Blatchley Middle School ’s Newspaper

wr i tten

by students, for students

The Howler

VOLUME 4, I SSUE 2

APRIL 2012

ocracy—a govern-

ment led by reli-

gion. He is

thought to have

88 wives and 42

children, since

2007. With the

Kony 2012 video

out, the goal is to

bring attention to

him which will

result in his cap-

ture.

team.” Shawaan Gamble pro-claimed, “I want to go to Edgecumbe because I like their wrestling team.” I asked McKay Parsons where he’d want to go, and he answered, “I want to go to Pacific High because my brother goes there.”

Although it started out as a men’s sport, according to Athletic Business.com Ameri-ca, more than any country in the world, continues to view volleyball primarily as a female sport. A com-parison of participation numbers is staggering. According to the most recent annual report compiled by the Sport-ing Goods Manufacturers Association, 73 percent of all hard-court volleyball players age 17 and younger in 2007 were female, a gender breakdown rivaling that found in gymnastics where 75% of participants are female. Girls comprised 89 percent of all high school volleyball players in 2007-08, says SGMA, according Na-tional Federation of State High School Association’s data.

Inside this issue:

Students of the Month 2

No Justice! 2

BBSC Swimmers in Seattle 2

Dear Abby 3

Are Supermodels a Harm? 3

The Hunger Games Movie

Review

3

Checkmate! 3

Games Page! 4

Hardcore Parkour 5

Dell vs. Apple 5

A New Era Awaits 5

Why Dubstep is Music Too! 5

Why is Facebook Banned at

School?

6

Advantages and Disad-

vantages of Having a FB

6

My Thoughts on Minecraft 6

Editorial Cartoons 6

Nutella vs. Peanut Butter 6

Police Blotter 7

The Corsten Brown Bear 8

Thodos Dance Chicago 8

5 Questions 8

Early Spring Color 8

The Budget’s Too High! The Budget’s Too Low! Will We Ever Decide? by Megan Christner and Emma Combs

canoe, and more. We also used to get money from the

federal government, but we don’t anymore. We also

asked, what can the community do to avoid more

budget problems? Phyllis says, “Buy locally before you

go online, or to Juneau.” Thor adds, “We could raise

taxes or add a vehicle tax.” He commented, “ I know a

LOT of people don’t want to raise taxes, including me!

Considering I just paid my property tax!” We appreci-

ate the assembly members and Mr. Robidou who took

time out of their day to answer our questions!

asked if something were to be cut, what would most like-ly be gone? He replied, “Something that has the least impact on the kids. We look at the school’s mission and ask ourselves, should we really be spending money on activities?” We also asked if parents and kids can do anything to help avoid budget cuts. He replied, “Definitely! We need you to express concerns to the city, and be aware of the bills we have that might affect our education.”

We interviewed Thor Christianson and Phyllis Hack-

ett, both Assembly board members. We asked them why

are budgets so low? They both said because there are

less tourists because of Hoonah’s newest tourist attrac-

tion, Icy Strait Point, where you can zipline, sightsee,

For many years the Sitka School District has been thinking about cutting one of our programs. Every year kids have to wonder if they will be able to take certain classes such as music (band), sports, swimming, or even technology. Recently, the school thought we might be cutting one of these programs, only to find out that it’s a false alarm. Why do we have this constant back and forth? Students want answers! We asked Mr. Robidou what’s going on. So, here’s the scoop!

We asked him why we are always having a constant back and forth with the “budget cuts” talk, and he replied, “Year after year costs go up, and funding goes down. The town stops funding us.” We asked him if he was concerned. “I am concerned, but we have dealt with it quite frequently, so I think we will be okay this year.” We

Invisible Children by Savannah Ramsey and Alex Kirby

As we went around the school and talked to kids about their opinions on the matter, a lot of comments were brought up about the ‘corruption’ of Invisible Children Inc. We got a lot of comments about how Invisible Children Inc. is not ‘Non-profit’. We looked it up, and found out that Invisible Children Inc. is a ‘Not-For-Profit’ organisation, which spends 80.46% of dona-tions towards its mission, with 19.51% going to its administra-tion and management. We believe that at least 95% of their profit should be going to the inner workings of Invisible Children Inc. We believe this because if a company is labeled non-profit, then it should be very close to not pocketing any money to-wards the corporation for its inner workings. On the other hand, 7 out of 10 non-profit organizations spend only 75% of their income on their ‘Project’. In this manner, Invisible Children Inc. may not be as bad as suspected.

The main subject of the Kony 2012 video was the actions

of Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army. On July 8,

2005, Joseph Kony was charged with 12 crimes against hu-

manity and 21 war crimes. Joseph Kony is self-proclaimed to

be divinely guided, trying to purify the Acholi people into a the-

For the past 26 years, the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has been abducting children and forcing them to become child soldiers. Since their beginning in 1986, they have displaced 66,000 children and 2 million people. On February 20th, a 30 minute video was released by Invisible Children Inc. releasing little known information on the subject. (Invisible Chil-dren Inc. is a corporation founded to bring awareness to the actions of the Lord’s Resistance Army.) Within the three weeks of its release, the video had been viewed over 80 million times. The founder of Invisible Children Inc., Jason Russell, produced this video with the goal of having Joseph Kony imprisoned.

The 30 minute video documents what Joseph Kony does to Ugandan children, forcing them to become child soldiers. Joseph Kony is the first criminal on the International Criminal Court’s list of people publicly indicted. The International Crimi-nal Court is a tribunal meant to prosecute individuals for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide.

Pick a School, Any School by Braden Case

least choice is Pacific High School which has the lowest teacher to student ratio of the three schools. To get into Pacific High School, you have to get your middle school teachers to give you recommendations. People who go to Pacific High School go there to get more individual help with their work from teachers.

