for each of your containers. The rule of thumb is two times the amount of wax flakes to fill each container.
Fill a saucepan with water to about the halfway mark. Place your measured amount of wax flakes in the glass container. Then place the glass container in the saucepan. Be sure the water level is low enough, so it won’t splash into the wax flakes when it starts to boil. Turn your stove onto medium-high, and use a metal spoon to stir occasionally.
Once all the wax is completely melted, remove the wax mixture from the stove. My rule of thumb is 10 drops of essential oil per 16 fl. oz. It makes for a moderately scented candle. Use less or more depending on taste, and feel free to experiment and mix oils to create a scent of your own. Add the measured amount of essential oil to your wax mixture and give it a good stir to make sure it’s well-mixed.
Make sure your containers are in a good location where they won’t need to be moved for a few hours. Then slowly pour your melted wax mixture into your containers.
Lastly, set out candle for 3-4 so that it become solid. Now ENJOY YOUR HOMEMADE CANDLE!
I hope that you all found these directions very helpful. You can make these candles anytime and for anyone, as a gift, or even for yourself! You can be very creative, you can add color or even objects inside the wax so that when it melts you can see the fun object. Be creative and have fun!
DIY- Fireflies In A Jar
Diy Fireflies in a Jar
By: Hannah Lewis
Materials:
Jar
5-10 glow sticks (any color)
Glitter
Procedure
1. Clean the jar thoroughly from within. No speck should be visible.
2. Crack and cut open one end of the glowsticks. Empty them one after another inside the jar.
3. Glitter should either be added in small installments after emptying each glowstick, or can be added in the end after the jar is filled with the liquid.
4. Cap the jar tightly, and shake it vigorously to disperse the glitter evenly inside the jar.
5. Place the jars strategically in dark corners as a decorative piece to let the fun begin
Just For Fun
Things To Buy This Summer!
By: Alylah Owens
Summer. A break that can be a thrilling experience for you and your family, or it can lead to disappointing boredom. If you’re looking for anything to fill this void, this article is for you. All of the following products will be purchasable at Urban Outfitters.
The Mini iPhone Personal Fan
If you ever need to beat the California heat, this gadget will help you. It is compatible with any Apple product that fits an iPhone 6 charger port. This is a very crafty tool that will most definitely come in handy with the aspiring heat waves. It also comes at a price you can not beat, with a cost of six dollars! So, if you get really bothered by the summer heat, this product is for you.
A Virtual Reality Headset
This nifty piece of technology can do many things. It lets you play simulated games, watch 3D movies, and watch virtual simulations all through downloadable content for your phone. It is a wireless design with 360 degree head tracking. This would be sure to ease your boredom! With a cost of 50 dollars, this headset is for you.
3Doodler Pen Gift Set
Ever dream of making 3 dimensional products? The need of an expensive 3D printer is no more! This pen could aide you in creating whatever you dream of. The set includes the pen in an exclusive Urban Outfitters color, and an intstructional guide to how to create thee 3D art. This one is especially for those of you who enjoy art.
The Mini iPhone Personal Fan
A Virtual Reality Headset
3Doodler Pen Gift Set
AskAlice
Dear AskAlice,
My family wants to go somewhere fun over the summer.
What are your recommendations?
-Fun in the Sun
Dear Fun,
Thank you for trusting me with your summer plans and fun.
A place I would recommend is somewhere close, so it isn’t too expensive. You also want to go somewhere that your family enjoys. I love going to the beach or hiking over the summer.
AskAlice
Dear AskAlice,
I want to have fun over the summer, but not waste money.
What is a way I could do that?
-Penny Pincher
Dear Penny,
I know what you are feeling. It happens all the time. Sometimes hanging out with your friends and going somewhere close, like the pool or shopping, is the best way to go.
AskAlice
Dear AskAlice,
My birthday is over the summer and I want to do something memorable.
What are some ideas?
-Birthday Bash
Dear Birthday,
Happy Birthday! A fun way to spend your birthday over the summer is a bonfire at the beach at night. It involves swimming and laughing and funny stories and everything that makes a fun birthday party and summer evening.
AskAlice
Dear AskAlice,
I bought my yearbook and want to get it soon. When do we receive them?
