The Cougar Star January 2016

Ask the Media Specialist!

A Large Problem

Got an Issue? // Comic

People of Clague Middle School New Year’s Resolutions

The Clague Pool Update

Snapshot Stories Cougars

Four Interesting New Year’s Celebrations

Events, Current and Past A Two-Year Visual Timeline

Reflection on 2015

Et Cetera Creative Cougars

Advice Column

Our Last Word

History in the Making?

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Eric Heng, staff writer Kristine Zheng, graphic designer Kristine Zheng and Jasmine Xu, graphic designers Julie Heng, editor-in-chief Eleanor Lin, editor Varun Krishna and Yiting Zhao, guest contributors Eleanor Lin, editor Sophie Stillwagon, staff writer, and Rachel Song, guest contributor Phoebe Yi, editor Avani Guduri, staff writer Jonathan Kim, staff writer Julie Heng, editor-in-chief

Editor-in-Chief: Julie Heng Editors: Phoebe Yi // Eleanor Lin // Tomas Stegemann

Treasurer: Rhea Cong Graphic Designers: Kristine Zheng // Jasmine Xu

Tech Coordinators: Rhea Cong (website) // Tomas Stegemann (social media)

☆Find our website at www.issuu.com/thecougarstar☆ ☆Follow us on instagram @the_cougar_star☆

January Issue “Memories of 2015” Collage Cover Design by Eleanor Lin January Issue Cover Photos (row-wise, from top left): BBC News, Getty Images, National Geographic, Screen Rant, HD Wallpapers, LA Weekly,

Daily Telegraph, ABC News, Al-Monitor, Tech Insider, Geeks of Doom, New York Times, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Daily Telegraph, Sun Journal, VOA News, PBS NewsHour.

ASK THE MEDIA SPECIALIST! By Eric Heng, Staff Writer, on behalf of the Cougar Star: Cougar Star: What would you define as a “media specialist”?

★ Ms. McLean: I actually don’t like the title. It’s confusing. I would rather be called a teacher librarian. It’s a crazy title.

CS: What are some library resources that you think many people are unaware of?

★ Ms. McLean: We have over 200 e-books available, and we have a lot of those. CS: What are some of the new books at Clague?

★ Ms. McLean: We just got some in - almost the whole new series of the Warriors series and I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.

CS: What is your favorite part about Clague’s library?

★ Ms. McLean: My favorite thing is that it’s busy, and it’s different every day. Classes doing different thing, and checking out new books.

CS: What is your favorite book/series?

★ Ms. McLean: My favorite series is the Harry Potter series. There are other books that I really liked, but the Harry Potter books were my favorite.

A Large Problem

By Kristine Zheng, Graphic Designer

People from other countries are starving. Some impoverished children are so malnourished, they seem to be skeletons with their sharp bones and thin lanky bodies. Their lives are driven by their hunger and their pain. On the other hand, there are also people that are the polar opposite of starving. There are people who consume more food per day than any person should. Always craving, always consuming. With enough food on this planet to feed us all, no one should have to starve while others are getting more than what is good for them. This needs to change.

You may have heard about it on television. You may have heard people saying they are overweight and need to diet. Obesity is the condition of being overweight. More than three million people in the United States are obese. Obesity occurs when a person's body mass index is 30 or greater. It is serious problem for many people today. It may have to do with how rich or poor a person is, and it may have to do with what part of the world they live in. In America, buying fresh vegetables is more expensive than buying a Big Mac at the nearest McDonald’s. There are almost no advertisements for healthy foods like vegetables and lean meats, but advertisements for cheap and unhealthy food are everywhere. Americans are having fast food sold to them all the time, and it’s causing a major problem. People have ingrained the idea that cheap and tasty fast food is what they should eat, even though it isn’t. It can also depend on how much time a person is willing to spend on a meal. Buying cooked meals from a fast food restaurant is quick, while cooking and buying ingredients to cook yourself takes more time . . .

(Continued on page 11)

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The Clague Pool Update

Left: Pool equipment. Middle: The entrance to the pool. Right: As this sign proclaims, “natatorium” is a fancy name for a pool. Photos by Eleanor Lin.

