Memorial Middle School - 1 Memorial Dr, Middlebury, CT 06762
Vol. 2 Issue 2 - Dec. 13, 2021
This Month’s Featured Teacher: Getting To
Know Señorita Dripchak by Daniela Ardino
Have you ever wanted to get to know one of your teachers better?
Have you ever had a question about your teacher, that you just haven’t
had the time to ask? Every month students at MMS vote for a teacher
they would like to know more about.
This month’s Featured Teacher is…… Señorita Dripchak! Señorita was
highly voted by our 6th & 7th graders with a total of 19 votes. Multiple
students had amazing questions that they wanted to ask Señorita. I
hope you enjoy getting to know MMS’s 6th Grade Spanish teacher.
Q: What is your favorite part about teaching/being a teacher?
A: “The thing that I like the most about teaching is the kids. Seeing
kids "get it" and helping them to get to that point makes
everything else worth it.” Señorita described to me that just getting to
walk into school and getting to see her 6th graders’ smiling faces is the
best part about being a teacher.
Q: Why did you want to be a Spanish teacher?
A: “My Spanish teacher in high school (my junior and senior
years) influenced me to become a Spanish teacher. She spoke 3
different languages and it always intrigued me and made me want
to learn more and more Spanish. And hopefully more in the
future!” Señorita caught a passion for Spanish. When she met her
Junior and Senior Spanish teacher, she knew exactly what she wanted
her future to look like.
Q: What has been your funniest experience as a teacher?
A: “My funniest experience so far as a teacher was when two of my
boys performed the Flamenco dance for me in the beginning of
one class. They practiced for that performance for about a week
just so they could make me smile in class.”
Q: Who is someone that inspires you?
A: “I am inspired by my best friend, Meg. She has a lung condition
that inhibits a lot of the things that she can do in life but that has
never stopped her from always doing what she loves and giving it
her all every day. She often makes me stop and look at the bigger
picture rather than just what is right in front of me.”
Inside this issue…
News-----------------------------------------2-4
Politics & Opinion----------------------------5-7
Arts & Culture------------------------------8-11
Sports-------------------------------------12-13
Comics & Games--------------------------14-15
Mustang Monthly Staff-----------------------16
Señorita’s Favorite
Candy:
Milky Way &
100 Grand
Señorita’s Favorite
Flower:
Lilies
Señorita’s Dream
Car:
Audi Q3
Señorita Dripchak, Grade 6 Spanish
A Space Dream Come
True by Luke Bevilacqua
Inside the Station
Large enough to accommodate 280 guests and
112 crew members, fit with a bar, restaurants, a gym, and
much more, news outlets such as Astronomy.com, CNN,
and ArchDaily are calling the Voyager Station “Luxurious,
Futuristic, Marvelous!” All these are very true, but how
does it work?
The hotel is seemingly one large floating ring that
spins, or as engineers call it a “Celestial Gateway”, the
spinning of the ring creates the force of gravity. At first,
during boarding the gravity is more similar to the moon’s
than the earth (⅙ of earth gravitational pull). Over time, by
increasing the speed of the ring, engineers hope to
replicate earth gravity. As guests board on the loading
dock, they will be brought to the 24 modules that surround
the center of the voyager station.
From there, guests can practice dunking in zero
gravity in the gym, go to the bar or a restaurant, watch live
tv in the cinema, and of course eat foods like freeze-dried
ice cream, nicknamed “Astronaut food.” If you may not be
a fan of astronaut food, don’t worry, there is also hope to
create foods that we have here on earth.
Million$ or Hundred$?
Aside from the astronaut food, only one thing will
stop most people from coming to the Voyager System:
that is the price. Unlike the 28 million dollar tickets to sit
next to Jeff Bezos or Elon musk, OAC hopes to shockingly
make staying at the hotel cost the same as a Disney
cruise. “We want to make this an easy choice. If you want
to go to Paris for a week or you want to go to space for a
week, we want it to be a question of preference, not of
money.” Ceo Tim Alottore explained at a Live event in
March 2021 (according to Astronomy.com).
Now, OAC and Tim Altoree may have not decided
on definitive pricing yet, but, they hope with the work of
companies like SpaceX and new shuttle technology, who
knows, maybe families will be going to space in just a few
years. After all, anything is possible in the 21st century.
Even before Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the
moon, the United States and many other countries have
worked nonstop in a race; the race for space glory.