Brandon Barger stated, “I would like to go to Sitka High School. I would also like to cheer on Braden Case when he is owning up the Mt. Edgecumbe kids in sports.” Ky announced that he wants to attend Sitka High School because his older siblings have gone there. Brady agreed. The next person I inter-viewed was Miguel Garcia, who proclaimed, “I don’t want to go to Edgecumbe because they don’t have a football team. I over-heard Brady Harang saying, “I want to go to Sitka High School because I know a lot of people there. My brother goes there, and he has car. So I can get rides, and they have a great swim

The 8th graders of Blatchley Middle School have three choices of a high school to attend. The most common choice is Sitka High School. Mt. Edgecumbe High School is a boarding school geared towards rural Alaska kids who live in small villag-es and have a hard time affording most boarding schools. To get into Mt. Edgecumbe High School, you have to write an es-say about why you’re choosing this school and get references from adults to recommend you. Some of the students who live in Sitka go to Mt. Edgecumbe High School because they might have relatives who go there or who teach there. The last but not

Volleyball started the 20th of February. The A and B teams trav-elled to Juneau for the championship. Mariyah said that she can not wait for the trip because her favorite part of playing volleyball is probably the ferry trip up to Juneau. Mariyah said that the A team will not lose because she will be diving for the ball, and they all are a great team. The coaches are Kelly, Coach, Karen, Kurt, and Kev-in. Coach Karen said they did exceptionally well, but there is al-ways room to improve.

Volleyball started out as a men’s sports but developed into a more feminine sport. According to answers.com, volleyball was invented in 1895 by William George Morgan in the United States at the Holyoke, Massachusetts, YMCA (Young Men's Christian Asso-ciation) where he served as Director of Physical Education. He wanted to create teams without physical contact with the players. In the beginning, the teams played with a kind of basketball called the Mintonette. Now they call it a volleyball.

Bump, Set, Spike By Naomi Ferster

Sydney Kimber, a 6th grader at Blatchley Middle School, placed third in the nation for the girls Middle School division in the 120 lb. weight class. From March 29-April 1, wres-tlers around the nation competed in a US Girls Wrestling Association Tournament in Ypsilanti, MI. Congratulate Sydney for her amazing accom-

plishment when you see her!

Blatchley Home to National Champion!

Page 2

THE HOWLER

Students of the Month by Megan Christner and Emma Combs

6th Grade: Leah Christner What’s your favorite color?: PINK!!! Who are your best friends?: Abby Oliphant, and Whitney Mcarthur. Do you love your sisters?: Yes, But not Megan or Jessie, only Alli. If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?: A Pink Cube Car. Leah’s favorite class is P.E. She prefers the brand Hollister over Aeropostale, and if she could have any animal in the world, she would have a turtle! The scariest thing Leah has ever done was jumping off a high dive. In 20 years Leah wants to live in New Mexico.

7th Grade: Sean Climo What is your favorite animal?: Dog. Opinion about Facebook?: Neutral, I don’t dislike it, but I’m not addicted. What’s your favorite kind of music?: Rock! In 20 years Sean sees himself living in Boston. In his spare time he likes to ride

his bike, and listen to music. Sean’s favorite flavor of pie is lemon. His “BFFs”

are Zimri, Colin, Connor F., Dayton, David, and Isaac.

8th Grade: Misha Bekeris Who is your best friend?: Chuck Norris! What is your favorite color?: Blue. Where do you see yourself in 20 years?: A demolitionist (someone who de-stroys buildings) Misha usually spends about 15-45 minutes a day working on homework. His

favorite instrument is the piano, and his favorite class was 1st semester jour-

nalism. Misha’s best friend, Chuck Norris, and him like to roundhouse kick

people in their free time.

Registration opens January 1st. Elementary Session June 11-15 (New Circus Camp and Family Camp!) Middle School Session June 17-30 High School Session July 1-15 Musical Theater Camp July 16-29 (New!) The Elementary Camp:$155 Circus Camp (Grades 5-7):$155 Elementary String Camp (Grades 1-6):$155 Middle School Session (Grade 7-9) $1,085 for Dorm students, and $730 for day students High School Sessions: $1,095 for Dorm students, and $745 for day students

BBSC Swimmers in Seattle By Sean Climo

From March 30 through April 1, two BMS students, Skylar Moore and Moses Alley (both 6th graders), attended Northwest Age Group Regional Championships held in Federal Way, Washington. This is both Moses’s and Skylar’s second time attending this meet.

When I interviewed the both of them, they both felt that they performed well. Moses’s favorite event was the 50 fly, and Skylar’s was the 50 breast, which she got 3rd overall in. They both felt that they met their goal times for the meet. They both said that it was weird being surrounded by tons of people that they didn’t know.

They both did amazing in Northwest. Moses swam three events plac-ing 21st in the 50 Fly, 22nd in the 50 Free, and 24th in the 100 Back. Skylar swam six events and placed 17th in the 100 Back, 17th in the 200 Breast, 16th in the 500 Free, 13th in the 200 IM, 5th in the 100 Breast, and 3rd in the 50 Breast. They performed very well, and we should all tell them good job!!

Moses Alley Skylar Moore

Recycle Forward is a program that brings money to our technology classes by recy-

cling your old or broken electronics. Mrs. Demmert accepts phones, laptops, iPods,

cameras, tablets, Kindles, iPads, iPhones, GPS devices, video games and con-

soles, DVDs, inkjet cartridges, and laser cartridges. Anything that you can bring in

will help support our school’s technology classroom. Call 966-1418 for more infor-

mation.

Recycle Forward Program by Evan Ipock

No Justice By Jaya Roy

About a month ago, a 17 year old teenager named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood watchman named George Zimmerman who was 10 years older than Martin. Zimmerman loved being a watchman while living in Sanford, Florida. He was sup-posedly dedicated to it. He had called the cops many times about people walking around the neighborhood looking “suspicious.”

