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The Patriot Press

The publication by the Meads Mill Newspaper Staff since 2015.

The Patriot Pitstop: The Place to Shop!

Are you in need of some last minute school supplies? Do you have a craving for a tasty treat? Then stop at the Patriot Pitstop and you won’t be disappointed!! The Patriot Pit Stop is open every Wednesday and Friday from 7:40a.m. - 8:10a.m. The store specializes in school supplies, but they also have snacks for sale. Food items are cash only, but school supplies can be purchased with Pride tickets or cash. At the Patriot Pit Stop each Pride ticket is worth $.25.

Mr. Balagna, who manages the school store, stated, “One thing that most students don't know is that they also have school and classroom coupons. Want to go to the front of the lunch line? Buy a coupon with your pride tickets. What to be a teacher for a day? Check with your teachers first, but you can purchase a coupon for this too.” Mr. Balagna has many workers from the various grade levels that help run the store during open times. The Pitstop is located in the main hall by the 6th and 8th grade lockers, directly across from the counseling depart-ment.

While you are there, take a look at the beautiful eagle mural painted by 7th and 8th grade students under the direction of our own art teacher, Ms. Hopkins. The mural represents our school mascot and is a beacon to find the store. There are always new additions, so stop by and take a look.

Meet Your Fellow Patriot! Is Mitch Albom in the House?

Yes or No? It’s a GMO

Issue Date: 12/10/2019

Photograph by Melissa Oates

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The Meads Mill Family Katie Forsythe~ Staff Writer

“Each of us is a unique strand in the intricate web of life and here to make a contribution.”

In school, a lot of us see our new teachers at Meads Mill, Mr. Roe and Mr. Haverkate, in the hallways. However, many of us don’t have them as teachers. So how well do we really know them?

Mr. Roe teaches 7th grade science. Since this was his favorite subject in school, it only seems fitting that he would teach it. Mr. Roe wanted to be a teacher because as he states, “I like helping kids learn, and feel that interacting with people is rewarding.” In his free time, Mr. Roe enjoys spending time with his family, and also has a hobby of driving remote control cars. He likes to fix them, drive them, and take them apart to see how they work. Being a science teacher, Mr. Roe loves ani-mals, too. His favorite animal is a penguin, and he owns a cat, gerbils, and turtles. He stated that if he could go anywhere in the world, it would be the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, because he enjoys marine life. Additionally, Mr. Roe also enjoys sports. He likes to swim, and supports the Detroit Pistons, Tigers, and is a Michigan fan, since he went to Western Michigan Uni-versity. His favorite movie is Avengers- End Game, and according to him, it will remain that way until the next Avengers movie comes out. He enjoys listening to rock and country music, too. When asked what his favorite book was, Mr. Roe responded, Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel. He says he enjoys these books because they’re fun, creative, and full of friendship. After being asked if he could send a positive message to the entire school, Mr. Roe replied after thinking about it, “Help others feel important”.

Mr. Haverkate is the new choir teacher. He grew up not far away, in Livonia, and attended Michigan State and Florida State University. Naturally, he is a Michigan State fan. Mr. Haverkate enjoys mu-sic because for him, “it’s different, you get to express your emotions, and put yourself in someone else’s shoes.” Based on saying this, you can clearly see why Mr. Haverkate enjoys spending his free time singing in an a cappella group with his friends, as well as playing hockey, although he likes all sports. When asked why he wanted to become a teacher, Mr. Haverkate replied, “I didn’t at first. My mom was a teacher at my high school and I decided then that I didn’t want to be a teacher. But in college, I changed my mind.” As Mr. Haverkate is the choir teacher, he enjoys all genres of music, specifically rock though. He also loves golden retrievers, and owns one too, as well as two black cats. Mr. Haverkate says that his favorite book

is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling, and his favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. After being asked what positive words he would say to the entire school, Mr. Haverkate thoughtfully responded, “Attitude and effort will allow you to succeed throughout your life”.

Mr. Havercate and his wife, Michelle

Mr. Jesse Roe

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MEET YOUR FELLOW PATRIOT!

Jack D’Angelo, Staff Writer

Mazen Dagher AKA “The Little Mitch Albom”

Someone once said, “ The secret to modeling is to have a face that people can identify in second.”