In the past couple of years, it hasn’t been just
countries, or celebrities, but billionaires who have started
their own space companies. Elon Musk, (the founder of
Tesla) has started SpaceX, Jeff Bezos, (the founder of
Amazon) has started Blue Origin, and Richard Branson
(businessman) has started Virgin Galactic.
These are the names many people know;
however, one company that many have probably never
heard of before has a plan to create something the world
has only seen in movies…
Plans To Build
For decades, space exploration has been a top
priority for many countries, especially the U.S. That is why
a Sacramento company, Orbital Assembly Corporation
(OAC) has decided to take a step from the common
ground of space travel and exploration. Ceo Tim Alttore
has recently released a plan to build and open the
first-ever space hotel to the public by 2027. If created this
would be a huge step forward for the world in the category
of space travel. I interviewed one student here at MMS
(Peter Deluca, Grade 7) and he had a strong opinion on
the topic of space travel and exploration.
“Our government today is not putting enough
money into space travel. Tesla and Blue Origin are coming
out with space shuttles, it's revolutionary, it's a turning
point in space travel. There are finally private companies
with limited government control. I think we need to keep
advancing space travel.”
As you can see, Peter is one of the many in favor
of space travel here in the U.S. Keep reading to find out
more about the “Voyager Station.”
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A model of what the Voyager Station will look like
A model of a room on the Voyager Station
A Change in the Race Against Covid By
Maura Witkowski
You probably know at least one teen or adult
who has gotten the Covid 19 vaccine, or maybe you
have gotten it yourself. The vaccine has been
approved for ages 12-15 since May, and we are now
ready to move up in this battle.
On November 2nd, 2021, the Covid 19 Pfizer
vaccine was approved for ages 5-11. According to
the CDC, the shots are being distributed nationwide
this week. The CDC is trying to get as many people
in this age group to get their shots! With this new
approval, about 28 million kids are now eligible to
get the vaccine.
So, what really are vaccines? A vaccine is a
biological mixture that is given to those eligible so
their bodies can fight the illnesses and stay healthy.
It is often given as a shot. Vaccines are created to
help protect the body against a virus. They create
immunity, or a resistance to a particular disease. A
false assumption made about the COVID-19
Vaccine is that when you get the vaccine, you are no
longer able to get the virus.
Although that is not true, they are still proven
to be effective and can reduce the risk of getting and
spreading the virus. The vaccine also teaches our
immune systems how to recognize and fight
COVID-19. You may know of the flu or chickenpox
vaccine. The Coronavirus vaccine is somewhat
similar, but, it has it’s differences. One of which is
that the covid vaccine comes in two doses, unlike
the flu shot.
I questioned Anna Gilchrist, 6th grade
student, how she felt about the vaccine. “I think the
vaccine is completely necessary. Covid will
eventually die down, but the vaccine is something
that is needed if we are going to get through it…
Although there are some symptoms to the vaccine,
science is proving that there is nothing to be worried
about.”
Anna, like many others, is excited to
eventually live in a world where we don’t have to
worry so much about COVID.
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Join our Google
Classroom Pages to read
our issues, participate
in our polls, and more!
8th Grade: nfos4ji
7th Grade: 222r6p3
6th Grade: wttkll2
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Don’t know what to get for the holidays? Want
to get the perfect gift? I have just the list for you! With
these gifts you’ll be sure to be amazed. If you’re
looking for something for your siblings, then I have just
the things you're looking for! Any books they're
interested in? What about a nice set a pajamas? If you
want to get something for mom or dad, then try some
of these next options. If they want something to keep
them warm on a cold winter day, then what about a
new blanket! Not sure what to get in general?
Then how about a couple suggestions from
some of our teachers.
“Buy things that you’re into, like lego sets, a
new bike.” -Mrs. McConnon.
“Get books (Holiday themed, or ones that you
prefer) and puzzles and other holiday themed things.”
-Mr. Gaipa.
Still want something new? Well why don’t you
see what some of the students say.
“Gift cards and headphones.” -Mikey O.
“Newest gaming platforms, like the new PS5 or
the Xbox series X, and the newest games like Halo
Infinite and other new games.” - Xavier C.
If these options don’t satisfy you, then I’m not
sure what will.
