The Knightly News 1

The KNIGHTLY NEWS

2014 Marking Period 2 Edition

Guys’ ChoirBy Joshua Sanchez

This year Ms. Mateyka started a new club for the fall/winter season. The new choral group is for boys only in grades 7 and 8. Mrs. Mateyka directs the high school “all guys’ choir” that they named No Girls Allowed. Here at the middle school the guys’ choir is called Lights Out.

Lights Out rehearsed after school and performed at the Winter Concert and also at the middle school’s Winter Assembly. The group sang “Winter Wonderland,” “Clouds,” and “Lean on Me.”

Thomas Cassara says, “It was a fun experience and I will definitely do it again next year”. I highly suggest that if you’re a guy and you like singing, you should definitely join next year’s all guys’ choir. Unfortunately, it is too late to join this year. For the spring, the guys’ and girls’ choruses are combined into the Jazz Choir.

Members of the 2013/14 Lights Out included: Theodore Press 7, Brian Kendall 7, John Trenschel 8, Anthony Bernal 7, Vasili Tsilionis 7, Matthew Uhlendorf 8, Elias Ayari-Dias 7, Joshua Sanchez 7, Tristan Simson 8, and Thomas Cassera 7.

More News from the Music DepartmentCongratulations the following WEMS and WEHS students who successfully auditioned for the NJSMA Junior Region Chorus and Band. Earning membership in the Region Ensembles requires auditioning against students from approximately 80 North Jersey school districts.  The students will participate in 5 rehearsals and a concert, performing literature of the highest level. (Thank you to Mr. Vee Popat, Supervisor of the Arts for providing us with this information.)

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Mixed Chorus Paige Johnston, AltoSydney McEntee, AltoDanielle Tabatnek, AltoSerena Szarka, AltoJake Foti, TenorTristan Simson, Tenor

Treble Chorus Cameron Marino, AltoAlexus Rodriguez, Alto8th gradersSarah Candido, Soprano 1 Samantha Luk, Soprano 1 Eman Jaber, Soprano 2

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

December 7th Grade:

Mac Farrell - Mac is a hard worker and is eager to please.  Andreas is motivated and meets the expectations of all his teachers.  He is a polite and respectful young man with teachers and peers. He is a pleasure to have in class.

Kailey Blount -Kailey is very diligent in all her classes.  She is respectful and conscientious in all her classes and is true role model. She is pleasure to have in class

December 8th Grade:

Brielle Krause - Brielle has performed extremely well in the first months of the school year. She is enthusiastic about learning, and she is an intelligent young woman who cares deeply about her subjects and about her peers. She is a joy to have in class.

Michael Arata - Michael is new to the district and he has adapted extremely well to his new surroundings here at WEMS. He is inquisitive, hard-working, and has earned the respect of teachers and students alike.

January 7th Grade:

Cameron Barrett – Cameron is always smiling. He works hard, does well in his classes, and is polite and friendly. His teachers are lucky to have him. His cheerful disposition makes him a welcome addition to every class.

Audrey Smith – Audrey is diligent, hardworking, and cooperative. She always helps others and she is a pleasure to have in class. Her work ethic is exemplary and a model for all students.

January 8TH Grade:

Patrick Coyle – Although quiet and reserved it is clear that this inquisitive young man is always tuned into what’s going on around him and focused on the lessons and activities done in class. He is polite, cooperative, and works very hard to put forth his best effort. He is friendly and works well with his peers. Patrick is an asset to our classes and will likely meet much success in his future.

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Mary Matos – Mary is dynamic young lady with much to offer any class environment. She is very bright with a propensity to seek out new information and think about things in new and different ways. She is diligent and works hard to consistently produce quality work. Mary is respectful, friendly and sincerely kind when working with her peers. She is a pleasure to have in class.

Student CouncilBy Chris Duthie

The Student Council has had a very exciting two marking periods and plans to have an equally fun final two! This year, the Student Council has held a pep rally, two spirit weeks, and two dances. Also, the first Middle School dance was a huge success compared to the second marking period dance, which had a much smaller turnout.

The Student Council Administrators, Mrs. Maus-Colucci and Ms. Kelly, would like me to inform you where the entrance fees to the dances go. When you pay to enter the dance, you are not only paying the cost of the D.J., you are also helping fundraise for future events. Some events at a pep rally require extra funding. The more people that go to dances, the bigger and better other events for the Middle School will be.

