Author: pantherl

Park Hill School Disrict

Upcoming Events:
Olweus Parent Night 7 pm October 20th
Orchestra concert at PHS 7:30 October 27th
Parent Teacher Conferences October 28th, 5-8 and October 20th 12-8
No School Friday October 30th

Inside this issue:

Sports	2
Health	2
Teacher Feature	4
Mr. Teeter Interview	5
Editorials	6
Entertainment	8
Reviews	8

Lakeview Lately

Volume 2, Issue 1

October 20, 2009

War on Terrorism by Christopher Nelson

It was a quarter to nine on September 11, 2001. Downtown New York was bustling with people making there morning commute. Over the highways and buildings streaked a renegade plane. It had been hijacked by Al- Qaeda terrorists. It slammed into the World Trade Center. Minutes later a second plane crashed in to the other building. The Twin Towers fell causing mass panic throughout the city. After the event President George Bush had this to say about the attacks.” This was not an act of terrorism; it was an act of war.”
On March 20, 2003 America retaliated by sending Coalition Forces into Iraq. Not even a month later, on April 9th Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, fell. Since that day, a little over 8 years ago we have stabilized Iraq's Government and they even held the first free elections there in many years. These elections took place on January 20, 2005. We then continued to hunt down terrorists that have been hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Since the beginning of the war the United the United States Army has suffered a little over 5,000 brave men and women. But on the other side groups like the Al- Qaeda and Taliban have lost many more of it's members. There causality numbers exceed 50,000. This year however have been the most costly months for American Soldiers.
President Obama is contemplating right now whether or not to send an additional 40,000 troops to Afghanistan as requested by General Stanley McChrystal's, leader of NATO forces in Afghanistan. Many people are against the war and sending more troops in and prolonging the war. They are afraid that it will drag on longer and it will be harder to get out later on. When I asked fellow classmate Andy Lee about what he thought about the war he said, "War is never a bright subject and this is not an exception." However many people believe that we should send in more troops to finish this war. They think that if we don't send more troops in now we will look weak and that we have given up. Despite the arguments, this is a big issue and could be a defining moment in Obama's presidency.

News of the Weird by Hannah Warman

As you know there are many events that are interesting going on in news right now. I found a few good articles on msnbc.com from. First, I read that Christy Harp of Canton, Ohio has earned bragging rights for her pumpkin that weighed 1,725 pounds. She and her husband compete to see who can get the bigger pumpkin. “Last year he beat me by 200 pounds. This year I beat him by 400 pounds.” She stated.
I found another good one from Wednesday October 7th in Casselton N.D titled Hot dog! The wiener dog, Boomer, is said to be 3 feet from foot to shoulder and 7 feet from nose to the tip of his tail.
Caryn Weber, the dog’s owner, told reporters that “[Boomer] comes into the house…[and] everything gets knocked around.” Wow, that’s a big dog!

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Tigers Get Drenched 27-12 by Andy Lee

When it rains it pours on the MU tigers.

At 8:00 last Tuesday, the Mizzou football team played the Nebraska Cornhuskers at a rainy Faurot Field in Columbia, MO. The game was televised to the whole country on ESPN. Rain fell the entire game as Missouri led Nebraska 12 to 0 at halftime, thanks to a last-second touchdown run by Blaine Gabbert. However, the game’s momentum turned drastically in the fourth quarter. Nebraska, led by quarterback Zac Lee, said, “I was digging deep from the beginning. It just didn’t show up until the end.” After the game, coach Gary Pinkel said, “I’m not going to blame the weather on any of this. If you want to win championships… you have to play in any conditions. That’s no excuse at all.” Mizzou dropped to a 4 and 1 record and out of the top 25. They look to rebound next week against number 16 Oklahoma State.

