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Spring 2014

1 St. Finn Barr Mardi Gras

2 Science Fair 2014

2 Science Fair – The Project of Arthur and Joseph

3 Asian Art Museum Trip

3 Apple and Chip

4 The End

5 Movie Reviews Boondock Saints Saving Mr. Banks

6 Lorenzo’s Investment Column

By Greg Saccone

On February 4, St. Finn Barr celebrated Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras, which means Fat Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday. Since people start fasting for Lent on Ash Wednesday, Mardi Gras is a time of eating and celebration, before people have to start fasting. When St Finn Barr celebrated Mardi Gras, we had a parade. People dressed in purple, yellow, and green walked around the school yard, while music blared from speakers.

Mr. D waltzed around in a king

outfit, and students

carrying umbrella

waved and twirled

them around. It was a fun

experience, and people seemed

to be pumped up about Mardi Gras.

ST. FINN BARR MARDI GRAS

INTRODUCTIONWelcome to the spring edition of the Shamrock Gazette. As always, we have an eclectic mix of articles – ranging from movie reviews to school field trips to zombie apocalypse fiction. Enjoy!

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SCIENCE FAIR 2014By Joseph Campos and

Greg Saccone

The Science Fair is an annual event where students from the sixth and seventh grades display their science projects to the entire school. Although there was many interesting projects, the winners were: Greg Saccone, with a project about launching aircrafts by catapult; Arthur Matter and Joseph Campos, with a project about first grade reaction time; Lucas Miranda, with a project about litter causing forest fires; Martina Reyes, with a project about the performance

of shuttlecocks; Samuel Whitehurst, with a project about germs in your house; and lastly, Matthew Policarpio and Christian Lazo, with a project about the effects of different whitening

toothpastes on teeth.

The winning projects from St. Finn Barr were invited to go to the Randall Museum to show off their awesome projects and compete in the citywide science fair. At the Randall Museum,

Martina Reyes won Second Place in the Physics Division; Samuel Whitehurst received a Third Place award in the Biology Division; and Arthur Matter and Joseph Campos finished in Fourth Place in the Behavioral Division. All other St. Finn Barr winners received Honorable Mention.

For a close up look at what goes into a science proj-ect, read below a description of the project that won 4th place in the citywide Science Fair at the Randall Museum. – ed.

SCIENCE FAIR – THE PROJECT OF ARTHUR & JOSEPH By Joseph Campos

The project of Arthur and Joseph investigates the reaction time of first graders while responding to distractions. Their hypothesis is video and verbal distractions will increase reaction time, compared to reaction time under quiet conditions. They tested the hypothesis having the subject sit in a quiet room while taking a reaction time test on a computer. There are three different types of tests that they did in the exact same order, which were executed in sets of two. For the first set, they do not attempt to distract the subject while he/she gets used to taking the computer test. The other two sets of tests include distractions. The second test was a video distraction (an episode of Sherlock). The video was placed in front of the student while he/she completes the test. The video has to be on a separate device, be in the same exact place on the table, and the same scene played for every subject. The last procedure is the verbal distraction test (Joseph sang the Ewok song -- the end of the Return of the Jedi). They had the student perform the reaction time test while the volunteer sang the same verses of a song behind the subject. They did this same order of procedures twelve times to twelve different students.

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ASIAN ART MUSEUM TRIP By Greg Saccone

The most recent field trip the 7th graders have gone to is the Asian Art Museum. The exhibits they saw were about Japanese culture, such as the samurai. One exhibit was about the religions and spirituality of Japan. The 7th graders were also introduced to the Buddha and the thunder and wind gods, who beat drums to cause thunder. Another exhibit was about Japanese armor and weapons. The kids learned that the sword is called “the soul of the samurai”

and that the armor weighs 60-70 pounds. The final exhibit was about the tea ceremony. People had to prepare tea in a very specific way that is considered very sacred. The students also got to try on a very heavy samurai helmet and wield a samurai sword. After seeing all these exhibits, the happy but tired students returned to school at 12:40.

The Asian Art Museum exhibits art from all over Asia. It is located at the Civic Center in San Francisco. The museum and its employees tries to “serve as a bridge of understanding between Asia and the United States.” They believe that Asia is not one place, and is filled with countless and diverse cultures and art. Their mission is to “lead a diverse global audience in discovering the unique material, aesthetic, and intellectual achievements of Asian art and culture.” Visit them on their website today!