This year, there will be one more spirit week and one more pep-rally. The pep-rally is in preparation for the NJASK testing, and has been dubbed the NJASK “Prep Rally”. This rally will take place on Friday, April 25. Any information about past and upcoming Student Council events can be found on Ms. Kelly’s webpage under the sidebar labeled “Student Council”.

The Regional History BeeBy Ethan Goldberg

The Regional History Bee is part of the National History Bee. Students from our school are going to be competing against students from other schools in our area to advance to the next round. Contestants are asked questions about United States’ history and about world history, and can cover any century or time period.

In order to qualify for the Regional Bee, students need to take an electronic test that is then graded. Students compete for high scores. This year we have four students from our school who qualified for the Regional Bee. They are: Eamon Morrissey, David Butterfield, Joe Salvanto, and Brian Shields.

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The Regional History Bee will be on Thursday, 17 April 2014. To prepare for the bee the boys will take practice exams and will work with Mrs. McCarthy to sharpen their skills. If any of the boys win the Regional Bee they will then go on to the National competition where the winner will receive $5000.

The Knightly News would like wish the students competing Good Luck and WE stands behind you.

Meet 7th Grader

Calista Manuzza: Competitive CheererBy Madelin Morales

KN: What is Competitive Cheering?

CM: Competitive cheering is like gymnastics, but you do everything on a spring floor. There are three parts: tumbling, stunting, and jumping. In the Junior Division you have 2 minutes and 30 seconds to perform your entire routine.

KN: How is it different from cheering for the football or basketball teams?

CM: In competitive cheering we do not cheer for a team, and we don’t use pom-poms. Instead we cheer for an organization.

KN: How often do you train?

CM: We have a very rigid training schedule. We train four days a week for 2 ½ hours per day. In the summer we have an intensive week long program.

KN: How long have you been a competitive cheerer?

CM: I have been a competitive cheerer for nine years; I began cheering when I was four years old.

KN: What made you want to become involved in the sport?

CM: My older sister was a competitive cheerer and she was my example.

KN: How many people are on your squad? (Do you call it a “squad”?)

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CM: It is called a TEAM, not a squad. My team is one of the largest with 32 girls and 3 boys. Smaller teams have about 20 girls on it.

KN: What is the name of your squad?

CM: My team’s name is Starburst.

KN: Can boys be on the squad?

CM: Yes, there are many boys in competitive cheering.

KN: How often do you compete?

CM: The season runs from January to May. Usually, we have two competitions per month.

KN: Do you compete against other NJ teams or against teams from all over the country?

CM: We compete against New Jersey teams as well as teams from all over the country. Many times we have to travel very far for our competitions. This year my competitions will be in Dallas, TX, Myrtle Beach, SC, Nashville, TN, and Orlando, FL. I will need to miss school on the Friday before each competition and the Monday afterward to give me time to travel.

KN: Can you describe a typical competition?

CM: Competitions are two days. Since there are usually a thousand teams competing, there are many performance halls. Competitions are very loud and the crowds are very enthusiastic. At the end there is an award ceremony.

KN: What do you enjoy most about cheering?

CM: I enjoy the competition. Each competition is unique.

KN: What do you win at these competitions? Can you be awarded a college scholarship?

CM: We usually win trophies, medals, jackets, or banners. While there are no college scholarships, many colleges will invite you to try out for their school.

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Ask West Essex….

Q. My friends gossip about one another all the time, and it’s causing a lot of drama among our friends. “Sabrina” pretends to like “Wanda” when she is around, but behind her back Sabrina talks nastily about Wanda, and vice-a-versa. Both of these girls are confrontational. How do I stop the gossiping and rivalry without picking a side?

~ Gossip Girl

A. The best thing you can do is stay out of it. You can’t say anything to one of them and you can’t pick a side.

- O.H.

A. You can be honest and say how you feel about them even though they are your friends. The key to friendship is about being honest.

- B.C.

A. If you don’t want to pick a side and you don’t want them to get mad at you, then you should start fading away from them. Chances are that if they talk about each other they may be talking about YOU behind your back as well – and you don’t need that. So starting to fade away from them is your best bet.