“Here’s the deal, a pandemic is just a virus or bacteria that spreads quickly…”

Swine Flu Blues by JQ

The Swine Flu, or H1N1 Influenza, has been over exaggerated since it began. It’s not that much different than the normal flu. Yes, there are some differences, but not many.
The main concern that is scaring everyone is that the World Health Organization declared the H1N1 virus a pandemic. Here’s the deal, a pandemic is just a virus or bacteria that spreads quickly and has already infected a large number of people. That doesn’t mean that it’s deadly! Swine flu is about as deadly as the normal flu. Swine flu has the same symptoms and spreads in the same way as the normal flu, although it does spread faster.
Swine flu gets its name from the fact that this same type of virus affects pigs and birds. Swine Flu has become such a big deal for two reasons. One, it has infected so many people so quickly. Two, scientists think the H1N1 virus might evolve and get worse. “[Teenagers] have thrown Swine Flu parties to try and become infected before it evolves.” Mrs. Keating explained in science class. Mrs. Quick stated, “Swine Flu and normal flu are basically the same thing.”
You don’t need to worry too much about Swine Flu at this point. You should always try to stay healthy so your body’s natural defense can fight the Flu. At this time, Swine Flu does not appear to be worse than the normal flu.

Shay Jackson is our featured student athlete of the month, but she’s a great student, first!

LMS Athlete by Mackenzie Stout

On October 9, 2009 I had a chance to sit down with Shay Jackson- Lakeview’s Athlete of the Month. As I sat down with Shay I asked her what sports she played. Shay kicked her foot and replied, “Soccer, Tennis, Softball, Swimming, and Volleyball.” Shay said she liked these sports because, “They keep in shape and busy” as she laughed. When asked the question who do you look up to, Shay quickly responded, “Maria Sharapova a famous tennis player because I admire her dedication.” I ended my interview with asking Shay what her mile time was. Shay quickly responded 6:59.

Lakeview Lately

Volume 2, Issue 1

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Professional Athlete of the Month by Ty Seiwert

This month’s athlete of the month is Albert Pujols. I picked him for his amazing plays on and off of the field. He plays for the St. Louis Cardinals as their starting first base and star hitter. This 6 foot 3, 210 lb monster is one of the most talented players I have ever seen. According to baseball- reference.com, Albert has hit 336 home runs in his career and a batting averageof.334. He is so good that people call him The Machine. Though there are many other athletes that were eligible for this award the main reason I picked Albert was for his hard work and perseverance.
Jose Alberto Pujols was born on January 16, 1980 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He first realized that he loved baseball when he and his family immigrated to the United States in late 1900’s. Unlike most kids, Albert never lost that love. He grew up and played his first few years at a community college. In his first game, he hit a grand slam and single handedly pulled off a double play. He eventually graduated and was drafted by the St Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB draft.
During his nine professional seasons Albert has had his ups and his downs. In May of the 2001 season Albert was named Rookie of the Month. Then that June Albert was asked to attend the All-star game. Only three years later Albert started to have hamstring problems. Though he was injured he managed to come back and still be one of the best players in the league. “[Albert] truly is amazing…” said Chase Whorton about Albert.
No matter what Albert does, I think that he inspires young people all around to follow their dreams. I asked people why Albert’s nickname was The Machine. Cody Hernandez simply replied, “Because he is inhuman.” I think what he means by this is that he has never seen anybody who is so good at what he does. It’s amazing how it can be 2 outs a full count and the bottom of the ninth with Albert’s hit deciding the World Series. How Albert can keep his cool and hit a line drive single up the center to get a base hit. These are the reasons why Albert Pujols is the athlete of the month.
Information from: http://www.albert-pujols.net/albert-pujols-bio.php

Albert Pujols takes the lead for Lakeview’s favorite baseball player. Did you know he started as a 13th round draft pick?

Why is Albert Pujohls the athlete of the month? “...because he is inhuman!”