As for Martin, he was shot due to being seen as “suspicious” because he had his hoodie on while talk-ing on his cell phone. Zimmerman called the cops to report Martin. Zimmerman was on the phone with the cops and chasing Martin at the same time. Martin stopped and said, “Why are you following me?” But Zimmerman stated it seemed more like rudeness to him. Eventually, Zimmerman and Martin ended up fighting. Martin was on the bottom trying to get out, while Zimmerman was beating him. Neighbors heard a boy cry out for help until a loud noise silenced him. After the cops arrived, Martin was already dead.

Zimmerman avoided arrest at the time by claiming self-defense. But was Zimmerman really attacked? He had no wounds whatsoever. Martin was then taken into an ambulance as the paramedics were performing CPR on him. Nothing would work. Martin was then pro-nounced dead at 7:30pm on February 26th.

Many cases similar to Martin’s have occurred because teenage boys seemed suspicious.

After those boys were killed, the cops didn’t arrest the men who killed them. After Martin was killed, many people demanded justice for his death hoping Zimmer-man would be arrested.

According to Cynthia Franklin, a resident of San-ford, "I just hope people don't stop coming here and that they will give us a chance to show what this town is. I hope they come and see that it's not a big city that's blacks against whites, and that people can kill black people and get away with it. That's not who we are. We're a great group of people in a good town. I think this tragic incident has just gotten blown out of proportion.”

In the end, the police arrested Zimmerman on the

charge of second degree murder.

Baseball is Here PSA by Jorin Yocum

Baseball players! The opening ceremonies are on Saturday, April 28 from 11 to noon. The opening ceremony is where all the baseball and softball players run out onto Moller Park.

Page 3

VOLUME 4 , ISSUE 2

Dear Abby by Aaryn Bartelds their behavior sometimes. The best thing you can do is love her and except her for who she is. You can tell that she loves and cares about you a lot! Make sure that you treat her nicely because she will always remember your example of love and tolerance towards her! Dear Abby, My name is Jim, and my parents are getting a divorce. They won't stop fighting and can barely have a decent conversation together. My dad has cheated on my mom, and my mom likes someone else. This problem is starting to affect my school life. What should I do? Dear Jim, Sounds like you need to have a “ heart to heart” conversation with your parents. Your parents need to know how much they're hurting you. Especially if it’s affecting your school life. Another thing you might want to think about is time! Your parents might just need some time to think things over, or they need time to discuss their issues with each other. Dear Abby, Here is a another problem to add in my life! I think one of my friends is just using me to get to my other friend that is more popular than me. I hate that people use other people to get to some people that are cooler, or just in the cool group. I don't get why people have to do that! It just sucks knowing that a person you trusted just goes behind your back to do some-thing so stupid. Should I go confront them?- Carlos Dear Carlos, Friends can be a very hard part of your life sometimes. That doesn't sound like a very good friend either. The definition of a friend is one attached to another by affection or esteem. Think about that definition the next time you wonder who your true friends are. Submit your questions to Dear Abby at aarynbar-telds@gmail.com or bring them to Mrs. Demmert in Room 116.

in NO time! Dear Abby, There is this boy I like, and he used to like me. But all of the sudden, he doesn't like me anymore. Even though he was a jerk to me, I still kinda have a crush on him. He says we can still be

friends, but I like him more than a friend. What do i do?? -Problem with Boys!

Dear Problem with Boys, This situation sounds like a piece of work! This is a common situation of boy trouble! When he liked you, he was probably not at a good place in his life, and he didn’t have time too worry or deal with a girlfriend. There is a good part in this though; he STILL wants to be friends! That means that he still likes you (as a friend), and maybe one day you two can start liking each other again. Don’t give up on this. Your day will come!

Dear Abby, I have a little sister who always jumps on me when I come through the door! It's like she's a tiger waiting to pounce. Alt-hough she's only 2, it doesn't stop her, she throws herself at me every day! I tried coming in another door, but she seems to read my mind. Once I climbed the rail and came in through a WIN-DOW! but you can guess what she did. One day I found my cat sitting in the driveway as I was walking up, so I grabbed him and when my sister tried to pounce, I threw the cat at her! I got in a lot of trouble for that one... Sincerely, Pouncing Problems in Sitka Dear Pouncing Problems in Sitka, Your sister is definitely one of a kind! I don’t have experience with little kids, but I know that it can be challenging to deal with

Dear Abby, Abby, I really need some help! What do I do if one of my best friends is fighting with my other friend, but I don't want to lose one of my best friends if I choose a side. Please, Abby, please tell me what to do!!-Tiffany Dear Tiffany, I’m sorry that your friends are putting you in this difficult position. One thing you should know though is which friends are your REAL friends. If your two friends are in a fight, let them deal with it themselves. The best advice I have for you is to let them deal with it, and eventually your friends will realize that they are being overdramatic. Dear Abby, I have just turned thirteen and feel like my mother isn't adding any length to an already short leash she has me on. I feel very confined and restrained. I know this means she cares very much for me, but it's getting on my nerves. It seems like I can't go anywhere without her looking over my shoulder. Maybe it's just because I'm a teen, I'm growing up, and she can’t deal with this. What will I do? Help!!-Christalin Dear Christalin, I can tell that your mother really cares about you. Mothers just want to know that you’re their “Little Baby” forever. You just have to sit down and talk to your mom about how you’re mature enough to be let out on your own! Another suggestion is go out for a night with your friends and have a video camera attached to your hat. Then she’ll see how responsible you are and that you should have the freedom to be let go of that short leash. With my advice, your mom should be able to let go of that leash

The Hunger Games Movie Review by Evan Ipock

published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global crowd.

Katniss shows a determined loyalty to herself and her family. Her only obligation is to them and their needs. However, as the book progresses, she learns to respect humanity and appreciate people in her life other than her family.

This was a great movie (coming from someone who has read the book). I would highly recom-mend it to anyone who likes action mov-ies. If you get the chance, go see it!