Walking down the halls of Meads Mill, you can spot the face of 6th grade student, Mazen Dagher, who is

quickly becoming a Detroit area sensation. He models for companies and acts in commercials including

Chrysler and Call Sam. Mazen secures jobs through various

agencies in the Detroit areas such as Production Plus and Real

Style, but his main agent is a company called I Group, located

in Southfield, MI.

Mazen was thrust into the spotlight after a simple fami-

ly photo shoot at a photography studio. The photographer no-

ticed how photogenic Mazen was and recommended that his

photos be shared with a talent scout to see if he would qualify

for a professional career. After this, Mazen began his career at

the age of 3 and it took off from there. He thinks it is fun to

travel and pretend to be somebody else. Mazen is in demand

because he has an “unambiguous look” which appeals to a

broad audience. Mazen saves the money he earns from these

gigs for his college tuition.

Mazen doesn’t have many nicknames from his career

except “Mini Mitch Albom”, because he played a future Mitch

Albom. Mitch Albom is an internationally renowned and best-

selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playright, radio and television broadcaster, and musician. He currently

lives in the Detroit area, and is still working and raising funds for charities Mazen posed as Mitch for a gig,

and it heightened Mazen’s fame because he was on billboards, YouTube, magazines, and television, plus

Mitch Albom talked to him on his radio station.

Mazen says if he continues this success, he will turn these experiences into a career, get a degree in

acting, and move on to bigger roles. Mazen says it is hard to manage roles because of school. For example,

has turned down 4 roles this year alone because of school, but he won’t be able to move on to better things if

he doesn’t go to school.

The biggest role Mazen almost had was a part in the movie A Wrinkle In Time. He auditioned for the

part here in Michigan, but sadly, wasn’t chosen. His latest auditions landed him a spot on a new commercial.

Keep your eyes peeled for that one.

In conclusion, Mazen has had a lot of opportunities in his life and has more coming in the future. Just

remember, Mazen turned a good baby photo into a career, showing that with hard work something small could

turn into something great. Now ask yourself, do you have any talents or interests that you could expand into a

career?

.

The answers for the riddles on the game page are: heroine, a gift, the letter “r”, and a coffin.

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The holiday season is upon us! This time of year reminds us of the rich, diverse cultural demographic that represents our student body. Learning of these differences and accepting them is beneficial. From Christmas to Chinese New Year, there are so many reasons to celebrate during this time of year.

Christmas is one of the many holidays celebrated during the month of December. As many may know, it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, a religious figure for those who practice Christianity. Christmas traditions vary from country to country, but most involve decorating Christmas trees and hanging symbolic ornaments. Celebrated on December 25, the holiday also includes gift-giving, spending time with family, and feasting. Caroling is another festivity on Christmas. People go from house to house singing Christmas songs like “Jingle Bells” and “Deck the Halls.” Caroling helps spread the Christmas spirit and is also known as was-sailing, an old Norse term. In countries like Germany, Poland, and Ukraine, finding a spider web or spider in one’s Christmas tree is supposed to bring good luck and prosperity. According to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. If you’re spending Christmas in Armenia, fried fish and lettuce will likely be on the menu for Christmas dinner. This is because Armenians fast the week before Christmas, so dinner has to be light as to not upset the stomach. Did you ever wonder why Christmas is sometimes called Xmas. In Greek, ‘x’ means ‘Christ’ or ‘Christos.’ Whether you’re spending it in Germany or Armenia, Christmas is a magical and wonderful time of the year.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for eight days. Each day, a candle is lit on the meno-rah, an ancient Hebrew lampstand traditionally made of pure gold. The menorah is then put out on a window so that everyone can see it and remember the story of Hanukkah. The holiday celebrates both a military victo-ry and a miracle. The Syrian-Greeks had taken over the sacred and holy temple in Jerusalem. They vandalized the temple by putting a statue of Zeus in it and sacrificing pigs. The Maccabees, an army of Jewish rebels, conquered the Syrian-Greeks and rededicated the temple. There is another anecdote about the Miracle of Ha-nukkah. When the menorah was first lit, it was lit with olive oil, which was only supposed to burn for one night. Miraculously, the flame kept burning for eight straight nights. In order to acknowledge this miracle, Jews fry food in olive oil. One of the most known traditions of Hanukkah is the dreidel. Dreidel is a game played on Hanukkah. It is a gambling game, and the symbols on each side of the top stand for words like noth-ing, half, and all. The four symbols also form an acronym meaning “a great miracle occurred here.” This re-lates to the Miracle of Hanukkah.

Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday to celebrate African or African-American culture. Similar to Hanuk-kah, one candle is lit every day. A special candle holder called a kinara is used. Each candle represents a prin-ciple including: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. Created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966, Kwanzaa is ritual to welcome the first harvest into the home. The word Kwanzaa means “first fruits” in Swahili. It was also a way to bring to-gether all African Americans after the events of the Watts riots in 1965. The people of Watts were unem-ployed and left in poor conditions, and no one was willing to help them because they were mostly African American. Eventually, the racism became so great that it started a riot, claiming 34 lives. Today, approximate-ly 28 million people celebrate Kwanzaa all over the world.

At midnight on January 25, the Chinese New Year starts. The festival includes a dinner and fireworks. 2020 will be the year of the rat. In Chinese culture, rats symbolize wealth and surplus. People born in the year of the rat are thought of as clever, successful, and quick thinkers. They are content with a quiet and peaceful life. The rat also represents the yang, or the beginning of the new day. The rat is the first zodiac animal. In the myth, the Jade Emperor said the order they arrived to his party would be the order of the years. The rat tricks the ox into giving him a ride, and then jumps down right before the finish line, earning him first place.

New Years brings a variety of celebrations all over the world. The American New Year tradition is watching the ball drop in Times Square in New York City. In Spain, it is customary to eat twelve grapes to bring good luck in the new year. In Columbia, people carry around empty suitcases in hopes of a travel-filled year. People in Denmark throw plates and glasses at friends’ and families' doors to banish evil spirits. They also jump off chairs at midnight for good luck. By casting molten tin into water, residents of Finland predict what the new year will bring by seeing what shape the tin forms. A ring symbolizes marriage, while a pig means plentiful food. In Greece, onions are hung on the threshold, and children are woken up on new years day by being tapped by the onion. Every culture has their rich traditions that are valued and passed down from generation to generation. We are lucky at Meads Mill to learn from our peers and appreciate these differ-ences.

Tis the Season! ~Pranavi Oruganty, Staff Writer

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PRO Imagine a cob of fresh, crunchy, and delicious corn. Most people who consume fresh fruits or vegetables don’t even know they’re eating a GMO. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t always a negative prospect. GMOs are used widely throughout agriculture today, and this isn’t necessarily bad. Many frequently con-sumed fruits today are GMOs, like corn, apples, squash, and potatoes, and despite what many people think, there are no confirmed negative side effects of eating GMO foods. There are however, many positives to the side of GMOs such as lowering the price of pro-duce, improving the health of people globally, and re-ducing the need for pesticides. GMO crops can lower the price of fruits and vege-tables towards consumers as well as increasing their nutritional value, helping face off against world hun-ger. It is currently estimated that 821 million people around the world are undernourished, and around 1 in every 9 people faces hunger. GMOs can help increase the production of crops, giving larger yields that can feed more people and cheaper costs that help support those in need. Additionally, they can create hardier plants that can grow in more difficult conditions, providing food for people in regions of extreme conditions. In developing countries, the leading cause of child-hood blindness is an inadequate amount of vitamin A. To combat this deficiency in basic nutrition, the GMO ‘Golden Rice’ was created. It is one of the first suc-cessfully created biofortified foods, meaning that it was intentionally created to counter a health prob-lem. In a report by Australia and New Zealands’ food safety regulator, the rice was declared safe for human consumption, thereby preventing lack of vitamin A in children and changing their lives for the better. GMO foods can also be more protected from dis-eases and animals, lowering the need for use of pesti-cides. Today, they can be engineered to produce their own natural protectants, putting any thought of pesti-cides in the past. Insecticides have been scientifically proven to cause harm to the environment both locally and globally, so why are people still putting up with them?