Good Times at the Zou by Chase Whorton

October 8th, Missouri Tigers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers, in a cold, rainy day at Faurot Field in Columbia, MO. Blaine Gabbert, Mizzou’s QB, tossed for 134 total yards and rushed for a touchdown with time winding down right before halftime causing the score to rise 12-0. With nobody scoring in the third quarter, punt after punt, the beginning of the fourth quarter let the Tigers fall apart. Zac Lee, the Cornhuskers QB, on the first play from scrimmage in the fourth, launched a 56 yard bomb to Niles Paul for a touchdown. When the Tigers got the ball back, Blaine threw his first interception of his two year career. On the recovering drive, Zac Lee threw a 13 yard pass to Niles Paul yet again and Nebraska missed the two point conversion, leaving the score 13-12. Next, Gabbert threw yet another interception right at Nebraska’s promising DT, Ndamukong Suh. On the receding drive Nebraska drove down to the Missouri’s 8 yard line and Lee threw another pass, this time to Mike McNeill, causing the score to rise 20-12. Missouri got all the way down to the Nebraska 32 and turned it over on downs with 5:24 left. Nebraska wasted as much time as possible and scored off a run by Roy Helu Jr. to rise the score to the final, 27-10. According to longtime MU fan Andy Lee, “Missouri fell apart in the end. I can’t believe it turned out like this.”
The rest of the season will have its ups and downs. Home games with Texas, Baylor, Iowa State, and a neutral game with Kansas here in Kansas City. Away games along with Oklahoma State, Colorado, and Kansas State. The old gold Tigers have Good Times at the Zou ahead of them.

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Banter with the Burns by Jo Boyle

Check out our amazing teachers in Lakeview Lately’s Teacher Feature!

The October 12th interview with Mrs. Burns, the new Eagles reading teacher, was short, but I got a few questions in. I asked her, “Why did you become a teacher?” Smiling, she answered with, “Well first of all, I’ve wanted to be a teacher for a log time.” Mrs. Burns also said, “I also like helping people out.”
“Where did you go to school?” I asked her. She said that for college, she went to Missouri State University. Surprisingly enough, for middle school she went to Lakeview Middle School, and for high school she went to Park Hill South.
“What do you do in your free time?” I asked. She answered, “I coach and play volleyball.” She also said that she enjoys reading and hanging out with friends.
I asked someone what they thought or Mrs. Burns in general. They said, “She’s really nice and funny!” I told Mrs. Burns and she said, “I’m glad because I try to relate to my students, and I mean I think I’m pretty funny!” I asked Chantel what she thought about Mrs. Burn’s teaching, “[Mrs. Burns] tries to make things as fun as possible.” Mrs. Burns answered with,
“Well, I would say that I am meeting my goals then because I try to make it fun and educational.” That concluded my interview with Mrs. Burns.

“Katy sent him and his bloody ear to the nurse.”

Ear Piercing by Amanda Smith

On October 12, 2009, I had a chance to talk with Miss Harjung about a crazy story that her friend told her. The conversation started off quiet and calm. Miss Harjung seemed excited and confident. I asked her the question, “what is the craziest story from a teacher that you have experienced or heard about?” Miss Harjung seemed flustered at first, but once she thought of the story she said, “Probably the story that my best friend Katy told me.” The story occurred a year ago at her best friend’s school. “Apparently,” said Miss Harjung, “a student of Katy’s thought he was so cool because he was on the freshman varsity soccer team at the high school.” The kid was extremely full of himself. One day Katy was teaching class and all of a sudden she yell. “What are you doing?” The kid was piercing his ear in the back of the classroom and seemed ok with it. By now Miss Harjung and I are laughing like no other. The kid responded by saying, “it’s alright I am cool now, I can pierce my ear” Katy sent him and his bloody ear to the nurse.

Think this is Miss Harjung at her craziest? Read about her friend’s even crazier classroom experience!