- Waiting & Wondering
Dear Waiting,
Yearbooks are coming soon! The yearbook signing party is on June 16 at 8:00. We will distribute from the Multipurpose Room and then the yearbook signing party will be in the Middle School Quad. Hope to see you there!;)
AskAlice
Reviews
Movie Review-The Fifth Wave
By Cassidy Salido
The Fifth Wave is about extraterrestrial life coming to Earth. They hit the Earth with 5 waves trying to rid the planet of the humans. Cassie is on the run desperately trying to save her brother Sam. When Cassie meets a new guy named Evan they are trying to save their planet from these aliens.
When I was watching this movie I thought the storyline was great and it was very suspenseful. Chloé Grace Moretz, who plays Cassie, did a great job at really capturing the emotion of the character. While Zackary Arthur, who plays the brother Sam, knew how to play his part even though he is a very young actor. He caught on with the sophistication of movie.
If you like sci-fi I really recommend watching this movie. There are a lot of surprises in this movie. The 5th Wave isn’t just like any other supernatural movie with green aliens in it. You will be surprised about how different it is.
TV Show Reviews-The Flash and Once Upon A Time
The Flash-There is a new show that might get you excited. If you want to do something fun after you have finished your homework or something to do over the weekend this would be something relaxing and fun to do. There is a new show called “The Flash”. It is an exciting show that will get you wanting to know what keeps on happening next. “The Flash” is about a boy that gets struck by lightning and gets a power. His name is Barry Allen and he gets the power of speed. He uses his power to help keep his city safe, Central City. He gains some friends to help him use his speed to save the people from others that also have powers. These people are called “metahumans” and they use their powers for bad purposes. This show is fun to watch with your friends.
Once Upon A Time-There is a show that you might have heard of, and it is called Once Upon A Time. This is a show with all different kinds of fairy tales and they are mashed up into a whole series. The fairytale characters get sent to a city from there fairytale land. There is an Evil Queen Regina and she wants to make sure that Snow White doesn’t get anymore happy ever afters. In their city the time is stopped, and they have to find a way to get it going again. Evil Regina is the one that stopped the time and this is what brings the fairytale characters into the city. This is a great show with lots of mysteries and you have to keep on watching to see what happens and if the time goes back to normal.
Sports
World Cup Is Here
Physical Education’s most exciting unit is here, “The World Cup.” This is where each grade in each period get on a team and compete against each other in different sports. These sports have been practiced throughout the whole year and this is where they test the best. This usually happens at the last few weeks of school and students get excited for it the whole year. All students have a great time doing this for last few weeks and this just gets them ready for summer with the warm weather outside.
Most other schools don’t do “The World Cup”, so I believe that our school is pretty lucky because we get to have fun and compete with our friends. I think that all of the P.E. teachers have decided to do this every year because they want us to finish off the year in P.E. great. I also, think that they enjoy watching all the students do what they have learned for the past year. “I believe the World Cup helps us get a taste of all sports,” Maya Steffan states. Daryon Roshanzaer also says, “I enjoy getting the medals that show we have won a unit!” I think that “The World Cup” is going to be a great way to give students multiple ideas to do over the summer instead of staying in their house all day. I think that this is such a great thing that we do in P.E. It’s so fun, and the best part is that we get to have a friendly competition with our friends. “Healthy competition inspires kids to do their best – not just good enough. When students compete they will become more inquisitive, research independently, and learn to work with others,” INEOS Website States. I agree with INEOS Website because this will help kids later in life also.
LeBron James vs Stephen Curry
For ages comparisons between all time greats have been a topic of discussion between sports fanatics and many names have been mentioned.Kobe vs Jordan,Lebron vs Kobe,Johnson vs Bird, but today there is one comparison that interest people.Lebron Vs Curry.These two are no doubt the two best players in the league today.King James vs One of the Splash Brothers.These two play different positions with very different play styles,but are two of the most talented basketball players in the world.Steph Curry in the 2015-16 averaged 30 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds per game in the greatest basketball seasons of his career and shattered the 3 point record by almost 100 more than the previous leader which was himself.He has put up another MVP year and is most likely the unanimous MVP.As one the other hand we have the well respected “King” James.This past season enetering his mid 30’s he is still balling up with the young gubs and giving them some lessons.In the 2015-16 season he averaged 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals one of the only two players in the league to accomplish that.He has countless all star selections and 4 MVP awards.He is 13 on the all time scoring list and his climbing on pace to become the first by the end of his career,but still such a mark is very difficult as he still need 12,000 more points to achieve it.He is clearly one of the best basketball players of all time.