The Zodiac Killer... that name sends
chills down people's spines and brings them
back to a time where you didn’t walk on the
streets at night, you ALWAYS locked your door
at night, and you constantly lived in fear. For
those affected by this monster, the fear may
come to an end, even though many won’t get to
see this day.
In late September and early October,
media outlets blew up as a cold crime team
claimed to have solved the 40 year old cold
case. They claimed the infamous killer was
Gary Francis Poste, and 80 year old man who
died in 2018. As media outlets blew up, the
allegations were shut down claiming there
wasn’t enough evidence to link an innocent man
to such horrific crimes.
Until now. Reports as early as 11-21-21
say that there is new evidence linking this man
to this series of crimes. News outlets such as
Fox News, Daily Mail and Fox 8 claim
investigators have hit a “goldmine” of new
evidence including the fact that Poste got rid of
ALL his weapons including pistol parts,
gunpowder, bullets and shell casings shortly
before his death. Keep in mind the Zodiac killer
killed all his victims by shooting them. Another
piece of evidence is a scar on Poste’s head,
which is identical to the scar on the Zodiac
Killer’s (this information is provided by a police
sketch as no photos of the actual zodiac killer
exist).
Given all this information the FBI still
considers this case cold and having an ongoing
investigation, "The FBI's investigation into the
Zodiac Killer remains open and unsolved,"
"Due to the ongoing nature of the
investigation, and out of respect for the
victims and their families, we will not be
providing further comment at this time."
As 2021 is soon coming to a close, I think there is one
thing we can all agree on… It has been a crazy year, a
crazy controversial year. I think a lot of that controversy
has come from one long lasting debate: Which should be
put first? Personal freedom, or public health?
Well fear no more, I posted a poll to get the
student body’s opinion on this topic and I think I have
found the majority opinion. Covid has agreeably pushed a
lot of people's buttons, but it has also resurfaced a
problem that started long before the 21st century.
The discussion on public health first notably
began in the 1930’s when due to a rapidly growing
automotive industry, lap belts (known today as seat belts)
entered the public's lives. Although seatbelt laws didn’t
become fully implemented until nearly 50 years later,
people still questioned their personal freedom. But that is
just the beginning…
Laws about smoking, driving age requirements,
and other public health concepts have been placed over
the last century. But there is still the argument over
whether the public’s health is worth more than one’s
personal freedom.
Recently, one of the biggest public health
concepts has been Covid requirements. Things like
vaccines, mandates, social distancing, and masks have
been pressured upon the public by the government, peers,
and most of society. But is it right?
Before seeing our own school’s opinion, why don’t
we look at how some experts feel. One expert, Charles
Everett Koop says, “Healthcare is vital to all of us some of
the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the
time.” Koop was the former United States Surgeon
General from 1982 - 1989 during Ronald Reagan's
presidential term. He was an extremely significant person
in the public health vs. personal freedom debate due to his
role in automotive public health and safety. He was
Surgeon General, the head of public health in the United
States and pressured laws for driving under the influence
and tobacco.
Another expert of public health, David Kessler,
was a pioneer in the controlling of tobacco. He fought to
control the tobacco industry to support the health of the
public. This was yet another revolutionary situation
favoring public health, but let's see what our own student
body thinks about public health.
Firstly, when asked their opinion on masks and a
majority vote said they didn’t really mind them. Students
said that they can be irritable but they appreciate the
feeling of safety that comes with them. Next, when asked
about vaccines, 41% claimed that they liked vaccines and
thought they were useful.
Although many claimed that they liked them, there were
also many comments that were skeptical. Some students
think it would be better if they were tested more and they
knew what exactly it was they were putting in their body,
however there seemed to be an agreement that they can
be useful to prevent disease.
Another question asked was, “How do you feel
about contact tracing?” A very close majority vote ruled
that they didn’t really mind it, with large counts of votes
towards dislike and like coming in close behind. Some
students stated that they wish contact tracing was a little
bit more thought through, but if it keeps people safe it’s the
right thing to do!
Finally, we also asked for an opinion on seat belts.
A wildly controversial topic over the last century. However,
77% voted that they liked them and there were 0 votes
that disliked them. Students said they make them feel
safe and protected!
Overall when asked which they find the most
important, public health or personal freedom, it was a very
mutual opinion. Students thought that public health is
extremely important although personal freedom should
also be taken into mind when enforcing public health
rules. One student said that “if we work together we can
make these requirements no longer feel like rules, just
basic safety!”