The main characters in The Hunger Games are Katniss Ever-deen (Jenifer Lawrence), Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth). This Movie is rated PG-13, but was family friendly enough for older children.

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the corrupt Capitol of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in The Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing gov-ernment intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

When put against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely on her sharp instincts as well as her mentor, a drunk and former victor, Haymitch Abernathy. If she ever wants to return home to District 12, Katniss must make choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

The Hunger Games is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy

“I just turned 13, and I

feel like my mother is-

n’t adding any length

to an already short

leash…”

Checkmate! by Caleb Suarez

The big chess tournament of the year is almost upon us, and I think it will be the most exciting too. It will be it the school library on May 16, 2012 from 3:30 to 6:30 as planned. The tournament is open to every student in the school.There will be pizza and Sprite in the Skittles room located in room 220. For those of you who don’t know what a Skittles room is, it is a place to relax and watch a movie with some snacks. The ex-pected winner in the A bracket is Walter Palof, but the surprise challenger is Michael Contenido, aka Tiger Boy.

Sign-ups are in Mr. Allison’s room. “It is going to be a

very challenging tournament,” exclaimed John McKenzie.

There are going to be loads of people showing up with big

ideas of winning, and I hope the rest of you who show up do

too. I know I am!

Come visit the Sitka Sound Science Center for their Earth Day open house on Sunday, April 22, 8-10:30 AM. See their newly articulated killer whale skeleton, and watch the SNEP kindergartners do a traditional killer whale dance at 10:15AM fun for everyone!

Serving Southeast Alaska

Sitka Sound Science Center By Ian Sweeney

Every other Monday Grace Harbor church hosts a youth group

called Grog. It’s from 6:45 to 8:00. The youth group is for 6th to

8th graders. There are bunches of games and activities! There

are snacks right before a small talk. So, join us at Grace Harbor

church (across from Seamart) for a ton of fun!

Grace Harbor Youth Group By Megan Christner

Are Supermodels a Harm? By Aaryn Bartelds

The question everybody is asking is, “Are supermodels a bad thing?” I asked the Journalism class if they thought super-models were a bad thing, and their responses were shocking! 13 people stated that they didn’t think supermodels were a harm. 6 people replied they were a harm! Savannah said, “I don’t have a problem with them because they’re good at their job.”

Megan Christner disagrees: “They set a standard for girls

too look like them, and girls shouldn’t be looking up to them.” According to: anwserbag.com, supermodels do not repre-

sent the average woman.

Supermodels are

very tall. Most wom-en are not 6 foot in height.

Models engage in a

lot of unhealthy hab-its to keep their weight down includ-ing but not limited to taking drugs, anorexia/bulimia, and unreasonably intense workout routines.

Supermodels invariably have extensive cosmetic surgery.

The hair and makeup budgets for models are astronomical.

Most women do not have those kind of resources.

Wardrobes for models are also prohibitively expensive for

most women.

Magazine photographers are very good at

using lighting tricks to create a more flattering image than would otherwise occur in real life.

Magazines rely heavily on image editing (aka

Photoshop) to enhance muscle tone and elimi-nate body features deemed undesirable to pre-

sent an image that does not occur in reality. The woman on the cover of Shape magazine doesn't really have those abs. They are enhanced.

All of these things combined create an image which is essentially artificial, or in other words, an unrealistic standard of beauty.

Brandon replied, “I’m all in for the swimsuit models.” All

of the guys interviewed of course like models, but is it for the

right reasons?

"I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day."

Linda Evangelista

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THE HOWLER

Games Page!

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VOLUME 4 , ISSUE 2

Hardcore Parkour by Brandon Barger and Brady Harang

The motivation for parkour is unknown, but the sport is rapidly spreading. So many people are interested in being a ninja. They just mess around and have fun trying to be a ninja! Eventually you will get better at it when you don't even know it, and it is spreading worldwide! YouTube features many parkour videos from all over the world. Parkour is the professional word for the sport. If you are non-professional and you are “parkouring,” you are actually “free-running,” it is like street parkouring.

Parkour is mainly done in the cities. The real meaning of it is trying to get around or through various obstacles in the quickest and most efficient manner possible, by jumping, climbing or running.

Chase Markegard says, “It’s all in the foot.” He parkours about every two seconds, so he has a lot of practice with the sport. Parkouring is Chase’s life; it is very dangerous, and he feels that he could die any day. He started parkouring on February 10th, 2012. His favorite place to parkour is in the

A New Era Awaits by Ian Sweeney

example, utilise the extra-strong bonds between carbon atoms for ultra strength and atomity. Also, graphene is a superconducting material that can be made with office sup-plies and has potentially unlimited computing power. Gra-

phene is a one-atom thick sheet of carbon atoms. To make graphene, simply take a piece of tape and rub pencil lead on it. Now, put the tape together, and pull it apart repeatedly until the lead co-vers the entire piece of tape. Now you have made graphene. Congratula-tions! Now you have a one-atom thick carbon molecule; do with it what you will. Neo-technologies are the things that

bring about new eras, Farming, the

root of civilization, for example, drove

humanity forward from the old to the

new stone age. This may not seem like

a big accomplishment, but it is what makes us superior to

Neanderthals. In the future, we may be looked upon like we

do the inhabitants of the 1700s: short-lived, inefficient in our

technology, and saved only by one entity reaching for the

future.

time ever, human beings developed their own life form. Hope-fully, this amazing breakthrough in organic technology won't end up getting chased through the woods by torch-bearing villagers, like its fictional Frankensteinian counterpart.

Nanotechnology, the science of making things that are smaller than 100 nm (nanometer) is an open front, unclut-tered by underwhelming science fiction novels. This is one of the most untested neo-technologies. Who knows what nano-technology will bring? Currently basic nanotechnology is be-ing utilised to replace older materials. Carbon nanotubes, for

Neo-Technology, meaning new technology, is a term used to describe technology that is not based on previously developed inventions (like the first steam engine wasn't based on anything but itself). The internal combustion en-gine, however, was not neo-tech because it was based on the steam engine, which came before it.