You might be thinking these two players are polar opposites.One is enetering his prime the other already left it,one is a shooter and another one is an attacking scorer.The reason this matchup is so unique is because of the differences that the players have.This is because the players outway each other by a landslide in many different categories.Also, this is moslty because these two players score in the most flashy and entertaining way.Stephen Curry is apart of the Golden State Warriors, while Lebron is on the Cleveland Cavaliers.The Warriors have had one of the best NBA seasons of all time as they went 72-10 tieing the best record of all time.The Warriors are the defending champs and are most likely to reach the finals again and the favorite to beat the winner of the east which everyone believes it will be Cleveland.As for the two players against each other, Lebron scores when he is directly on Curry 47% of the times he shoots on him and Curry scores 39% of the time in the last three years.Many current stats or all time stats obviously put Lebron in the perspective as the better player, but stats are not everything.When you watch Curry the guy is amazing and lights up the 3 point line.When you consider he isn’t playing as much as a typical supertsar he still puts up incredible numbers.Now that you have the info and facts its time for you to decide who is better Lebron or Curry.If you want the author’s choice in my opinion I believe that Lebron James is better because of his physical nature and ability to play any position in the league and at a top notch level unlike Curry.So, Lebron or Curry?
Sports Records
Sports are one of the most exciting and entertaining things in the world to some. Sports are televised on TV year round and are close to the most watched shows on television. Teams of 16 to 32 in most sports play games in a regular season. For example, in football you play 16 games and in basketball you play 82. After all of those games are over teams with the best records will play in the playoffs to win the overall championship and be given rings like the super bowl ring or NBA finals ring. Also the individual performances of players will be tracked and they will be given various awards including Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. For example in the NFL, Cam Newton recently won the MVP award and in the NBA, Andrew Wiggins won the Rookie of the Year. To some, the individual performances are all they want. But in the end what is most important is getting the championship ring.
There have been records in sports that have been set decades ago. Many speculate that some of them may not be beaten, ever. But to many people's surprise the 15-16 Golden State Warriors set the record for the best record of all time, beating the 95-96 Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan. Now, there are many records that are amazing and all teams would love to have. But with the good records, you have to have the bad ones. In 2012 the Charlotte Bobcats set the record for the worst regular season record of all time. Luckily they made the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers really happy that they didn't hold that record anymore. The Bobcats had a whopping record of 7 wins and 59 losses. In conclusion all of these record will either make teams glad and content with what they have done. Or they will be devastated because of the way they played and because people thought that no one could ever be that bad.
NFL Draft
The NFL draft is underway, and has had a huge build-up to it! As all teams in the NFL compete to draft the best players out of college, there is plenty of tension and excitement to go around. If you don’t know what the NFL draft is, it is basically how the National Football League recruits new players for the teams in the league that will hopefully, for their sake, make worse teams better and more evenly matched to the great teams in the league. The players that are drafted into the NFL are usually college players that did very well in their college careers, or they can even be very well-performing amateurs that weren’t good enough in college, but have now risen to the occasion. I will be explaining the top five picks in the draft and how they will potentially help their team become better, and maybe even win a Super Bowl! Firstly, the first pick in round one of the NFL draft was Jared Goff picked by the LA Rams. He is a quarterback that was picked from Cal, and is expected to consistently throw outstanding passes unlike any other draftee in this draft. Secondly, the second pick in the 2016 NFL draft was Carson Wentz, another quarterback drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles out of North Dakota State. He is supposed to aid his team by using his height in the pocket and make throws on the run. Thirdly, the third pick in this year’s NFL draft was Joey Bosa, a defensive end drafted by the San Diego Chargers out of Ohio State. Bosa is expected to use his speed and explosive first step to chase down opposing ball carriers and prevent touchdowns. Next, the fourth pick in the 2016 NFL draft was Ezekiel Elliott, another Ohio State Buckeye, who got drafted by the Dallas Cowboys for his skills as a running back. He is expected to bring exceptional speed and great vision to find gaps in the defense to his team. Lastly, the fifth overall pick of the 2016 NFL draft was Jalen Ramsey, and cornerback/safety out of Florida State. Ramsey is expected to be flexible when it comes to position, and to be able to block the offense with his excessive wingspan.