In conclusion, there really is no right answer to the
public health, vs. personal freedom debate. We all have
our own opinions and it is important to take that into
account. Public health is very important in order to keep
everyone safe and personal freedom is important to
uphold our democracy and individuality. This applies to
our school as well… We can still have individual rights
and keep everyone safe. We all just need to work
together!
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https://www.newsy.com/stories/the-public-health-vs-personal-freedom-debate-isn-t-new/
I think most students can agree that standardized tests are stress inducing. Parents can put a lot of
pressure on you to get a good result on the tests, and even teachers can, too. But when asking why we have to
do standardized testing, we usually get this answer... “It measures where you are academically.” Some people
think it can help with placing students in advanced classes, or getting the extra help that they need. Others also
believe it helps the teachers to see how they can improve and if their curriculum is effective. But for students
with anxiety or special needs, this isn’t all that true. A lot of people struggle with really bad test anxiety and
taking the standardized tests don’t really show how good or bad people are at math or literature, they just show
how good or bad they are at test taking.
So this brings us to a very important question... Do standardized tests favor a certain demographic?
I interviewed Senora Radlinski, 7th grade Spanish teacher here at MMS and a proud mom. “I feel like
kids are stressing out that they don't have the strategies to test well,” she said. And she’s not wrong. Are these
standardized tests really about math and literature, or is there a deeper meaning?
According to Procon.org, standardized tests can be classist, racist, and sexist. But why? Many wealthier
kids have more access to enriching educational sources. For example, “Well-resourced students have far
greater access to test preparation, tutoring and taking the test multiple times, opportunities not afforded the less
affluent…” say experts.
Standardized testing has also been known to be racially biased. Minority and disadvantaged students
are known to perform more poorly than their white counterparts, thereby leading to a gap in academic success.
This also applies to women.
But how do you make a test that isn’t biased against a certain demographic?
I interviewed a friend of mine, Zoni, asking her for her view on standardized testing. She responded with,
“I think they’re stressful and unnecessary. They help the teachers, but kids generally choose not to try as hard
on them because they don’t go to PowerSchool.” I found that this was a common answer when asking this
question, but some say that standardized tests are great. In a recent poll I conducted, one student said that it
makes them smarter, but others said it just stressed them out. Roughly 80 students took this poll and these
were some of the results…
46.3% said that standardized testing really isn’t that bad and 41.5% of poll takers claimed they hate it.
Do these results help prove that standardized testing maybe isn’t all that necessary…?
If studies have shown that standardized tests aren’t good indicators of student ability, due to its biased
system, then why have we kept it going? Most could live without it and it doesn’t show student progress
accurately, although some may argue differently. But is there really a correct answer to whether standardized
testing is useful? What do you think...?
Sites: https://standardizedtests.procon.org/
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In your perspective, what is social media? Is it an app that lets you connect with anyone,
anywhere, anytime? Is it something used to get a hysterically funny video out there to the
world? Is it a way to spread new trends to anyone who will listen? Most of all, is it bad?
Well the answer is yes, to all of those questions. The truth is, social media can be a fun
way to do all of those things like chatting, posting funny videos or memes, photo sharing,
filters, and a lot more. It is not a terrible function that is so bad it needs to stop immediately or
something like that. It is what you make of it that determines the negatives.
We all know things in real life can escalate fast. Conversations, arguments, things like
that. It only makes it worse when it is online. Chatting can escalate worse and can be
considered cyberbullying, especially when people feel they can say whatever they want behind
a screen. But it follows you. A digital footprint isn’t some elementary term or “joke,” used to
make kids be nice on the internet. It is a real thing. It can control your future like a curse that
can’t be fixed. This means what you post, say, or share, can sometimes be viewed by friends,
adults, teachers, strangers, and people who were not meant to see it. A post can sometimes
be seen by later employers or colleges that can find it with a simple web search of your name.
Therefore it is everything but a “joke.”
Meanwhile, the negative aspects of social media is affecting OUR school. The
bathrooms are being destroyed. It is rude, it is inappropriate, it is disgusting, it is VANDALISM.
STOP. It is making people upset, and it got to the point where it can be a hate crime. The
custodians at MMS need a break. If you are feeling upset or troubled, don’t make them pay.
Talk to someone. They can help you.