GMOs can lower the price of fresh fruits and vegetables, help children in developing countries, and have naturally occurring and environmentally friendly pesticides. There have been no scientifically proven long-term negatives to GMO foods, despite the multi-tude of benefits they bring. If these types of produce are safe for us to eat and can help better the lives of people and the world around us, why aren’t they being used everywhere? Works Cited for Both Articles: https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/gmos-political-and-ethical-concerns

https://www.slowfood.com/what-we-do/themes/gmos/why-we-are-against-gmos/

https://earthjustice.org/features/engineering-an-environmental-disaster-2

CON “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” This quote, spoken by Mahatma Gandhi, perfectly expresses the problems of today’s socie-ty. Humans take too much from Earth, and don’t give near-ly enough back. Humans only solve short term problems, and end up creating more serious, dangerous and longer lasting problems. One example of this very prevalent in modern society is GMOs, or genetically modified organ-isms. GMOs have many problems, and they outweigh their benefits. GMOs should not be used because they are uneth-ical, they are a threat to local farmers, and they have nega-tive impacts on the environment. Although genetically modified crops have not been proven to be harmful to human health, they are unethical and give a few companies too much power. Whatever or whoever you believe created Earth, they made enough use-able for humans that they have all they need. For humans to change crops is not right, morally speaking. It is also not right to give all of the power in our food consumption to just a few big companies. Because these seeds are pa-tented, it allows a few multinational companies to control most of the food sold in stores. Patenting crops has shifted the balance of economic power way too harshly toward large corporations in their aggressive pursuit of profit. Al-tering nature and giving a few companies a monopoly over the world’s food supply is dangerous and unethical. Whatever product companies are selling, it is generally better to buy locally for a variety of reasons. The same is true to GMOs. Buying food products from large companies that mass produce genetically modified crops endangers the profit of small scale farmers who work hard to earn a liv-ing. If people only buy from large companies out of con-venience, it will run local farmers out of business and have a negative impact on the environment. Maybe most important of all, GMOs have been proven to be bad for the environment. While it has not been tested as toxic to humans or other animals, the longer it has been on the market, the worse its effects on soil health and long term plant reproduction appear. Also, although they are not harmful to animals consuming them, they do not allow nec-essary micronutrients to be absorbed by the animals eating them. GMOs may also play a part in the recent die-off of bees, one of the most concerning environmental problems in our world today. Even though the plants are not affected by the pesticides used on them, the environment around them is. All of these reasons and more show that GMO crops are harmful to the environment, so humans should not use them. While there is no denying that GMOs have some bene-fits, the negatives outweigh the positives. One argument for genetically modified crops is that it will help to solve world hunger. Thinking back to the quote used at the beginning, a lack of food is not what causes world hunger. Politics, war and waste are what cause world hunger. Mass producing more food is a short term solution that will have many more problems caused by it. Another argument for GMOs is that they can help to solve health problems in different parts of the world. While this is sometimes true, there are also many failures of genetically engineered crops. GMOs do solve many short term problems, but there are much more efficient solutions that could be used.

All of these reasons and more are why GMOs should not be used in today's society. They are unethical, they threaten local farmers, and they are harmful to the en-vironment. Although they do have many benefits, the nega-tive aspects outweigh them by a great deal. Just be careful, and try to check food labels and avoid GMO foods. If farm-ers are required to wear a hazmat suit to raise crops, why would humans eat them?

GMOS: Feeding the World

or Ruining It?

Claire Masters Casey Leonard

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McKenzie Randolph- 6 Zahra Alkharbi-6

Kishan Kokkelera-7 Sophie Brown –8 Giselle Khaliffe-8

If you travel

to a previous

year or

decade, what

would it be?

1980s 1960s 1990s 65 million

years ago

when the

dinosaurs

were alive.

2011

What would

you do to

make this

world a better

place?

I would go to

poor

neighbor-

hoods and tell

people not to

give up hope.

Help the poor

and clean up

garbage

To increase the use of solar panels and other innovative solutions than fossil fuels

I would

make sure

everyone

recycles.

Treat each

other nicer and

with respect.

What is one

word that

describes

you?

ambitious creative

curious funny energetic

What would

you like to see

at a PBIS

party?

Healthier snacks

Scavenger

hunts

Gym

contests and

rewards for

winners!

photo-

booths

More physical

activities:

volleyball,

scavenger hunt

What

suggestions to

you have for

our school?

Better and

innovative

seating!

To offer a

performing

arts club

Late start I wish the

students had

the ability to

pick their own

teachers

because they

all teach with

different styles.

Administration

should be more

open and

responsive to

the concerns of

the student

body.

5 by 5: Express Your Opinion!