This year’s NFL draft was certainly exciting for everyone who participated and watched the event. It included the most talented college football players in the country, who were picked to take part in one of the biggest organizations in the world, the National Football League. The NFL teams must be very excited to have welcomed some very talented new players to their organizations that will make their teams better and will maybe even lead them to a Super Bowl. I believe that the top five picks of the first round were certainly some of the best decisions made in the 2016 draft because these players are the best of the best and will aid their teams in huge ways throughout future football seasons. Overall, this year’s NFL draft was certainly an awesome experience for everyone, and will definitely be a highlight of this year.
Opinion
Why Should We Have Field Trips?
Why should we have more field trip? We should have more field trips because it is educational for our minds. Going to new places or trips is exciting. I feel as if we get smarter while we are walking around to explore on field trips. There is problems to these field trips and we all know money is one of them. My solution to this is that we could also have field trips just right outside of our school. There is a park and soccer field just around the corner. We could at least walk there under 5 min. It is a fact that kids actually learn faster on field trips than sitting down. School field trips engage students to learn. Field trips bring children out of their routines and give them the opportunity for meaningful educational experiences. The things children see and experience on field trips can increase their motivation for learning. When students go on field trips, they are taught by more people than their regular teachers. They are brought out into the community to interact with experts in their fields. Some of the most exciting times for students in school are the days they get to go on a field trip. For some students it might seem like a day off, but what really excites them is doing something different from the typical day at school. Field trips are engaging and can have a lasting impression on students.
Are iPads Really Beneficial in School?
By: Caroline Llamas
School issued ipads. Some people hate them others love them. Some even want them out of the school. School would be a better place if we did everything the old fashioned way with pen and paper.
There are many reasons why we should get rid of the ipads. First off they are heavy and make our backpacks even more heavy than they already are. My second reason is they are expensive to fix. Many accidents with ipad happen unexpectedly. Students parents might not be able to pay for the damages or get insurance. My last and final reason we should get rid of the ipads is they are a huge distraction in class. Whether students are playing games, online shopping, or getting out of their seats to charge it.
Now I know there are some benefits to having the ipads like having everything in one place and not having to worry about losing papers, but keep in mind the reasons we should get rid of them. Again they are expensive, heavy, and a distraction in class time. In conclusion, I agree that we should get rid of the ipads. Do you?
How much time do we spend on our electronic devices?
By: Helen Quach
With new technology releasing every day, it’s almost impossible to escape the age of smart devices. Many new technological advances require you to download an app on your smartphone or computer. This hypothetical app will often allow you to personalize your experience with the object and will sometimes permit you to use it. Smartphones have increased the screen time that adults, teenagers, and children everywhere are viewing.
According to Daily Mail, the average person now spends more time on devices than sleeping. 8 hours and 41 minutes of the average day is spent on electronic devices, which is about 20 minutes more than the average sleep. This means that out of 16 hours a day that we are awake, more than half of it is spent staring at a screen.
This is especially apparent when you realize that smartphones are replacing non-electronic devices. For example, fifty out of every one hundred people don’t carry a watch anymore, according to The Globe and Mail. This is because they have smartphones to tell them the time. Most people don’t need an alarm clock due to the feature on their smartphone that wakes them up.
Mobile Statistics states that 23 days a year is spent on your phone. That’s 6.3% of a year. In 2013, the average person’s lifespan was 71 years. If 23 days a year is spent on your phone, then 4.5 years of the average life is cashed in while staring at a phone. To put this into perspective, 3.6 years is spent learning in an education facility, and 4.3 years is spent driving a car.
This is a great change from the amount of time we spent on electronic devices in previous years. Washington Post stated that we spent 1 hour and 20 minutes on electronic devices in 1999. That’s a great difference from the 8 hours and 41 minutes we spend on electronic devices today. Most of this increase is due to the fact that more electronic devices are replacing physical work.