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ReadReadReadThe EndBy Riley Soto

“Gosh… I didn’t know… playing… Justin Beiber… would make… zombies crazy!” I stuttered. “Yeah, at least we got out!” Jon side commented. I’m sorry, I’ve gone straight to the present and skipped the entire introduction. My name is Danny Leon. I travel the zombie-infested remains of California alongside Jon Rambo and Riley Soto. We started in San Francisco and now we’re just south of there in Colma. The cemetery-town of the Peninsula. “I’ve heard that the only way to pass through is by a passage in one of the mausoleums…” Riley says. “Well, I guess I know where we’re going…” I say, “...Lead the way RyRy!” “Wait, you do know that it’s right in the middle of the largest cemetery this side of the Bay… right?” Jon said. “Oh… right.”

As night falls we were ready for our little adventure into the heart of “Undead-ville”. Riley, being the brains and general encyclopedia of the group, wisely suggested that we take one of the SUVs from the Ford Dealership up the hill. The drive was easy, the hike to the mausoleum was the hard part. “Alright, save your ammo, melee weapons to the tunnel!” I commanded. We put on our headlights and jackets, packed our bags, and ventured out to the mausoleum. “Flash your light into their eyes, then slash.” Jon says about the zombies. We have a kind of… unspoken rule, here in this group. It’s “Don’t let them grow.”, it means that you have to actually kill the zombie, or else they’ll keep following you. “Stay together, and remember, it’s in the middle of the cemetery.” Riley says. Just as he finishes his sentence Jon hollers “ZOMBIE HORDE!” from afar, obviously not listening to “Stay together.” We couldn’t stand and fight, instead we sprinted for the mausoleum. “Jon! Stand guard! Ry! Come help me with the door! Once it opened, we piled in, closed it up, and hopped into the minecart. “Throw the stuff into the cart and… JON! GET IN! Throw the stuff into the

cart and Riley, help me with the pump to push us forward.” I said.

After a few hours we were out of the tunnel. By sunrise we were almost down the mountain, where we ran

into a very territorial tribe. “Who’re you?” asked the tribal leader. “Look, we want no trouble, we’re nomads, wanderers, all we do is walk travel.” Riley said, “We don’t want any problems… we’ll be going on our way, my friend.” He continued. Then, everything went black. I regained consciousness in a hut… a rather large one. I don’t know if the tribesman hit me or what. “Where... where the Netherlands am I?” I ask no one. As if to answer my question, an incredibly beautiful girl, looking about my age, enters the hut. “Excuse me… but… Where am I?” I asked her. “You’re in the village of Nimé, where Daly City used to stand.” She answers in a sweet voice. “I’m guessing you don’t remember me, also?” She said. I shake my head. Disappointed, she sighs. “I’m Rachel, and I’m making you some dinner right now” she says, just as a smell of food cooking overwhelms my nose. “Well, we’ve important matters to discuss…” she says. “Like what you’re cooking?!” I ask excitedly. “No… about our Rite of Unity that we are to undertake.” She retorted. It takes awhile to process… and I must have looked stupid and confused while thinking about it. “Wait, we’re engaged?!” I demand. “Uh-huh!” “Wow, well, where are my friends?” I ask. “In the next hut over... Don’t worry, they’re fine.” Rachel said. I went over to their hut, still wishing I had some of that dinner. As I opened the curtain-door, I hear: “Well! The newly engaged finally wakes! How was your nap with Sleeping Beauty?” Riley commented. Jon giggled at the comment. “I think I blacked out for a few days... I didn’t even know who my fiancé was until five minutes ago.” I said. This made Jon laugh more. “That’s sad,” he said. “Yeah, anyway we’d better get going. Lets pack up.” I said.

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REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWBOONDOCK SAINTS By Lucas Miranda

Boondock Saints is a 1999 Action flick starring Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flannery. The plot centers around a pair of Irish twins who become vigilantes after killing two high-class leaders of the Russian mob in self-defense. After they both experience an epiphany, they, alongside their friend David, set out on a god-sent mission to rid their hometown of Boston, Massachusetts of evil and injustice. Although the script was one of Hollywood’s hottest at the time, the movie had troubled production and ended up only being given a limited release in only five theaters in one week. It received poor reviews but was instantly regarded as a cult classic. Recently, it was released on Netflix for rest of the world to admire and love. Overall, I would give this an 8.5/1. I also would buy it on Blu-ray, if I hadn’t already.

SAVING MR. BANKSby Greg Saccone

Saving Mr. Banks is based on a true story about the making of Mary Poppins. In this movies review, I will talk about the story, acting, photography, and art direction.

The story in Mr. Banks is about the author of the Mary Poppins book, P. L. Travers, a crabby old-fashioned woman with a disturbing past and Walt Disney trying to convince her to give him the rights to make Mary Poppins into a movie. The story is heart-warming, funny, and interesting. Travers makes ridiculous demands for the script, such as demanding that the color red not be in the movie. Meanwhile, Walt tries to turn her to his side of thinking. The story is the second-best thing in the movie.