- C.A.

A. Stay out of it because you don’t want to get into the drama too. Let them work it out themselves. Just leave the conversation and don’t get involved.

- D.S.

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Q. I am a shy, unathletic guy and I have difficulty making friends; especially guy friends. How do I make friends with guys without people thinking I’m “gay”?

~ Shy Guy

A. Talk to boys the way other boys do. Watch what they do and look for tips on how they talk to each other. Best thing though, is to be yourself.

- H.S.

A. Don’t think about what other people may or may not even think about you! Just because you have friends the same gender doesn’t make you gay, so go out and make some friends.

- C.T.

A. Just be nice. If people make fun of you, they are not good enough to by your friend.- S.C.

A. You should join a club or a non-sports activity (such as Book Club, Knightly News, drama club, chorus, WE Care, etc) at school because that gives you an opportunity to make new friends.

- C.A.

Q. I have too many projects and assignments, and I just can’t find the time to finish them. I play sports after school; either we have practice or a game. I love my sports and they are important to me, but so are my grades and I am up late every night trying to complete all of these assignments. How can I balance school work with sports?

~ Needs time to play, Needs time to work

A. Do your projects the first day they are assigned, or just do a small piece every day so that you only have small amounts to do after practice.

- J.G.

A. You can attend half of practice and tell your coach that you have assignments you need to complete. Your coach will definitely understand because they always say grades first.

- M.O.

A. You should make a schedule for your sports and schoolwork. Set specific times and organize your life. Also, make time for friends and a social life.

- B.C.

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A. Start your assignments right when you get home and don’t procrastinate. Try to complete as much of an assignment when you get it and don’t leave it to the last minute. Make a schedule of when assignments are due and when you have sports commitments. Then find the time to see when you can work on the assignment.

- L.L.

Do you have a question for Ask West Essex? Write the question and send it to Mr. Massa who will then give it to our expert advisors for their opinions.

The Hobbit – The MovieBy Dylan Lepre

I left the theater – pumped, but also disappointed. I would have to wait another year to see the

next installment in the film series. The movie was The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug by J.R. Tolkien and

brought to the screen by Peter Jackson. The first Hobbit was good but most of it was of the characters

journeying far and wide. In this installment there’s more action and it’s much more interesting. The

movie is also a little funnier than part one, with some scenes that will make you laugh out loud. If you’re

still not convinced about The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug and think it’s a kids film, then at least you can

see some familiar faces. Everyone’s favorite elf Legolas, played brilliantly by Orlando Bloom, returns.

Also our favorite bad guy Sauron makes his great return at Dol Guldur (which is his palace, well what’s

left of it). Also for the first time after the not getting to see dragons in the first Hobbit, finally we get to

see the amazing Smaug (played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Note* Cumberbatch also plays the role of

Sauron) when Bilbo (played by Martin Freeman) goes under the mountain to retrieve the arkenstone

(AKA - the Heart of the Mountain). Finally, the movie is an all-around a good time for theatre goers with

great special effects, amazing fight scenes, and wonderful acting. While the ending is a bit disappointing I

would give this movie a 3 and a half out of 4 star rating.

Cryptogram

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a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

g x o v i a u l k e q d s j z f p b c y r m h n t w

Try to solve the code

Ey’m iexl cp pgx yc lc ywj evqcmmerhj. –Zfhy Lemxjt

The answer can be found on page 10.

The Purge (2013)

By Domenic Roccasanta

The Purge Is a horror film directed and written by James DeMonaco. It stars actors Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield, Tony Oller, and Arija Bareikis.

The year is 2022, and America is now a “nation reborn” with new Founding Fathers. The Purge, as it is known as, is a 12-hour period in which all and any crime is legalized and all emergency services (including EMTs, police departments, and fire departments) are suspended and unavailable. The only rules during the Purge is that government officials of "ranking 10 or higher" must remain unharmed and usage of weaponry above "Class 4" (such as weapons of mass destruction, or WMDs) are forbidden. Whoever does not follow the rules of the Purge will be executed. The Purge was created to relieve distress of the American people, and let them release their hatred on whatever and/or whomever they choose. James Sandin, a wealthy American, has a home highly equipped with protection against supporters of the Purge, and owns a company which produces heavy-duty protection for homes. Shortly after the Purge’s beginning, Charlie, James’s son, sees a troubled man in need on the outside, claiming that people are out to kill him. Charlie, feeling bad for the homeless man, lets him into the house. Once done so, the man runs off somewhere into their large home.