~Andrew Jacob, Staff Writer

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Eat, Sleep, Sports! ~Molly Baughman, Staff Writer

Girls Cross Country

The Cross Country Girls trekked through an impressive undefeated season in 2019.

The team won 5 out of 5 of their games, and performed notably in all of them. Most of the time, many of the

top 10 runners were from the Meads Mill team, making them the winners of the meet. One of the coaches,

Ms. Debien, says, “I like coaching Cross Country because it’s great to be outside and run. I love the fall and

seeing the changing colors on our hilly Cass Benton Course.” After the normal season was over, the Meads

Mill girls competed in the KLSM league meet, with about thirteen other schools. The Varsity girls were up

first, and they put in outstanding effort and ranked third place. The highest runners of this competition were:

Avery Peters at second place, Lily Connors at ninth place, Rosie Gregory at eleventh place, and Soroya Flad-

ing in thirteenth place. Later, the third race of the day, the JV Meads Mill Cross Country team ran at the

league meet. The girls put in spectacular effort and ended up winning second place. The top five girls from

our Meads Mill team were Madeline Richard in first place, Tanvi Kadiri in fifth place, Shivani Yadav in sixth

place, Varsha Nair in seventh place, and McKenna Morris in eighth place. Overall the girls ran with great ef-

fort, and both teams left with a spectacular ranking.

Boys Cross Country

The Boys Cross Country team had an undoubtedly good season, winning four out of five of their

games, and only losing to Hillside. Ms. Debien, the coach of the Cross Country team states, “It’s an individ-

ual and team sport. You are working as a team, but also individually. It is a sport that challenges you physical-

ly and mentally.” They also participated in a league meet, where they ran hard and pushed themselves to go

far. The Varsity boys competed against thirteen other Varsity Cross Country teams and there were one hun-

dred seventy-four boys there running. Some of the top runners were Alex MaCallum, getting twelfth place,

and Ben Hartigan, winning fourteenth. In the end, the team pushed hard and got fourth place overall. Next, the

JV boys Cross Country team ran, and they did amazing! One hundred ninety-two runners took the course,

and Meads Mill came out in second. Some of the top runners were Conner Latta, taking second place, Nathan

Shields, taking third place, and Justin Shi, taking tenth place.

8th Grade Volleyball

The eighth grade volleyball team had a spectacular season this year, crushing every game but one

against Hillside. They exerted great effort at each game, not only not allowing the ball to hit the ground,

but also having amazing serves. For this year’s volleyball tournament, 8th grade teams from all over the

area travelled to Howell High School to compete. Our 8th grade volleyball team played hard, passing and

spiking every ball that came their way, and won the entire event, beating Hillside in the final match of the

tournament!

7th Grade Volleyball Our seventh grade volleyball team persevered through a series of losses this year, but won two of

their games. They still made their best effort, especially later in the season, as most balls hit the ground

only after significant effort from the team. Cleo Koche stated that, “Being on the team was exciting, yet

nerve wracking. In a game you have to stay focused. If you are nervous, you can’t stay focused, and when

you aren’t focused, you mess up.” They made it to the semi-finals in the tournament at Parker Middle

School where all seventh grade teams from the area competed. The 7th grade Meads Mill volleyball team

made it to the semi-finals, but finally they lost to Hillside and ended their quest in third place. Natalie Lat-

ta stated, “We gave it our all and did very well.”

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6th Graders Reach Out to the Community

This December, the sixth graders in Ms. Jary’s class held a fundraiser for the farmhouse at Maybury Park. They raised money so that this iconic landmark of Northville can be refurbished. The money will be used to transform the farmhouse from a musty, dirty, house to an office space for the volunteers and meet-ings. They will also repaint the exterior, replacing the shingles on the roof with a metal roof, and perform vari-ous upgrades. The farmhouse has a rich history. It was built in the mid-1800s, and has served many different uses. It was home to Northville’s first physician, Dr. Walin, and belonged to him for over 30 years. Then, it was acquired by the City of Detroit to be part of the Maybury Sanctorium, and house farmers working the land for food to give to patients recovering from tuberculosis. It was then bought by Maybury State Park and housed farmers working to educate the community on the history of farming in Northville. As part of the Kids With Courage Unit, Ms. Jary’s class raised money by selling candy canes to the students at Meads Mill. This money was then donated to the Maybury Farmhouse Fundraiser to do the afore-mentioned repairs. So thank you, Meads Mill students for doing so much more than eating candy canes, but preserving a local landmark! It was more than just a win-win! On a related note, Ms. Traylor’s sixth grade class is also holding a fundraiser. They are raising money and toys for Mott Children's Hospital, a hospital run by the University of Michigan Healthcare System. They will be doing this by holding a spirit day, holding a toy drive, and, similarly to what Ms. Jary’s class is doing, a candy cane drive. Mott Children’s Hospital is one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation, and the best in Michigan. A new facility being built can house 348 patients, has 16 operating rooms, and 50 maternity rooms. The hospital provides patients with animal therapy, grief assistance, a family center, and assistance with schooling. In 2017, the hospital had over 8,900 patients.