Not just in the bathrooms but throughout the people in our school, the disrespect and
unkindness is embarrassing and sad. That is not the school we ALL want to have. We all know
it. It’s fine if you don’t believe me. Don’t take my word for it. Take the school’s. According to a
recent poll, 98% of people want it to stop. 98%!!! If that many people wanting a difference
aren’t enough to change the minds of vandalism, I don’t know what will.
Let's go back to our first question. Is social media bad? Again, It’s what you make of it. It
is whether or not an individual has the ability to control their thirst for followers and popularity
therefore making others hurt mentaly or physically, that answers that. That is your answer.
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Fine Line review. Yes I'm back. I know you
missed me and thought about me all summer. My
sour review is unmatched to any form of literature
and made you shake the house boot down
Houston. This is an official patent pending round
2, this time about the man, the myth, the legend
hanging in my locker: Harry Edward Styles.
Golden: This song makes my hair fly off
my head. Keep in my mind only Christmas music
and Frank Sinatra have this effect on me. I’m
illiterate and have been paralyzed from the ankles
down and I think my frontal cortex or whatever
part of your brain is utilized to think has shriveled
to a raisin. 10/10
Fine line: Crying and throwing up this song
makes me want to literally pull every single bristle
out of my toothbrush and forcefully make myself
watch an episode of Glee. If that doesn't explain
my every thought about this song I don't know
what will. 10/10
Adore you: This man is literally the
smartest person in the Milky Way. He made a
whole music video on a fish, a sea creature if you
will. I have 1 and only 1 question for you, have
you ever met a person that dislikes this song?
The answer is no and yes. That was a Rhetorical
question. 9.87910/10
Watermelon sugar: This is the most
disliked song in the history of his career but
honestly this man could sing happy birthday and I
would still be on the floor. All this man sings about
is fruit..... Yes, do I literally care. No and you
shouldn't either go stream now.
9.1234567890/10
Lights up: This song in fact does show
false advertising. Because Harold did not in fact
lift the lights up, this song makes me want to sit in
a very dark room and blast this song on full
volume. That’s it. 10/10
Falling: Literally shut the refrigerator door.
The piano, the dress, the water, literally
everything in this music video is superb. I would
pay my college tuition for a jar of this water and
risk my future for this song. 10/10
Cherry: He wasn’t kidding when he said
don’t you call him cherry. Because if anybody
called my bae Harold... 10000/10
Sunflower: I would watch The Bee Movie
on repeat for days, weeks, months, years,
centuries to be able to even listen to a single
note of this song. I would go as far as to put
WHOLE MILK in my coffee to listen to this
song. 12345678910/10
She: This song does in fact live in
daydreams with me. I am not convinced I
believe that this song is written about me.
4321/10
To be so lonely: I can't see, my ears are
disabled, my mouth is glued closed and my
body is dumbfounded. I am as lost as a chicken
crossing the road and i've become deflated and
a blob on the floor. 19191919/10
Canyon moon: why harold why I feel like
Shakespeare writing this article yet i am at such
a loss for words and i am aghast literally call
the ambulance because my organs are
dysfunctional 911/10
Twpk: (Treat People With Kindness)
literally stop Harold………….crying
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What do people at MMS think?
We wanted to know what people at MMS thought about
Taylor Swift, Red and her rerecording. 8th grader, Sara
Gilchrist, was nice enough to let us interview her on her
thoughts and opinions.
Q: Have you listened to red yet?
A: Yes I have.
Q: How has your experience been with it?
A: It's been good. Red (Taylor's Version) is an amazing
masterpiece and should always be listened to at every
time of day, and I'm so proud of Taylor.
Q: Were you excited for Red (Taylor's Version) to come
out?
A: Obviously, I completely lived off of I Knew You Were
Trouble and 22 as a kid so obviously I was excited for it to
come out.
Q: So what do you know about Taylor rerecording all
her albums?
A: I do know that it means a lot to her to have ownership
over albums, and I'm really glad we get Fearless and
Red, hopefully we get 1989 too because she released
Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version).
Q: Is there anything else you would like the people
reading to know?
A: If you don't like Taylor Swift then go stream Red
(Taylor’s Version) right now.
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Taylor Swift in a “Red” photoshoot
“It never would have been possible to go back &
remake my previous work, uncovering lost art & forgotten
gems along the way if you hadn’t emboldened me. Red is about
to be mine again, but it has always been ours. Now we begin
again. Red (my version) is out.” Taylor Swift, November 12,
2021
Who is Taylor Swift?
Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter who is most
known for her narrative songwriting which has gotten her a lot
of widespread media coverage and critical praise.
What is Red?
Red is the 4th studio album by Taylor Swift which was released
on October 22nd, 2012. It is ranked 99th in the Rolling Stone
500 greatest albums of all time. Red (Taylor’s Version)
released on November 12th is following her first re-record,
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) released in April 2021
Why is she re-recording?
Swift doesn’t own the masters of her first 6 albums so every
time somebody tries to stream one of the albums, the profits
don’t go to her, but instead they go to the owners of the master.
Taylor is releasing these albums as her own dubbed “Taylor’s
Version”.
Why is owning your masters so important?
Owning your masters gives artists legal rights. When an artist
doesn't own their masters they cant license it to 3rd parties,
meaning that they can’t put their music in any movies, tv
shows, commercials, films, or even for sampling use by other
artists. An artist should be able to have full control over their
musical career. “A lot of artists, especially in the early days of
their career, don’t realize that signing away your masters
means selling the rights to their work - sometimes for all
future,” says Diego Farias, CEO, and co-founder of Amuse.
It's not a big obligation to own your masters when some are just
starting, but even big stars like Kanye West and Taylor Swift
started at some point. For Taylor, not owning her master’s
means she doesn't have control over how and where her music
is used, even performing songs live.
What is the story of Spider-Man: No
Way Home?
Multiple clues and plot teasers have been
released on some articles and websites.
Based on what we last saw in the
post-credits scene, Nick Fury wasn’t really Nick
Fury, but he was a shape-shifting green alien from
Captain Marvel. “Spider-Man: No Way Home is
going to open with the eponymous character being
Public Enemy #1 and not even able to hide from the
world by pretending to be mild-mannered high
school student Peter Parker,” says CinemaBlend.
From the trailer, we see that Dr. Strange is
involved and for some reason, the universe is fading
out. The trailer starts off with Peter and M.J sitting
on top of a building and talking about a magazine.
We move on to see that he is the number 1 public
enemy and is soon in jail. As we go further into the
trailer, complications arise for Parker, his only hope
is to reverse time itself. Little clips show us that the
time spell that Dr. Strange had conducted brought
many dangerous hazards to the universe.
Unfortunately, the trailer left us on a cliffhanger,
wondering what’s going to happen next.
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Everything You Need To
Know About Spider-Man:
No Way Home By Shaivi
Gaddam
“Web shooting, Universe saving, Acrobatic!”
are all traits of one very well-known superhero and
Idol for many. If you haven't caught on, I am talking
about Peter Parker, or more commonly known as
SPIDERMAN.
After we were left on a cliffhanger in the
“Spider-Man” series latest movie, “Far From Home”,
fans have been eagerly waiting for the next film,
“No Way Home.” Peter Parker had left off finally
getting the girl he loved, M.J. However, in the final
scene of the latest movie, we also saw his identity
get revealed on all big news platforms. For many
fans of the Spider-Verse, this was a shocking
ending. According to CinemaBlend, “A contract
dispute between Walt Disney Studios and Sony
Pictures called off the deal that allowed the
beloved superhero to exist in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe…” However, fortunately, those 2 studios
soon came up with an agreement, letting
“Spider-Man No way home,” start shooting and a
date left to be planned. The decided date was later
set for December 17th, 2021, making it the 4th
Marvel Studios movie to come out this year.
Eager fan of Marvel Studios and movies,
Senora Radlinski, says “I love how they tie one
movie into the other, and they always have at the
very end of the movie, a post-credits scene. I am
very curious about the next Spider-Man movie, but
sad about Tony Stark dying. Marvel always had a
way to bring all the characters back, which is why
the movies are so interesting and exciting.”
Keep reading to find out everything you
need to know about the next Spider-Man movie.
The First Thanksgiving By Ramin Qurbani
In the November of 1621, a year after the
Pilgrims washed ashore, they had a bountiful
harvest of corn and other American crops. The
governor, William Bradford, organized a feast for
the celebration of a great harvest.
He invited the local Native American tribes
to celebrate with them. The first Thanksgiving
lasted for three days, with feasts for each day.
The first Thanksgiving meals included
turkey, which was probably stuffed with herbs,
nuts and vegetables, as Edward Winslow wrote,
“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent
four men on fowling, that so we might after a
special manner rejoice together, after we had
gathered the fruits of our labors; they four in one
day killed as much fowl.”