A group of anonymous people who were after the man, come to the Sandin’s front door, requesting the man to be given over to them or the whole Sandin family shall die, along with the destruction of their home. James and Mary (James’ wife), go and search for the man within their home to save themselves. Once found by James, he is tied to a chair and is about to be brought out. However, James couldn’t do it. The family decided to fight off the large group. I won’t tell you who won, but the Sandin’s had to suffer a major loss and the family was never the same. The Purge was a very action-packed movie, and I highly recommend it.

The Middle School Book Club is reading Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier. This book is about a girl who travels through time. The next book club meeting is Wednesday, 19 February after school in the library.

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Movie TriviaBy Dylan Lepre

How well do you know movies? Or think you know movies? Take our Movie Trivia to see how much you know. Good Luck!

1. How does Katniss get out of the arena in Catching Fire?

2. What movie of 2013 has a boat getting hijacked by Somalia Pirates?

3. Who is the main antagonist in Thor: Dark World?

4. Who stared in the original Superman film?

5. Which upcoming film is about a man who is turned into a half-man half-robot and is a remake of a 1987 film?

6. What upcoming film is based on a book written by Veronica Roth?

7. What is the name of the last part in the Hobbit film series?

8. What is the name of the newest Paranormal Activity film?

9. What year did the first Lord of the Rings come out?

10. Who stars in the new Hobbit film?

11. What film tells about a boy who is taken in by a rich family and eventually becomes a first round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens?

Answers to the Movie Trivia can be found on page 15.

Answer to Cryptogram:

The Middle School Book Club is reading Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier. This book is about a girl who travels through time. The next book club meeting is Wednesday, 19 February after school in the library.

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It's kind of fun to do the impossible. -Walt Disney

Middle School Boys’ Basketball TeamBy Christian Breitweiser and Sam Rosenberg

This year the West Essex Middle School Boys’ Basketball team consisted of 16 hardworking boys. The team was coached by Mr. Lancaster. There are six 7th graders on the team and ten 8th. This season the team lost three games and won two. Unfortunately, the team also lost three players: John Georgiou, Jake Brodsky, and Max Ruvo due to injuries. All three boys have been overcoming adversity every day and have been battling back to health. The team has played Mt.Olive Middle School, Kinnelon Middle School, Liberty Middle School, and MKA Middle School. Practices are held after school from 2:45 to 4:45 unless there is a game.

The Boys’ Basketball team has qualified for a tournament. They qualified by the number of games played. Their first game will be against Dover Middle School. The team is working hard to win this game and are determined to move on to the next round and compete for the Championship and bring it to West Essex Middle School. GO KNIGHTS!

Members of the Boys’ Basketball Team are: Scott Barlow, Christian Breitweiser, Jake Brodsky, Bobby Burke, John Christy, Mike Cozzo, John Georgiou, Heath Kalb, Evan Katz, Dan Laible, Johnny Ray Magliaro, Sam Moore, Sam Rosenberg, Ben Ruvo, Max Ruvo, and John Sweetwood

Middle School Girls’ Basketball TeamBy Olivia Hansson

The West Essex Girls’ basketball team has had a great season. Every win we had was be because of every player's hard work and dedication. This team has improved greatly ever since its first practice. The girls have learned how to communicate and work together. The team has had the privilege to be coached by an amazing athlete, Ms. Katelyn Shaw. She has taught us the importance of teamwork and has never let us give up. Every player on the team came here with

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the same goal, to grow as a player and represent our school the best of our abilities. We are not just a team, we are a family. We ended the season with a record of 3 and 5.

The members of the team include:Alex ApitoJulia GeigerOlivia HanssonSarah IanuzziAshley IanuzziLillian JamesSabrina KrasnerBrielle Krause

Catherine MarinoSharon O’DonnellMorgan PalumboJulia SchmulewitzGianna WaackCelia WhiteJacqueline BlottmanManager: Dory Moss

February Facts and Trivia

February 19th is National Kissing Day & the 22nd is National Thinking Day.