https://www.mayburyfarm.org/farmhouse-fundraiser

Happenings at the Mill! William Hutton~Staff Writer

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As the World Turns Luana Firmino~ Staff Writer Elizabeth Risch~Staff Writer

General Motors Strike

This past fall, almost 50,000 General Motors (GM) workers protested for better wages, and retirement

benefits, and the result of a Chevrolet factory in Lordstown, Ohio. The strike which started on September 16,

caused the company to lose almost 2 billion dollars of profit. CNN says “It was the biggest strike against a

U.S. company since the last GM strike 12 years ago, but that lasted only three days.” This strike, lasting near-

ly six-weeks has resulted in over 30 GM factories stopping production costing the company anywhere from

$50 million to $100 million a day. On October 16th, the members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union

came to an agreement ending the strike. The members agreed to a four-year labor deal. The deal isn’t entirely

what they wanted, but it is something they can live with. Many employees have already gone back to work.

The strike has caused many customers to have to wait for replacement parts to fix vehicles. Although, the

strike has hurt both the company and employers, the UAW has come to a somewhat solution that will last for

the next few years. Luana~

The Sea of Stars

On Vaadhoo Island is a stunning vista of light. On the shores lies a pack of bioluminescent phytoplankton

that captures the attention of all onlookers. The phytoplankton coat the shores with a dazzling blue light show.

The bioluminescence of the phytoplankton result from a light producing chemical reaction, or chemilumines-

cence. Different chemicals, broadly termed luciferins, produce energy which causes other particles to vibrate

and produce the glow. This amazing species makes the shores seem like they were taken straight out of a sce-

ne from James Cameron’s Avatar. No wonder the nickname for this amazing wonder is the Sea of Stars. De-

spite their dazzling appearances, they aren’t all that friendly. The phytoplankton actually produce toxins that

are harmful to humans, fish, and other animals. In fact, the phytoplankton’s blue glow acts as a defense mech-

anism to predators, and continues to glow inside the fish that eats them. In turn, this makes that fish’s preda-

tors go after them. Basically, it’s not a good idea to eat the phytoplankton-a warning to both humans and fish!

Elizabeth~

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The Box

Brian Zhang~ Staff Writer and photojournalist

A large cardboard box sits in the corner of the pod. The surface is covered with pink wrapping paper with pieces of shiny, colorful confetti. Carefully crafted orange polka dots coat the paper. Undoubtedly, some people have spent time creating these beautiful decorations in order to attract attention. Why is an ordinary box adorned so extraordinarily? A conspicuous crimson sign on the front of the box tells all: “Giving Box”. This is me, the donation box at Meads Mill Middle School.

8:03 AM- Two giggling girls approach me a few minutes before the bell rings. “It’s pink! I love pink!” One girl declares to the other, pointing at me. She jumps up grinning and her blonde pigtails bob up and down. Her friend sports a grizzly brown ponytail and bangs hang down to her eyes. Each girl holds an item in her hand. They peer over my lid. My contents are meager in comparison to a child’s toy closet. The girl with pigtails lifts up a doll with both hands. The doll, wearing a sparkling blue satin dress, had an angelic smile on her face. The girl gives her doll one last look and kisses her on the forehead. The look is one of love, and full of hope as if praying that the recipient admires her as much as she herself has. “Bring my love to them,” says the girl to the doll before she places her under my lid. The doll clatters and echoes along my walls. The bru-nette steps forward with a hardcover book. The cover has a picture of a room with a red-frame window through which half of a full moon and thousands of twinkling stars can be seen. The title of the book is “Good Night, Moon”. The girl gently deposits the book on a flat surface in me.