Superb Sub by Anna Courtney

“He probably parties,” said Carli Hanlon, laughing really abnormally loud and smiling, as I asked her what she thinks Mr. DeLong does in his free time. I also asked her what class you have had Mr. DeLong in. She responded quickly with a smile on her face, “All of my classes because all of my teachers pick him.” Then, I asked Carli why she likes Mr. DeLong as a substitute and she said,” He’s not strict and he lets us get away with things.” For my last question I asked her, if Mr. DeLong was reading this right now what message would you give him? With her hand on her cheek and laughing she said,”Hi Mr. DeLong, you’re a cool teacher.”

Lakeview Lately

Volume 2, Issue 1

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Talking with Teeter by Sam Sobotka

On October 12, 2009 I interviewed Matt Teeter, Lakeview Middle School’s vice principal. From what students tell me, ”he’s a pretty cool principal”, and “he’s awesome!” a few of my fellow students said. Personally, I think he is one of the best vice principals I’ve ever had.
First, I asked if he was interested in sports. He apparently loves them! He likes basketball, soccer, tennis. And he loves to referee. And then I asked if he and his kids have any pets. They don’t have any. He really likes to spend time with his kids and to referee in his spare time.
He looks up to his dad a lot because he is “very wise and has very good common sense.” His favorite childhood memory is running on the Olympic track in Germany, “…it was awesome!!” as Mr. Teeter puts it. And finally, I asked if he could do anything besides what he does right now, what would it be? And he said he would be a professional referee in the NBA.

Terrific Teachers by Carli Hanlon

“He’s a pretty cool principal” says one student of Mr. Teeter.

It was a quiet Lakeview day when I met with Kenzie Stout and Aubrey Helling. We were talking about their favorite teachers at Lakeview and Kenzie said her favorite teacher was Mr. Elder, the language arts teacher for the Thunderhawks.
“[Mr. Elder] always makes class fun and it’s never boring.” I wondered what makes it fun and she gave the example, “For the preposition project [Mr. Elder] jumped and ran around on all of the furniture… [Mr. Elder’s] crazy.” Next I interviewed Aubrey Helling about Mrs. Pedersen, the Aviator’s math teacher.
“I love [Mrs. Pedersen’s] blonde jokes. They are hilarious.” I have heard her blonde jokes and they are pretty funny. “One time [Mrs. Pedersen] said we were each getting a hug and a kiss… I was scared… it just turned out to be the candy hug and kiss.” There are many terrific teachers here at Lakeview and these are just a few!

Mr. Elder Speaks Out by Chandler Adams

“Uhhh… well… I guess I like everyone, or my wife Mrs. Elder would be the good answer,” said Mr. Elder on the cold October 12th interview, when I asked who is your favorite teacher in the building? Next I asked what do you do in your after school hours? He quickly replied with teaching dance and playing with my kids.
“I want students to be highly motivated and want to be here”, said Mr. Elder when I asked if you had one wish as a teacher what would it be? I asked what his dream job would be if he wasn’t already doing it? He thought hard and after while he said probably being on Broadway would be my dream job. Getting closer to the end I asked what his favorite sport teams were. He replied with, “M.U, Tigers and USC Trojans football teams. But I’m not really into that many sports.” My last question of the day was what is your favorite part of being teacher? He quickly said “everyday the kids are different.” I thought it was a great way to end a great interview.

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Passing Time by Darla Pork

Students demonstrate one way to save time between class periods...

“… [Passing time] should be a lot longer,” says Chantel Wells. And she’s not alone. The current rules of passing time are that it is only 4 minutes long. I asked Samantha Roy what she thinks of passing time and she proceeded to tell me “I think passing time should be longer. The teachers shouldn’t expect us to get our stuff and go to the bathroom in 4 minutes.” Mason agrees by saying “I think that passing time should be about a minute longer.”
Alex disagrees with everybody else. He told me he thinks passing time should only be 2 minutes long. In shock, I asked him “why only two minutes?!” he replied “because I think people should hurry up and get to class to learn.” Miss Panther sort of had the same thoughts as Alex, she didn’t think passing time should be longer like most of the other students did. Miss Panther was telling me how she thinks the students have enough time to get from class to class. She thinks that if the students use their passing time wisely and don’t talk to people when they are supposed to be getting their things, being late wouldn’t be a problem. Agreeing with Alex and Miss Panther, Beau quickly said to me “I think that passing time is fine, four minutes gives us enough time to get our things and get to class.” With Beau summing up all thoughts on passing time, that is all I have to say.