Augmentation, replacing damaged organs with mechan-ical ones, has been used since before the turn of the century. Examples include implanting a receiver in a deaf toddler’s brain and having him wear a special wireless microphone over his ear, or giving a man a robotic arm to replace the one that had to be amputated. This kind of thing has come from TV shows. If we can bring men with robot arms to life, why not more abstract things?

If you have ever read Dr. Frankenstein, prepare to be shocked. Scientists have actually created artificial life (not by sewing together pieces of corpses and leaving them on a stone slab to get fried by lightning—no all that would get you is a terrible smell and BBQ corpse meat). Some scientists injected artificial DNA into some empty cells at a lab before they left over the weekend, and on Monday, they found the cells had blossomed into colonies! This means for the first

covered area with Barger, Arik and Jimmy. He seems to be very passionate about the sport.

Arik Huddleston parkours almost every day. He says, “Brandon Barger is the Yoda of parkouring.” Arik’s favor-ite environment to parkour at is in and around Lakeside Gro-cery. He has been parkouring for about a month and is already the Obi-Wan Kenobi of parkour. He chose parkour out of every sport be-cause he feels he has ninja moves inside him that he just has to let out. Arik’s favorite move is a 360 off a roof onto a car. He has attempted this dangerous move five times, but has never landed it.

Jimmy also started parkouring February 10, 2012. He

parkours two to three times a day with Brandon Barger and

Chase Markegard. They parkour at the covered area of

Blatchley Middle School. His first moment of parkour came to

him as easily as eating a bowl of cereal. He just jumped off a

curb and thought to himself, “Whoa man! Parkour!!” He says

his favorite and most brilliant move is the 360 bird call which

is when you jump off something and do a 360 while making

bird noises. He says parkour is exhilarating, legit, and true to

the soul.

Dell vs. Apple By Deborah Yearwood

It’s the ultimate battle between the world’s top two com-

puters, Dell vs. Apple. How can you possibly decide which

computer to get when you are stuck between some of the

fiercest competitors in the world? Well, lucky for you, I am

here to referee this battle of the fittest, so may the best com-

puter win!

Let’s start off by comparing their basic laptops, the Dell

XPS and the Apple Macbook. According to Squidoo’s article

“Who’s Better? Apple vs. Dell,” the Macbook Is comparatively

lightweight with a widescreen display and a relatively low

price. But there is no expansion slot, and direct sunlight

causes a bad glare. The Dell XPS on the other hand has

amazing colors, and the display is not too bright, plus it’s

great for gaming. Unfortunately, it can be pretty pricey and

has some wireless problems. Both of these are exceptional

models, and the batteries last for a decent amount of time. If

you take care of them, the computers will provide you with

many years of excellent service.

In 2003, Consumer Reports surveyed 39,000 readers

and asked them which computer brand was better. Apple

won with a score of 76/100; close behind came Dell with a

score of 64/100. All in all the survey showed that Apple was

on top with the least amount of repairs needed and with the

highest amount of satisfied customers. With the information I

have gathered, I have come to the conclusion that Apple

computers are of better quality and overall a better brand -

making Apple tonight's champion.

“...for the first time ever, human beings developed their own life form. Hopefully, this

amazing breakthrough in organic technology won't end up getting chased through the woods

by torch-bearing villagers, like its fictional Frankensteinian counterpart.”

Dubstep and techno, we hear it, we see it, we buy it, and some pirate it. Why is dubstep so popular?

Just like any genre of music, dubstep will have people who hate it and love it, and me of course loving the genre. Here’s a few reasons I like dubstep and techno: 1) dubstep and techno have total creative power which means you can do anything with it; 2) you have many tools including mixers, keyboards, drums, guitar, and bass instruments; 3) anyone can do it, but it takes a total master to wield the program cor-rectly; 4) and it’s not restricted to any specific instrument.

Some people think that anyone can create dubstep and techno. In my experience as a novice at techno, I know firsthand that it’s not easy and takes a long time. Just like any instrument, you first have to master your program (Garageband, Reason, etc.). Learning your software takes a very long time. You have to learn how to play every instrument and find every possible sound.

Another opinion against dubstep is that it’s not really making music but playing it. Well you are playing your key-board or drum beat, but really it’s a much more in-depth pro-

cess. Envision the sound or lick (a short musical pattern) you would like to produce, and spend sometimes hours trying to produce this thought. Like many others, this step drove me to the brink of insanity. Try taking a synth track, a drum beat, a suspense base, and a synth in the high register and putting them all into one track; they will clash. It takes weeks to get them to sound good together. Sometimes a drum track and a higher synth instrument just clash it out, and it takes supreme skill to get them to groove together.

Megan Christner, a dubstep and techno hater, claims, “It takes less talent and takes less guts to perform it. It’s just sitting at the computer pressing buttons. Real written music is more complicated.” She also said, “When I write my music on composition paper, it takes at least a week.” She says, “Getting my ideas out is just playing the piano and finding something I like and adding it to the song.” I asked her, “How long in time would it take to learn the piano until can play it compared to a program making dubstep or techno music?” She said, “Probably learning the program would take a lot of time, but piano and other instruments are infinite. Piano is a lot more complicated than pressing buttons on a computer.”

Megan says that when she writes her music on paper, she plays the piano until she finds something she likes and writes it down. This process is exactly what I do in making dubstep. I play the onscreen keyboard until I find something I like and save it. She says that the piano takes more time to learn, and she has only brushed the surface of the piano. The program I use in-cludes the piano which would take just as much time as the regular one but also thousands of alterations of instruments

and many other instruments beside the keyboard, each taking its own time to master.