By Eleanor Lin, Editor

By now, only an infinitesimal fraction of the student body, or none at all, are unaware that Clague pool is back. Most of them are also aware of the reason for its closing three years ago, in 2013: money.

The decision to close the pool at Clague - along with pools at Forsythe, Scarlett, Slauson, and Tappan - saved $70, 000, according to Lindsay Knake in the MLive article “Ann Arbor to reopen middle school pools closed in 2013.” The announcement that the pools would be reopened came in March of last year.

Season III of the Clague athletic calendar (currently underway) includes synchronized swimming, and season IV will include competitive swimming. Boys and girls from grades 6 - 8 will be able to participate.

Clague’s Athletic Director, Ms. Mullice, says that the pool will be accessible for after-school sports teams and PE classes. Rec & Ed will “probably” have access “at a later date”. It will be open for the duration of the school year, and most likely for Rec & Ed purposes during the summer.

Ms. Mullice says the reopening benefits Clague by giving “other kids an outlet . . . who don’t participate in the other sports.” Also, sixth graders will get to learn how to swim in PE.

When asked if there was anything she wanted to add on the topic, Ms. Mullice said, “It was weird not having the pool, because it’d been open for years and years . . . So, I’m glad it’s open, finally. You know, I don’t know what’s going to happen after this year, but, for now, we’re just grateful that it’s open, and that the students are able to participate and use it.”

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⋆⋆Reflection on 2015⋆⋆

By Phoebe Yi, Editor

Another year has passed, but what will we remember years from now? Will we remember the tragedies and traumatic events and the countless victims of sickness and poverty around the world, or will we remember the many victories of people who tried to change people’s lives for the better? Every person will have their own memories of 2015, but these might be remembered by many:

On January 7th, 2015, two gunmen by the names of Said and Cherif Kouachi attacked the office of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, wounding eleven and killing twelve people in the process. The satirical magazine had published a drawing mocking the prophet Mohammed; the motive was to punish the workers in the office for this offence.

On March 24th, 2015, Germanwings flight number 9525 crashed in the French Alps on its way to Barcelona; all 150 of the passengers were killed in the incident. It was later confirmed that co-pilot Lubitz locked the pilot out of the cockpit and intentionally crashed the plane. Lubitz had suffered from depression in the past.

On April 25th, 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal, near the country’s capital Kathmandu. It ruined many UNESCO sites in the process, killing more than 8,000 people, and injuring around 1,700. This not only shook the Nepalese, but also the people in neighboring countries, such as China, India, and Bangladesh. Weeks later on May 12, 2015, another earthquake (magnitude 7.3) struck the country.

On a happier side note, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, gave birth to Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, weighing around 8 lbs. 3 oz. on May 2nd, 2015, at 8:34 a.m.

On May 9th, 2015 the WHO (World Health Organisation) was able to declare the African nation, Liberia, ebola free.

On July 31st, 2015, Beijing was chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics. It will be the first city to host both the Summer and Winter games in the 120-year history of the modern Olympic games.

On July 20th, 2015, the United States of America and Cuba officially re-established ties after 54 years of bad relations.

On December 12th, 2015, a landmark agreement on climate was approved during the Paris conference, or COP21.

Another year has passed, but there is still much to remember.

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Sources: "2015 In Review Fast Facts - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.; "Germanwings Crash: Co-pilot Lubitz 'practised Rapid Descent' - BBC News." BBC News. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.; "Royal Baby: Duchess of Cambridge Gives Birth to Daughter - BBC News." BBC News. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. 

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Advice Column By Jonathan Kim, Staff Writer

So the other day my classmate was just rambling on and on while I was working. I couldn’t concentrate at all! At the same time, I don’t want to just bluntly hurt their feelings and ask them to shut up. So what do you do if you want to *politely* ask someone to stop talking? Sincerely, Sick of Listening >>Dear Sick of Listening, It’s always fine to politely ask someone to stop, simple words like “Please stop” or “Can you please stop talking” are fine. If they do keep on talking, and they’ve been asked to stop talking multiple times, I think that going to the teacher would be your best option from there.