“This is my thought on the subject. What’s yours? Do you agree or disagree?” asks Vicky Phillips

Look familiar? Most of the students at LMS say they either own or have used an iPod before.

Ipods or Idistractions? by Vicky Phillips

Here at Lakeview students are allowed to bring music players and listen to them with permission. I wanted to know if people thought this and other rules for Ipod’s were fair. My October 12 interview with Miss Panther in her classroom at Lakeview answers questions about Ipod rules and their fairness. “They’re fair as long as they’re equally enforced.” This is the quote of Miss panther answering the question, do you think the rules for Ipod and other electronic devices are fair?
Another question I asked was should students be able to use them whenever they feel like it? Why? She replied, “No, because at some point you need to listen to the teacher.” Another person I interviewed disagrees. Sydney Baska says, “Yes! Because students get bored listening to a teacher talk.”
Do you agree? Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. Overall I think the interview went well. I got some awesome answers and some interesting opinions. After hearing opinions from a teacher and a student, I have come to a conclusion. I believe the Ipod rules are fair. I also think it’s hard to pick a side on if students should be able to listen to them whenever. I see both sides, but be a student I agree more on yes, we should. Maybe only when a teacher is giving a lecture you can listen to them. This is my thought on the subject. What’s yours? Do you agree or disagree?

Lakeview Lately

Volume 2, Issue 1

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Wii Fit? Maybe! by Kelsey Wang

Many wonder if the Wii Fit actually makes you fit. Carli Hanlon says, “[The Wii Fit] is fun, but I don’t think it works.”
The Wii Fit is based on four main catagories, they are aerobics, balance, strength training, and yoga. Games on the Wii Fit focus on these four catagories. Hannah Warman claims, “I think the Wii Fit works if you do it right.”
Studies according to msnbc.com show that you can lose 27 pounds in a year on average if you play for 12.2 hours a week, that’s almost two hours a day. Researchers are telling kids to eliminate television and electronics, yet the Wii Fit is telling us to play Wii Fit for almost two hours a day to get fit. You can also lose 1,830 calories a week, that is if you play for about 12.2 hours a week. Children can get their heart rates up to about 130 beats per minute rather than 83 beats per minute.

You can lose 1,830 calories a week...but only if you play for 12.2 hours!

Sticky Situation by Jessica Ecton

I think the Eagles deserve to chew gum in their classrooms because every other team gets to chew it, so why can’t they? I had the chance to interview a couple of eighth graders from the Eagles team to see what they felt about it. Caiden White said that, “I think we should be able to chew gum because we won’t put it under tables.” Marie Peterson said, “Gum is very tasty, and I want to be able to chew it.” Chelsea Ghasemi stated, “Gum helps your brain function better, well at least I think so.”I also interviewed another girl that is on the Thunderhawks team to see her perspective. Erin McKeon said, “Gum is a gift, and I think everyone should cherish it, [including the Eagles].” In conclusion, I deeply believe that the Eagle’s should be allowed to chew gum, but only if they do not abuse the privilege.

Bullying at Lakeview by Lauren Powers

The bullying program at Lakeview Middle School was great in most people’s eyes. It included activities such as, pajama day, favorite tee-shirt day, and assemblies to promote the week. “It was fun, they had good activities.” remarks Mrs. Pederson an Aviators teacher. “The program was good but they should have had better ideas.” says a 7th grade student. When the school designs programs like this they are trying to prevent bullying. Some people such as Mrs.Cocron, the schools nurse, thinks it will cut down bullying. Then there’s another side, the 8th graders. “None of the bullying will stop, it’s kind of a waste of time.” says three 8th grade girls. Should the school stop wasting time on designing programs or is bullying cutting down?