Another part of the first Thanksgiving
meals were the American fruits and vegetables,
such as blueberries, plums, grapes, raspberries,
gooseberries, and cranberries to name a few
fruits. The vegetables were mostly corn, carrots,
spinach, onions, beans, cabbage, lettuce, and
peas.
The third part of the meals were fish and
shellfish, there were lots of lobsters and a variety
of other types of fish, like Edward Winslow also
wrote “Our bay is full of lobsters all the summer
and afforded variety of other fish; in September
we can take a hogshead of eels in a night with
small labor, and can dig them out of their beds all
the winter. We have mussels... at our doors.
Oysters we have none near, but we can have
them brought by the Indians when we will.”
Thanksgiving has a long and interesting
history, traced back to the 1620s, when the
States were still a bunch of colonies; but that did
not stop it from becoming a national holiday in
the United States.
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving with
your family?
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Thanksgiving was not originally a national
holiday, it only became a national holiday around
1777. George Washington convinced the Second
Continental Congress to make it a national holiday
after the defeat of the British in the Battle of Saratoga;
with America a new, independent nation. Though,
Thanksgiving did not start here, it went back to the
times America was first a couple colonies, back to the
September of 1620.
In the September of 1620, the first Pilgrims
arrived on the ship called the “Mayflower”. The ship
landed in the Americas, which was called the “New
World” as it was recently discovered back then. There
were 102 passengers on the ship which landed near
what is now Cape Cod.
The Pilgrims established one of the first
settlements in the Americas, called the
“Massachusetts Bay Colony”. The first town of the
colony was being worked on, which would later be
finished and called “Plymouth”. The first winter was
brutal to the Pilgrims, but they survived, and received
a visit from the local Native American tribe, the
Abenaki tribe.
A couple days later after the visit, the Abenakis
brought another Native American, Squanto. Squanto
showed the Pilgrims how to cultivate American plants
and how to use fish for farming. Squanto also helped
the Pilgrims make an alliance with another local
Native American tribe called the Wampanoag.
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As the fall comes to an end, so does
this year’s cross country season. The
Memorial runners had many great races,
with most races ending in victory.
The cross country team had a great
season but, let's see what the runners
thought about it. This was the question we
asked: “How was the season and what was
one thing you learned from it?” The biggest
thing that the runners learned this year was
sportsmanship and working together to
achieve a goal. Many runners were able to
learn from each other, they were taught to
try their hardest no matter what and always
persevere. Win or lose, this season was a
big success for the cross country team and
we are hoping for the next one to be just as
amazing!
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Top Row(left to right): Corrine Sartor, Payton Pentino, Sydney
Hotaling, Maura Witkowski, Megan Widlar, Annie Greenwood,
Mairead Power, Jordyn Fortier, Claudia Burrus, Sara Gilchrist.
Bottom Row(left to right): Ava Farley, Sadey Barret, Allie
Leonard, Jordyn Kovach, Adri Dawson, Emily Lame, Maya
Jaramillo
The Field hockey team had one of their best years to
date this season. They ended not only undefeated, but were
never scored on. We wanted to get some input from an athlete
who was on the team this past year. So we asked a few
questions to the goalie, Jordan Kovach from 7th grade.
We asked her how she felt about this past season. She
really liked how she could play with her friends and she got to
try a new position. She feels her biggest challenges were trying
a new position and keeping the team undefeated. She thinks
that next year's season will be different without the eighth
graders, but she is very excited for the seventh graders to move
up! She is looking forward to the next season to make more
friends and also stay with the old friends and learn to work
together as a team.
We are so happy we could get a great interview from a
player on the team. The girls did an amazing job the past
couple months, we wanted to highlight some of the stats of the
8th graders that lead them to a not only an undefeated season,
but never getting scored on!
Goals: Assists:
Sara Gilchrist-7 goals Megan Widlar-7 assists
Maura Witkowski-6 goals Maura Witkosik-5 assists
Sydney Hotaling-5 goals Sydney Hotaling- 5 assists
Allie Leonard-4 goals Allie Leonard-4 assists
Anabelle Greenwood-3 goals Sara Gilchrist- 4 assists
Megan Widlar-1 goal Anabelle Greenwood- 2 assists
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The Old Farmer's Almanac
When Do the Seasons Start in 2021? | Fall
Equinox, Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox,
Summer Solstice | The Old Farmer's
Almanac
With fall sports coming to an end, basketball
season is fastly approaching. In the past, Memorial
has had great success with all our school sports but
particularly basketball. But sadly last year due to
Covid-19 the basketball teams for both girls and
boys did not have a season. For not only our 6th
grade but 7th grade athletes this is the first time
they have the ability to try out and represent MMS.