-~-~-~-~- My friend just gave me a birthday gift. (I know this sounds childish, but just bear with me.) Obviously, I thanked them, but the thing is, I never gave them anything for any holiday before, you see. Needless to say, I feel like I’m in an awkward position. What should I do? Thanks, Empty-Handed >>Dear Empty-Handed, I was in the same situation as you once. When I was young, I had never gotten my older brother a “real” birthday present for either Christmas or his birthday, because I never knew what to get. But once I had become older, I learned what my brother liked and what he didn’t like, what were his interests, etc. And I had given a gift to him based off of that. To anyone, gifts are always welcome, and it’s never an awkward time to give anyone a token of appreciation.

Send your advice questions to thecougarstar@gmail.com !

A Large Problem By Kristine Zheng; continued from page 3

About 38% of Americans were obese in 2013 and 2014, according to The New York Times. In 2003 and 2004, about 32% of adults were obese, said lead author, Cynthia L. Ogden. (Obesity Rises Despite All Efforts to Fight It, U.S. Health Officials Say, The New York Times.) Despite all attempts to combat the rising rate of obesity, America is, frankly, quite obese. However, America is not the most obese country in the world.

How do you become obese? It’s not only eating unhealthy. Not exercising, genes, and family history can affect a person’s chance of becoming obese. The consequences are very serious. Obesity and overweightness can lead to strokes, diabetes, heart disease and many different types of cancers. People may also have body pain and difficulty moving. Medical bills are expensive. In 2008, medical costs for obesity were estimated to be $147 billion (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

In other words, obesity is not only dangerous, but also costly to treat. People who may not have time to cook, and are tempted by unhealthy junk food, may need to rethink their lifestyle. Getting a bit of exercise can help. Don’t get too concerned; being careful to eat mostly healthy food and exercising moderately won’t make you obese. Every person’s body is different.

To see more: <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html>

<http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/01/24/most-obese-countries-maps> <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/12/health/obesity-rises-despite-all-efforts-to-fight-it-us-health-officials-say.html?_r=0>

Above, for advice column picture source: <pixabay.com>

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History in the Making?

The world is changing.

The internet is clearly changing our lives, as evidenced by the telltale notifications on smartphones nowadays. One may argue that it “has always been this way”, but let me offer you an example in the most unlikely of forms: journalism.

At the CBS Democratic Debate on November 14th, the set was host to a strange array of plaques: the names on each of the speaker’s podiums were replaced by social media account usernames such as @HillaryClinton, @BernieSanders, and @MartinOMalley; the stage was embroidered with #DemDebate; the final reflection was of trending Twitter topics for the candidates.

Now that elections and debates are no longer simple televised vents, but a literal hands-on social movement, many think that the internet is the final nail in print journalism’s coffin. I’d beg to differ.

Let me clarify - I am all for incorporating news into the online community. In fact, I am only glad that we have such mediums to report and express our opinions with ease. I just don’t believe that these mediums are a real reason why we should get rid of newspapers.

With increasingly brief attention spans, students becoming less and less likely to voluntarily search for interesting and educational news without distractions. I, for one, can spend hours on the internet and return to reality not remembering a single link I clicked.

This is why it’s often nice to have a physical source to go back to. Sometimes, paper is better than pixels.

For me, producing an actual copy of a school newspaper is more meaningful than producing light on a screen.

It means that our school and community has a written legacy. It means you can see your submitted work, published in print, alongside our school news.

It means having time and hard work poured into a piece of paper so that you can read about your life and your world. In the end, memory sticks to something physical.

Times are changing, but sometimes it’s nice to have something you can hold on to. And we’re hoping The Cougar Star is one of those things.

With that being said, we now have a Cougar Star website for frequent news updates, student-body polls, and daily announcements. This way you can access our content all the while sharing your own with the clicks and taps of uploading and downloading.

Your editor-in-chief, Signing off for now,

Julie Heng

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