Unwind: A Futurist Suspense
by Chase Riekhof

Jokes of the Month by John Chacon

Unwind is the latest book I have read. I zoomed through it in only a few days. According to the Horn Book, “[Unwind is] like a roller coaster, [it] delivers a… thrilling ride.” Mrs. Beasley thinks, “Unwind is a great book because it makes the reader think about who has the right to decide another person’s value…”
Unwind is about a futuristic society where, if you are unwanted, you are given to the government where they harvest your body parts and reattach them onto other people that need them. Because of this, there is a surplus of parts, unlike today, which means no waiting list if you are deathly ill. In this novel, you follow three characters as they try to escape because their parents have signed them up for unwinding.
What is your opinion on unwinding? Do you think that the government should be able to kill unwanted kids and use their body parts to save other citizens? If you are against this policy, would your opinion change if someone close to you needed a transplant and the only way they could be saved would be by using unwound body parts?

Car Crash
One day while Erin was out driving a car she ran into a truck. The truck’s driver mad her pull over into a parking lot and get out of the car. He took a piece of chalk and drew a circle on the pavement. He told her to stand in the middle and not leave the circle. Furious he went over to her car and slashed her tires. The Erin started laughing. This made the mad angrier so he smashed her windshield. This time she laughed even harder. Livid the man broke all of her windows and keyed the car. Erin is now laughing hysterically so the truck driver asked her what’s so funny. Erin giggles and replies “When you weren’t looking I stepped out of the circle three times.”
Parachute Jumping
On the first day of parachute training Jessica listened intently to the instructor. He told her to start preparing for the landing when they are at 300 feet. Jessica asked “How am I supposed to know when I’m at 300 feet?” “That’s a good question. When you’re at 300 feet you can recognize the faces of the people on the ground.”After pondering his answer, she asked “What happens if there’s nobody there I know?”

Horror-Scopes
by Fabio McRainbowColoredMarshmellows

Did you know that 72% of all deaths could have been prevented if people had read their horoscopes that morning?
The Horoscope: it guides you, teaches you, and keeps you safe. Chances are you haven’t read your horoscope today! If that’s the case, then look no further. Below is today’s horoscope, taken from the infallible dailyhoroscopes.com, which, in their own words, “has been providing horoscopes, astrology, and psychic readings on the internet since 1933.” Wasn’t the internet invented in the 70’s, you may ask. In response, dear readers, I must warn you not to question these people; they’re psychic.
Aries: Don’t worry, today won’t be any worse than yesterday. You hope.
Taurus: Tacos are good for dinner tonight, trust me. Good things happen to those who eat tacos regularly.
Gemini: You are between 6 to 45 times more likely to get hit by lightning, or 18 to 120 times more likely to be killed by flesh eating bacteria than you are to win the lottery. But hey, today’s your lucky day, right?
Cancer: Bad things will happen to you if you do not eat 6 tuna fish sandwiches and wash it down with 11 gallons of strawberry quick. You have been warned.
Leo: Laughter is the very best medicine. Remember that when you get swine flu next week.
Virgo: Today is not a good day to photocopy a picture of your cat and staple it to your best friend’s face.
Libra: 10 pounds of chocolate can solve all of life’s problems.
Scorpio: Stir Fries are delicious. Happiness follows a full stomach.
Sagittarius: They say giving is better than receiving. I’m always open for donations.
Capricorn: You are the true lord of the dance, no matter what those idiots at school say.
Aquarius: Follow your dreams; they’re a lot more fulfilling than real life.
Pisces: [Insert Fortune Cookie Saying Here]

Mr. Delong, a favorite sub at LMS, enjoys the horoscopes!
For more on Mr. Delong see page eight