On February 8, 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was executed.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809.

Mr. Schwindel, Mr. Massa, and President Ronald Reagan were all born on February 6.

The birthstone of February is the amethyst.

The flower of February is the violet or the primrose.

On average, men shell out $130 each on candy, cards, jewelry, flowers and dates for Valentine’s Day (February 14). That’s more than double what women commit to spending. In order of popularity, Valentine's Day cards are given to teachers, children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

On the night of 8–9 February 1855 & one or two later nights, after a heavy snowfall in the UK, a series of hoof-like marks appeared in the snow. These footprints, most of which measured around four inches long, three inches across, between eight & sixteen inches

apart & mostly in a single file, were reported from over thirty locations across Devon & a

couple in Dorset. It was estimated that the total distance of the tracks amounted to between 40 and 100 miles. Houses, rivers, haystacks & other obstacles were travelled straight over, & footprints appeared on the tops of snow-covered roofs & high walls which lay in the footprints' path, as well as leading up to & exiting various drain pipes as small as four inches in diameter.The area in which the prints appeared extended from Exmouth, up to Topsham, & across the Exe Estuary to Dawlish & Teignmouth. R.H. Busk, in an article published in Notes and

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Queries in 1890, stated that footprints also appeared further afield, as far south as Totnes & Torquay, & that there were other reports of the prints as far away as Weymouth (Dorset) & even Lincolnshire.There were also attendant rumours about sightings of a "devil-like figure" in the Devon

area during the scare. Many townspeople armed themselves & attempted to track down the beast responsible, without success. Although there are many theories as to what caused the tracts, people of region still feel the area was visited by the Devil itself.

Fun Valentine’s Day FactsBy Anjele Demirdjian

In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared Feb. 14 the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.

Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine's Day in the late 1800s.

Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.

73 percent of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.

15 percent of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.

The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

Red roses are considered the flower of love because the color red stands for strong romantic feelings.

Over 50 percent of all Valentine's Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the holiday, making Valentine's Day a procrastinator's delight.

220,000 is the average number of wedding proposals on Valentine's Day each year.

In medieval times, girls ate unusual foods on St. Valentine’s Day to make them dream of their future husband.

The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine’s Day.

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More than 9 million pet owners are expected to buy gifts for their pets this Valentine’s Day.

Teachers receive the most valentines, followed by kids, mothers, wives and sweethearts.

Hallmark produced its first valentine in 1913.

Valentine’s Day TriviaBy Anjele Demirdjian

1.) TRUE OR FALSE: VALENTINE’S DAY IS THE LARGEST CARD GIVING HOLIDAY.

2.) The name Valentine comes from which of the following? English, Latin, Italian or Greek.

3.) The giving of Valentines started around which century? 16th, 17th, or 18th.

4.) In what year did Valentine’s Day be declared an official holiday?

5.) Which country began the tradition?

6.) What does the word Valentine stand for, or mean?

7.) True or false; did girls eat unusual food on Valentine’s Day to help them dream about who they would marry?

8.) An Ancient Celtic tradition was giving what with carved hearts on it, as a Valentines gift?

9.) Love messages were first sent on cards during what century? 16th, 17th, or 18th?

10.) Who first introduced Valentine’s Day as a Pagan ceremony in England? It was later dropped as a pagan belief.

11.) How much does the average American spend on Valentine’s Day?

12.) Cupid was the son of what Roman God?

13.) Name one celebrity couple that was married on Valentine’s Day.

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14.) What college university has a team of academic experts dedicated to educating the media about Valentine’s Day?

Answers to the Valentine’s Day Trivia can be found on page 15.

March Facts and TriviaBy Anjele Demirdjian

The birthstones of March are aquamarine and bloodstone, which symbolize courage and bravery.

The birth flower of March is the daffodil, or narcissus.

March is American Red Cross Month

March is Women’s History Month

March 14th is Pi Day (3.14)

March 15th is the Ides of March – Julius Ceasar was assinatated.

March 20th is the first day of Spring!

March symbolizes new life, new beginnings, spring, resurrection, and fertility.

March is named after Mars, Roman god of war.