The best thing in the movie is the characters. Emma Thompson plays P.L Travers in the starring role as someone who hates cartoons and general non-practical things. Tom Hanks is good as Walt Disney, and is pretty believable. The characters constantly spout witty and funny things and come across as if they’re the real person.

There isn’t anything too special about the photography. Except for a few filters to make the scenes look older, the movie’s photography is pretty mediocre.

The art direction is great in this movie. The clothes, settings, and photography make you feel like you are in Disneyland in the 1960s.

In conclusion, Saving Mr. Banks is a great movie worth seeing. I recommend it to Disney fans and people who like witty writing. I would buy it on DVD.

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REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWLORENZO'S INVESTMENT COLUMNBy Lorenzo Lucchesi

Editor’s note: Lorenzo enjoys making stock picks and has many insightful comments. However, before investing actual money, please consult an adult, preferably a stock market professional.

Today, we will be going over some classic stocks, which will be sure to make your portfolio sing. I have entailed a detailed list of reasons why you should go after these money fishers. Some of my investments include many classic brands, and when you see all these names, you will probably recognize them. After knowing about them for a few years, you want to elevate your knowledge of these companies, what their products are, how do they do, and most importantly, how will their stock perform? If you have ever wondered these things, which I’m sure you

haven’t, or not: I’m your man. I begin with my first stock:

SCHW: THE CHARLES SCHWAB CORPORATION

SPECIALTY: Portfolio ManagementOTHERS: Has a place to park your investments, good coffee in the lobbies

Charles Schwab has been alive for years, with a trustworthy CEO, whose net worth is $7 billion, and whose stock has gained over ten points in the last two years, it’s irresistible, right? Well guess what? It’s never too late to start thinking about retirement, and if you’re looking this/my direction, then SCHW is the stock for you! With a good outlook for the future, I predict their dividend, will go from 0.90% to 1.00% in a matter of a year and a half! Plus, an almost guaranteed gain, you’re missing out! Luckily,

Continued...

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REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWI’m here to tell you before it’s too late, so get on your computer, and buy, buy, buy!

YHOO: YAHOO INC.

SPECIALTY: Web BrowserOTHERS: E-mail, technologies, news

Many people who even look at this title, would probably say, why not Google, what do you have against Google? Well, if you want to pay $1,000 for a single share, you are out of your mind! So we go with the mini version! Yahoo, has been doing well for the past few months, and I believe this streak is not over, so if you like Google but are not worthy enough, follow me! Yahoo has been getting innovative, and will continue to rise probably over $50.00, remember this is a growth stock, so there is no dividend! However, the growth will take care of your needs. Yahoo also has been enforcing safety measures and also makes sure you are protected. Also, unlike many other web browsers, Yahoo has its own travel page, mapping page (one of the only others is Google), and also has its very own financing page, so you can keep track of your stock, portfolio, and your interests. So please, if you want to be the full techie of the 21st century, do yourself a favor and buy Yahoo.

Now my time has come to announce my most beloved ETF (another kind of stock), which is:

PSP: POWER SHARES GLOBAL LISTED PRIVATE EQUITY

Now from the outside, it doesn’t look so special. But unlike many other equities, this company pays a 20% dividend. For those people out there, who don’t know better, this is an amazing dividend. Usually an average dividend paid by a company is about 1% - 4.5%. Now

there are some risks, meaning that if it doesn’t grow, you will be paying yourself a dividend, and that’s not good. But, if your investment grows, you are safe, and you got those fat checks coming in so you can either reinvest it, buy your video games, eat out more often, or do whatever is fun to you. All you need is some money, and you will be introduced to a world of wonders, with PSP.

H: HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION

SPECIALITY: Self-explanatoryBIGGEST COMPETITORS: Marriott, Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn, etc.

Hyatt Hotels is a big hotel chain, known to many parts of the world, but most of its profits and guests come from the United States. Some of us may have stayed at a Hyatt, but may have not known it. Hyatt is known for its specialty hotels, in places such as New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, and Shanghai. However, it has locations in many other cities and towns, bringing luxury to them in a way not seen before. Speaking of luxurious and fantastic, they are publicly traded and are a stock which you would like to stay in and never leave, because it’s so great, like the fabulous room, or extensive breakfast buffet. Hyatt’s revenues have increased a lot within these last few weeks since business travel as well as personal travel is on the rise. I think you would like to take advantage of this, and be a part of the movement, and feel proud to be serving and contributing to the best hotel, in my opinion, that the world has ever seen. Additionally, don’t forget the growth. Unfortunately there is no dividend, but you don’t really need it, because Hyatt has something everybody wants, so staying at a hotel, and a nice one at that, will never ever go out of style.