I interviewed another dubstep hater, Connor Fulton, who said, “When you make dubstep or techno, you aren’t writing anything. Dubstep and techno are just electronic noises, but you aren’t even playing it. You just put it in order or cut it and play it, and maybe add some electronic piano.” Mr.K says: Is it organized sound? Zimri: Yes. Mr. K: Then it’s music.

According to m-w.com, the definition of music is as fol-lows:

1a : the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in

succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity b : vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony

2a : an agreeable sound : euphony <her voice was music to my ears> b : musical quality <the music of verse>

3a: musical accompaniment <a play set to music>

4: the score of a musical composition set down on paper 5a: distinctive type or category of music This information clashes with even the slightest of either

Megan or Connor’s opinions. This is why dubstep is music too!

Why Dubstep is Music Too! By Zimri Hinshaw

Page 6

THE HOWLER

Why is Facebook Banned at School? By Evan Ipock

But what about all the bad things that come with hav-ing a Facebook? How about the fact that 57% of people talk to people more online than they do in real life. How do you think this is affecting basic social skills that people start to develop around this age? And what do you think about the cyber bullying that goes around on Facebook. Whether it’s the basic poking fun at a picture or making fun of their sta-tus, it can still hurt people. Not only do you have to worry about someone disapproving of a status or picture, but you have to make sure that you have put your Facebook on the privacy settings, or you can be in danger of people that you don’t know snooping around your Facebook and your pic-tures, no matter how many times you have ignored their friend requests.

With all these things in mind, no one can certainly pinpoint whether Facebook is a good idea or a disgrace to the internet. That is something that you have to decide personally and have to think about when creating or even deleting your own Facebook.

As many people know, Facebook is one of the most pop-ular social networking sites on the Internet with more than 500 million users worldwide. But is having a Facebook really worth your while? Almost everyone has one, and one rarely finds someone who hasn’t heard of the site. Basically you log in and can interact with your friends and family and share anything, but statistics show that you probably knew that. Overall, 71.2% of the web audience is on Facebook, and that’s in the US alone. And what’s even more outstanding is that outside the US, 70% of people right now have a Facebook. Facebook is becoming somewhat of a necessity in our society.

So, what are the advantages of Facebook? Well for one thing, you get to interact with friends or family who live any-where in the world. Along with this, you can inform your friends and family about how your day went or how your relationship with someone is going. You can also rekindle a friendship with someone with whom you lost contact years ago. On top of that, you get to share pictures of a family vacation and get to share music and videos that you find interesting to your friends and family.

Lately there has been a lot of talk about why Facebook is banned at school. Mr. White said, “There have been at least nineteen office referrals this year because of inappropriate use and bad posts.” He also noted that teachers can grant permis-sion to use Facebook for specific reasons. He added, “If you have the money, buy Facebook stock when they have their IPO.”

I asked Mr. Robidou for the specific reason Facebook is banned at school, and he said there is no educational reason to use Facebook...yet. Mrs. Demmert opposed that statement by saying, “Facebook allows classes to collaborate asynchro-nously.” Basically, all the teachers I interviewed said that Fa-cebook should be banned, and all the kids opposed. The one exception was Mr. Patnoe, who, when asked if Facebook should be banned, said, “No, I don’t believe in censorship. But with that being said, there really isn’t a time for it during school.”

According to K. Welsh, there are Facebook pages such as N.E.A., I.S.T.E., Edutopia, and Free Technology For Teachers that are capable of completely innovating the world of education. In the technology centered lifestyle we live in today, Facebook could potentially be a polestar for learning.

My Thoughts on Minecraft by Ian Sweeney

Nutella... Some say it's the peanut butter of the twenty-first century. Some say it’s just chocolate in a bottle. But most do not know the truth. Nutella is made out of blended hazelnuts, skim milk, and cocoa. It might not look very healthy, but Nutella is actually a very healthy treat! Nutella was first invented by a man named Pietro Ferre-ro in the 1940s. But the creamy topping was popular only in Europe until the 2000s when it became a worldwide sensation! 13 oz. jars of Nutella contain more than 50 hazelnuts. It contains no artificial colors or flavors, and that is probably why everyone loves it! Peanut butter has many more variables though, and Nutella is an original. Skippy peanut butter was the first to introduce the wide-mouthed jar in 1935. They improved dramatically on their formula since then, and in 2010 natural Skippy with honey was introduced. It was a huge success.

Most people in Blatchley Middle School own Nutella in their home, and most

enjoy Nutella more. Some kids say that they own Nutella in their home because their

family likes it, but they enjoy peanut butter more.

Minecraft, for those who don't know, is a unique low re-quirements, sandbox-type of PC game made by the Swedish man, Markus Persson, AKA Notch. Minecraft is more of a creation toy with some game-like elements than an actual game. For example, there are monsters in Minecraft, which are the single greatest improvement to a creation toy you could possibly have. It’s like a Lego set where space monsters come and try to mash all of your sets every once in awhile; that is an apt comparison because Minecraft certainly looks like a Lego set.

Minecraft is one of the most popular indie games of all time; over 4 million people have legally purchased a launcher at Minecraft.net, the official Minecraft site. Minecraft is about 3

years old now and still popular. (For those who shun video games, that is a long time for a non-MMO, Massive Multiplayer Online, game to survive!) This proves that ultra-realistic graphics are not what sell a game, and it isn’t the fancy story either. There are a trio of vital components to a game that make it good. The beating heart of any game is the gameplay. If gameplay is impressive enough and isn't constantly interrupt-ed with annoying cinematics and flipping to other places, then it can keep a game going. But just like a real heart, without a set of lungs, or multiple paths of story, the body, or in this case, the game, will die.

Consequently, without the element of choice in the game, no matter how good the gameplay is, you will just give up the game after you beat it. If you feel that you are blazing your own trail, instead of just following someone else's, that will make you want to keep playing the game again and again. And this is what Minecraft provides—the element of choice.