11:14 AM- Lunchtime is usually quiet in the pod. However, today is different. “Crash, bing!” A soccer ball bounces against the wall, racing towards me, and then disappears from my sight. An athletic boy chases the ball down into a classroom and cleverly maneuvers it back to the hallway. He picks up the ball and fondly gazes at it. The brand-new ball has a sleek green, blue, and white design on it and is made with squishy but firm materials. A squiggling handwritten note on it reads “Get well. Play ball.” Although the ball is a bit too large to fit in me, the boy still wedges it safely inside me.

3:08 PM- A tall man hurries out of a classroom, dangling jingling keys hanging from his hand. Sudden-ly he halts and spins around, squinting to peer at me. I recognize his stature: it is the 8th grade science teacher. I have overheard students chatting of his recent misfortune. His wife has been diagnosed with a malignant tumor earlier this year and he is left with a massive medical bill to pay for her treatment. He lifts up my lid. Without the slightest hesitation, he pulls a crinkled wallet from his pocket, removing a ten-dollar bill. Then he places the bill between the pages of a book.

10:57 PM- I look at my interior full of toys, games, stationery, books, and money, expecting no one will show up again. Suddenly, the bathroom door swings open, startling me. Clad in navy blue head to toe, the janitor tugs a soaking mop and empty bucket through the doorway. In the dim light, I see his eyes sag down with dark rings around. “He is tired,” I say to myself. “Go home and have a good rest,” I almost hear my voice. But he stops in front of me, takes a satchel from his back, and tugs out a soft yellow fleece blanket with a stuffed bumblebee attached. He gently refolds the blanket and presses it down on the pile of gifts.

The hands of the clock in the pod lobby swing around. My interior, paltry in the start, now becomes the envy of a young toddler, a toy box brimming with fun and candy, and a heaven for a banker, spilling with banknotes and petty cash of every kind. In a single school day, starting at several ounces, I have been weighed down to overflow with the donations that carry the hope and love of those at Meads Mill. Impatiently, I await the morrow when I will make my holiday journey to the Mott Children’s Hospital.

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Riddles What word in the English language does the following: the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify greatness, while the entire word signifies a great woman. What is the word?

What can be as tall as the sky or as small as a pebble and doesn’t belong to the person who bought it?

What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?

The person who buys it doesn’t want it, the person who makes it doesen’t need it, and the person who needs it doesn’t even know they’re using it?

Find the answers on another page in the Patriot Press !

Beginner’s Luck! Game Page

~Emma Risch, Staff Writer

12

Book Talk With Elayna

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars is a novel about a young teenage girl who has been diagnosed with lung cancer

and attends a cancer support group.

Hazel is 16 years old, and reluctant to go to the support group, but she soon realizes that it was a good

idea. There, Hazel meets a young boy named Augustus Waters. He is charming and witty, and has recently

gained the all clear for osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

Hazel and Augustus embark on a roller coaster ride of emotions, including love, sadness and romance,

while searching for Peter Van Houten, the author of An Imperial Affliction, their favorite book. While on

their trip, Augustus breaks some heartbreaking news to Hazel, and both of their worlds fall apart around them.

I highly recommend this book, and believe that it is one of the best I have ever read. It is full of witty

humour, and heartbreaking events, so expect to break out into laughter and tears as you read. The ending how-

ever disappointed me, not because it was bad, or was written poorly, but because it did not end the way I

really, really wanted it too. That may however have been the point, because in real life cancer doesn’t always

end happily. In conclusion, this book is very good, and is a must-read!

Lexile level: 850L Rating: *****

Who Are the Patriot Press Staff?

Editors and Writers: Casey Leonard and Claire Masters

Staff Writers: Molly Baughman, Jack D’Angelo, Elayna Feliks, Luana Firmino, Katherine Forsythe,

William Hutton, Andrew Jacob, Melissa Oates, Pranavi Oruganty, Elizabeth Risch, Emma Risch, and Brian Zhang,

Club Advisor: Mrs. Jary ~ Jaryma@northvilleschools.org

Thank you for your loyal following! Look for another edition of the

Patriot Press in March 2020!