Let’s calculate how many years we spend of our lives on electronic devices. As aforementioned, 8 hours and 41 minutes is spent daily. That’s 61 hours a week, 11 days a month, 132 days a year, and 25 years of the average life. That’s 35.2% of our lives that we spend consuming digital media. Not to mention, half of that digital consumption is through television. In 1999, we spent 4 years of our lives on electronic devices.
That’s just the average person. Digital consumption differs between age groups. Children between the ages of 8 and 18 can spend 7 hours and 38 minutes a day on electronics. According to Statista, the American adult can spend more than 11 hours a day on electronics. One of those hours are clocked in on a PC, while up to five hours are spent watching television.
It is important to realize that television consumption heavily contributes to the amount of time we spend staring at a screen. The average child watches 24 hours of television per week, while the average adult can watch up to 33 hours of television per week. If we keep the same average life of 71 years, that adds up to 12 years of television consumption for the average person.
That brings up the important question: how convenient is too convenient? When will our man-made technology completely replace mechanical actions? We already covered the watch and the alarm clock. In addition, digital magazines and newspapers are replacing print. Online recipes are replacing cookbooks. Everything can be accessed online now, so there’s no need anymore to purchase printed media. Who knows what we will be like in the future?Are Kids Spending Too Much Time On Their Electronics?
By: Jenna Nishimura
How much time do you spend in front of a screen instead of outside playing? New
research has found that the kids who spend most of their time on an electronic gain the most body fat. "Using a cell phone doesn't have the same kind of negative stigma that sitting on the couch and watching TV has, but it can be just as bad for you," said study co-author Jacob Barkley, an associate professor of exercise science at Kent State University in Ohio. It may sound crazy but it is definitely a fact. When you’re staring at the TV or computer, you’re using up the time that you could spend on something active, like riding your bike or taking a walk.
Another reason too much time on electronics is, if you're still texting after lights
out, you're probably robbing yourself of even more of the 8 to 10 hours of sleep you need. That “glow” from electronics is also at work against quality shuteye. The small amounts of light from these devices pass through the retina into a part of the area of the brain that controls several sleep activities and delay the release of the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin.
Finally, Scientists found that the video games that involve war, violence, and
murder can make you more aggressive and less sympathetic toward other people. They may also make it more likely that you'll do something violent yourself. In one experiment, adolescent boys were given the opportunity to blast an opponent with loud noise through headphones after being randomly assigned to play a violent or nonviolent video game. The results showed that boys who played a violent game and strongly identified with the violent game character selected noise levels loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage to their partner. This concludes that, in most cases, violent video games does lead to more aggression towards other things and people.
Do We Need A Longer Lunch Break?
By: Mackenzie Eloe
Do we need a longer lunch break? Some people say they need more time to eat, and some say they need less time to eat because they want to get out of school earlier. At Orchard Hills, our lunch break is 30 minutes. It should be changed to 40 or even 50 minutes. Students are in a classroom for 6 hours and 42 minutes.Students deserve a little bit of a longer break. This doesn't only benefit the students, but the teachers can take a longer lunch break than usual. Instead of them just running to McDonalds real quick, they can go out for a nice lunch without rushing. As you can see, this will benefit our whole school. Some may say, they rather shorten lunch and get out of school earlier. If you think about, our lunch is 30 minutes long and if you shorten it to fifteen minutes, you're only getting out 15 minutes earlier. That's not a big difference. One con is that it would be a big hassle to shorten or extend the lunch schedule. We would have to adjust the classes as well, to make them shorter or longer. If we shorten the class schedule, that could be taking away from our education. In conclusion, you can see there are many pros and cons to changing our lunch schedule.
School Events
By: Yuna Baek
School events are important to participate due to many reasons. Out of many school events, Fundraisers are important because they raise money for schools to have more resources and materials such as updated textbooks, school supplies, iPads, and many more. These resources both help the teachers, and the students, which creates an ideal and interactive learning environment. Our school also holds a school event called Honor Roll Dessert twice a year, which is a program rewarding students with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. This type of school event is important because it motivates students to perform better in school, and provides students with an incentive to excel in their school work. Lastly, the Associated Student Body students always plan entertaining activities during lunch and come together to enjoy games, and raffles. It is important to incorporate entertainment and fun for school events so that students can enjoy their time with their classmates, friends, and staff members.