By Payton Russell

Advantages and Disadvantages of Having a Facebook By Deborah Yearwood

But the final part of the game, the part that keeps the game working is the element of direction. If a game has too many side quests, every time you complete one quest you pick up 30 more (it’s Skyrim all over again)! If a game has amazing gameplay, massive choice, and a final thing that ties everything together and makes everything tie in at the final battle, then you have a game that cannot possibly exist because no game can ever be perfect in all categories.

Basically, Minecraft dumps you into the middle of the woods, then says, “Go that way to win.” But just like in a real game, you can just go directly in the opposite direction. Even if you do go all the way to the ending, and then you get a terrible one, as long as it doesn't ruin and conflict with all things previous, then the game is good—if for no other reason than you can’t just abandon the story and go do whatever you want within certain limits.

Nutella vs. Peanut Butter by Brady Harang and Brandon Barger

Download copies of The Howler on the web at

http://bit.ly/bmshowler!

Preschool Pansy Sale

The Mt. Edgecumbe Pre-school is selling pansies in 1 flat (18 plants) for $50, ½ flat (9 plants) $27, or 1 pansy for $3. They are selling NOW! Call 966-2675 to order, or you can donate them to the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and have the preschool deliv-er them.

By Zimri Hinshaw

Page 7

VOLUME 4 , ISSUE 2

Police Blotter by Brady Harang, Ky Stockel, Brandon Barger, and Braden Case

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

On May 10th, the Spanish and Home Ec classes will be collaborating to create a fiesta for their families, friends, and teachers. The menu consists of enchiladas, homemade tortillas, Spanish rice, and liqado (Spanish shake). Come and have delicious food, music, dancing, and fun.

Note: All of the stories in this article are completely legit.

6th grade boys were reported throwing used paper tow-els in bathroom stalls. An 8th grader was reported sculpting clay into male genitalia during art class. He followed by passing his masterpiece around in the hallways. Three eighth grad-ers were sent to the office to be interrogated for their unnecessary actions. All offenders received minor disci-plinary consequences.

An 8th grader was caught knocking down garbage cans after school hours. He was questioned the next day. A 6th grader was walking up the stairs and used inap-propriate gestures when he was caught by a teacher. The sixth grader then thought it was necessary to lie about it and got detention before school hours and for 1st period. The same incident happened, but a 6th grader used inappropriate gestures to another 6th grader.

A 6th grader was reported using a glue stick inappropri-ately and sticking his fingers together. An 8th grader was caught running on the left hand side of the hallway near the library.

An unidentified 8th grader took a basketball from Mr. Hirai without asking. He was given a referral.

A 7th grader flicked gum into a girl’s hair; his conse-quence was detention.

Three 8th graders didn't participate in P.E. and got in trouble for goofing off.

An 8th grader disrupted the 8th grade Language Arts teacher multiple times and went to the office to talk to Mr. White about his issues.

In the 8th grade hallway, there has

Fish to Schools Benefit Dinner this Wednesday! By Mia Nevarez

been lots of “butt slapping” which is an inappropriate way of touching. Students have been talked to about it.

All grades of students have been reported throwing pencils into the ceiling in band.

On March 27th, an act of graffiti was seen on the wall

of Lakeside Grocery. The writing says “SKRIBZ”

which in the U.K. means to erase or kill someone.

Braden Case comments, “It is insanity, an abomination

of the U.S.A. I was truly scared when I saw these

marks.” Also reported on April 9, was another seem-

ingly identical writing on the alley wall by Harry Race.

The Sitka Conservation Society invites you to celebrate and help sponsor Fish to Schools at a delicious banquet made by Chef Colette Nelson of Ludvig’s bistro. Dessert will be made by BMS students enrolled in Home Economics. Come and enjoy a delicious meal on Wednesday, April 25th at Sweetland Hall on the historic SJ Campus. Doors open at 5:30. Admission is $20.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors/students, and $5.00 for youth 18 and under. For more information, contact SCS at 747-7509 or tracy@sitkawild.org. Hope to see you there!

Sitka Animal Shelter PSA By Ian Sweeney Pet owners, especially those owning large pets like dogs, all fear losing their precious ani-mal, and never think of coming to the animal shelter before they have no choice. Despite urban myths that speak otherwise, the goal of the animal shelter is to protect and help eve-ry animal they can, not to imprison animals. The Sitka City Animal Shelter is here to help. All you have to do is let them. Call 747-3567 if you have found, or are looking for, a lost animal. The information you need will be provided.

Page 8

THE HOWLER

The Brown Bear by Emmie Fish

Did you know that idling your car for 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting the engine? It’s true. Also, idling is actually very bad for the environment. When you idle, your car releases dangerous chemicals. Children are affect-ed differently by idling chemicals because their lungs are still growing, and they are breathing closer to the vehicles’ exhausts. These chemicals can cause a variety of health issues such as Asthma, cancer, headache, allergies, respir-atory diseases, and prenatal and infant mortality.

Many people run their cars just to warm them up. But

the truth is, driving your vehicle is the best way to warm up

your car. Also, idling your car actually damages your en-

gine’s components. People of Sitka, please protect our

town's kids and your own car engine by not idling.

Les would not let them. So the cub got to live. After that Les and his wife found a home for him. He was still too young to travel, so he got to stay in Sitka for a while. They named him Seek. When he was old enough, he was sent to Texas. Then there was Pandor who was found here in Sitka. She now lives in Montana. There were also Sitka, Denali, Kootz.

Les Kinnear is the one who started Fortress of the Bears. He thought of this idea 20 years ago. He doesn't think that the orphan cubs should be put down, so that’s why he made homes for the bears. Food is donated by Seamart and Lakeside. They give their expired fruits and vegetables, but sometimes hunters bring out deer carcasses for them, and the bears have a blast. The Fortress of the Bears is financed by visitors and donations.

If you want to see these bears in action, go out and

visit them.