Let's take a look at who will be playing for the
Mustangs this year! Don’t forgot to come out and
sport our teams, you can find the schedule at
Ciacsports.com.
Boys Team Girls Team
Rylen Brennan Mia Shaker
Andrew Brocksmith Lily Scozzafava
Braedan Grieder Claudia Burrus
Dane Guinipero Lily Masi
Lucas Jordan Valery Linstrum
Brendan MacKenzie Allie Leonard
Noah Pane Jordyn Fortier
Nick Tarby Alana Drauss
Jude Turner Sophia Davidson
Joe Flanagan Eliana Dani
Bryce Buckley Allie McNerney
Aiden DelBuono Megan Archibald
Brandon Villadolid Kaelan Doyle - Holter
Anthony Mancini Daniela Ardino
Devin Mugavin
Jordan Kovach
Delilah Salcito
Our soccer season has come to an end, but
we haven't forgotten about the amazing plays this
year.
The girls team had a very successful season
with their captains Jasleena Thind, Allie McNerney
and Jillian Sieling leading their team to a record 6-5-0.
There were lots of goals scored by many of their
players. We also decided to ask their coach, Mr.
Buckley, some questions about their season. We first
asked him “How do you think the season went?” He
said they had a wonderful season with wonderful
leadership by the team captains. He also mentioned
that he had an amazing group of girls. We next asked
him if he could share an encouraging piece of advice.
He said “Just keep having fun playing the game, that
is why we play. When we have fun, winning is not the
most important thing!”
For the boys team, they were led by captains
Genti Ismaili, Breaden Greider, and Gabe Panasci all
in 8th grade! With such a successful season, ending
with a record of 6-3-0, we wanted to share some of
their stats!
Goals: Genti Ismaili-7, Gabe Panasci-5, Kevin
Weitkamp-4, Cam Funk-4, Braedan Grieder-3, Aiden
Delbuono-3.
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Thanksgiving Trivia!
By Camila Reyes
1. Which Native American tribe taught the pilgrims how
to use the land and were invited to Thanksgiving?
A. Apache
B. Wampanoag
C. Cherokee
2. What day is Thanksgiving?
A. November 25 or 26 (Depends on the year)
B. Only November 25 each year
C. Fourth Thursday
D. Fourth Friday
3. What Was NOT At The Pilgrims Thanksgiving?
A. Cranberries, Corn, Mashed Potatoes
B. Rabbit, Chicken, Wild Turkey, Dried Fruit
C. Deer meat, Fish, Goose
ANSWERS ON OUR GOOGLE
CLASSROOM!
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD JOB!!!
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Memorial Middle School - 1 Memorial Dr, Middlebury, CT 06762
Vol. 2 Issue 2 - Dec. 6, 2021
Teacher Advisors
Mr. Gaipa and Ms. Jarret
Editor in Chief - Allie McNerney
Assistant Editor in Chief - Kassidi Houck
Arts & Culture
Section Editor - Emma Sander
Nora Santoli
Lily Scozzafava
Arlo Hernandez
Ramin Qurbani
Comics & Games
Section Editor - Caileigh Callahan
Amaris Fontanez
Elias Jabri
Camila Reyes
Advertising & Design
Section Editor - Riddhima Chaurasia
Design
Cole Hayes
Marian Chesney-House
Olivia Williams
Advertising
Evan Gilliam
Jamaryz Ruiz
Copy Editor - Marlo Gabriele
Assistant Editor in Chief - Jasleena Thind
News
Section Editor - Luke Bevilacqua
Thomas Harris
Shaivi Gaddam
Maura Witkowski
Here @ MMS
Section Editor - Daniela Ardino
Ariel Fontanez
Lily Masi
Opinion & Politics
Section Editor - Ryan Murray
Donald Scacco
Marlo Gabriele
Sports
Section Editor- Megan Widlar
Sophia Dickens
Ayla Feratovic
Anabelle Greenwood
Akash Bajaj
Emma Taglialatella