The Fortress of the Bears is like a farm, but it’s for the animal we watch out for in our backyard or when we go hiking and camping. The Alaska brown bear, also known as Ursos Arctos, weighs up to 800 lbs; the height of a full grown bear is 5 to 8 feet. It’s an omnivore (which means they eat plants and animals) and mainly eats moose, deer, sheep, elk, bison, cari-bou, and even black bear. Grizzly bears are big but can be very fast. They can run up to 30 miles an hour. The bears we have out at the farm are nice and friendly but still very dangerous. Before it was Fortress of the Bears, it was just a farm like they have down south with pigs, ponies, sheep, bunnies, along with ducks. One night two dogs broke in and killed all the bunnies, ducks, and some chickens.

In the year 2007, a young cub was found on Kilisnoo is-land. After he was sent to Fortress of the Bears, Les Kinnear named him Kilisnoo. Then not much later, Chaik, Kilisnoo’s brother, was found. Less than two years ago, Fortress of the Bears brought in Lucky, Baloo, and their sister Tobbi. They live right next door to Kilisnoo and Chaik.

There was also a cub that came over from Juneau which someone thought was a grizzly bear, but was really a black bear. Fish and Game was not there to confirm if it was or not. So they sent the cub over to Sitka, but when Fish and Game wanted to kill the bear,

their 20th year performing! According to the official Thodos Dance Company web-

site, they have programs for kids of all ages. They have as-semblies that they hold for kids K-8 called “imagine dance.” Mrs. Ross’s P.E. class got the opportunity to go to the assem-bly at the auditorium. The assemblies usually last 40 minutes, and according to the website, it is an interactive dance assem-bly that educates students about the concepts and tools em-ployed when creating dance.

Thodos Dance Chicago wants to reach the young minds of children with their dancing. They want to inspire kids to be creative and express themselves, even if it isn’t through danc-ing. On April 11th, they held an assembly for Baranof and Keet students. They showed them various styles of dance including hip hop, modern, jazz, and ballet. Many children enjoyed the program and the dancing. Many audience members thought the classes and performances were inspiring. The dancers were very good and showed a lot of expression. I speak for the community when I say I would love for Thodos Dance Chicago to come perform again!

If you want to learn more about the Thodos Dance Com-

pany, go to http://thodosdancechicago.org/index.html. At this

website, you can find out about their summer intensive clas-

ses, “imagine dance” assemblies, more about the dancers and

their lives, and much more.

We asked 20 people 5 challenging questions. The results were interesting. The five questions were:

What is the top selling apple app ever? With the an-

swer choices of Angry Birds, Cut The Rope, and Doodle Jump. The answer is Angry Birds.

How old is Mr.Lass? With the answer choices of 37,

46, 49, and 32. The answer is 46.

What is the most popular US sport? With the answer

choices of Baseball, Soccer, Basketball or Football. The answer is Football.

How many lockers are in Blatchley not including P.E.

lockers? With the answer choices of 320, 297, 182, and 154. The answer is 297.

How many trophies do

we have in our trophy case? With the answer choices of 18, 26,13, and 14. The answer is 26.

1. Kaytlee: 4 right 1 wrong 2. Alexis: 2 right 3 wrong 3. Mr.White: 1 right 4 wrong 4. Ashlyn: 2 right 3 wrong 5. Maya: 3 right 2 wrong 6. Vanna 3 right 2 wrong 7. Emily S: 1 right 4 wrong 8. Kyle: 0 right 5 wrong 9. Ky: 3 right 2 wrong

Thodos Dance is a professional dance company from Chi-cago. They are touring Alaska, and Sitka was one of their desti-nations. They came here for two days, and put on a perfor-mance at the Sitka Performing Arts Center on April 11th. The morning of their show, they gave a “masterclass” to the two highest levels at the Sitka Studio of Dance. Ali Venneberg, a participant in the class from 7th grade, said she was inspired! After taking the master class, she realized how much she loved that kind of dance. Zimri said,“The performance was wonderful!” He added that the male dancers set a strong example for the younger male dancers that attended the performance. The genre was “jazz,” and most of the steps were choreographed by the legendary Bob Fosse, also known as the “King of Jazz Dance.”

Thodos Dance Chicago mostly dances contemporary, and jazz. Contemporary dancing is another name for “modern con-cert dance.” Melissa Thodos, the founder of the Thodos Dance Chicago, founded the company in 1992, 20 years ago. This is

Thodos Dance Chicago by Emma Combs and Megan Christner

Idle Free Zone By Amber Markley

The Backstage Secret—Early Spring Color by Aaryn Bartelds

5 Questions By Savannah Ramsey, Alex Kirby, and Quinn Barclay

Winter hours: Oct 1- April 15, Friday - Sunday 10am to 4am Summer hours: April 16-September, 7 days a week 9am to 6pm. For more information, go to www.fortressofthebear.org.

10. Evan: 4 right 1 wrong 11. Tatum 1 right 4 wrong 12. Meesh: 2 right 3 wrong 13. Abigail L: 2 right 3 wrong 14. Meaghan: 3 right 2 wrong 15. Ms. Riva: 2 right 3 wrong 16. GM: 3 right 2 wrong 17. Mr.Henshaw: 1 right 4 wrong 18. Shelby W: 1 right 4 wrong 19. Izzy: 1 right 4 wrong 20. Jaya: 1 right 4 wrong

Ever thought about putting a pop of color into your makeup box? Well now you can with the Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss! It has 3 different shades for your small or big lips. The lip gloss comes in three different colors: Citrus, Cosmic Pink, and UltraViolet! The cost of this fine lip gloss is $22. You can buy them in 12 different stores, but you can also buy them online at sephora.com, and bobbibrowncosmetics.com. The new lip gloss cosmetics add a rather fun addition to Bobbi’s sophisticated makeup collection. She also invites the look of bold eye shadows! Coming in every color from Vibrant Violet all the way to Champagne Tan. All of these colors can boost any makeup look for you day or night!

Kilisnoo