Answers to Movie Trivia from page 10

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1. She shoots an arrow at the force field which is hooked to a rod which when hit by lightning blows up the force field. 2. Captain Phillips3. Malekith 4. Christopher Reeves5. Robo Cop

6. Divergent 7. There and Back Again8. The Marked Ones9. 200110. Martin Freeman11. The Blind

ANSWERS TO THE VALENTIN’E DAY TRIVIA FROM PAGE 14.

1 (F) 2 (LATIN) 3 (17TH) 4 (1537) 5 (ENGLAND) 6 (VALOR) 7 (TRUE) 8 (WOODEN SPOONS) 9 (17TH) 10 (ROMANS) 11 ($75) 12 (VENUS) 13 (PAMELA ANDERSON AND TOMMY LEE) 14 (UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND)

The 7th Grade class Goes to Fairview Lakes!By Anjele Demirdjian

On September 26th, the 7th grade class of 2019 ventured out on their first class trip together. Students, along with some staff members, loaded the buses outside West Essex Middle School first thing in the morning, and started their journey. Upon arrival at Fairview Lakes, we gathered in the Dining Hall to await our welcome and introduction from the Fairview Lakes YMCA staff. We listened with anticipation as to what would come next, and we were anxious to see who would be in our groups for the day. “Would I know anyone from my town?” “Will I make new friends from other towns?” These were some questions that whizzed through our minds as we listened to the staff. We were dismissed to the basketball courts where we would finally line up in our groups and meet our fellow teammates for the day.

Our first activity was the lake, which we really enjoyed! We met our tour guide, and we traveled along the path towards the lake. Along the way, we learned about tributaries and how and why animals scratched the bark off of trees, as well as what animals lived near the water. Then we boarded the platoon boat, and took off into the middle of the lake. With great weather and beautiful views, we went to the middle of the lake and conducted some science/environmental fun activities, which included taking the temperature of the water, observing the clarity of the water, and measuring the depth of the water. We used different “gadgets” that our guide had on board. Would you believe me if I told you we also had the option of an all-natural facial? After scraping the “muck” from the bottom of the lake, we were told that the “muck” is used to rub on your face or skin to tighten it up and get rid of wrinkles. No one volunteered for that, except the guide! But I heard that other groups had many “muck” takers.

After the lake adventure, we took on an ASE activity. We started out with the “Wobbly Log.” We learned about teamwork, balancing, coordination, concentration and how we can fall off a log if we do not use them together! Different groups performed different activities on the ASE. Everyone said they had fun.

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It was about that time when our morning energy was draining, and our stomachs were growling, so off to the Dining Hall we went. We had students that were assigned to being lunch servers and lunch cleaners. The titles speak for themselves. It was refreshing to have such a large group of people together working with one another, and helping out. We all ate together, and spoke of the different adventures that we experienced thus far. Different groups started out with different activities, so it was exciting for everyone to hear about the things they hadn't done yet.

With little time to spare, it was time for the Ridge Hike which is part of the Appalachian Trail. Once you got to the top of the ridge, all you can do is take in the absolutely breath-taking scenery! Our tour guide explained how the ridge is not a mountain because it is a few hundred feet short. The ridge is part of the Appalachian Trail that goes from Maine down to Georgia, and the guides told us how they met people the previous day that were doing that hike! I believe they were three months into the hike at that point with another three months to go.

After our hiking adventure, and once the shin splints officially kicked in, it was time for our second set of ASE activities. Our instructor called our first activity Charlotte's cousin's electric galactic course. It was a series of ropes either criss-crossed or overlapping, and as soon as someone stepped out of one of those holes, the hole “closed.” This activity required us to come up with strategies, execute a plan, and carry it out carefully.

Our final activity was called the plank walk. We were given two planks (pieces of wood), and had destination points we had to get to. Our group had to figure out how to put the planks together, balance them and hold them down until each person walked across. To make it more challenging, the instructor made one of us have a broken arm, and another a broken leg! Imagine the fun we had with that!

The ASE activities really boosted our trust in one another, confidence, and certainly drilled the elements of teamwork into our minds. It was fun and challenging, but we accomplished a common goal.

The day ended with dinner in the Dining Hall. It was a Thanksgiving style menu. It mimicked lunch in the sense that everyone was excited to share their latest adventures. Many of us made one last stop at the Trading Post to either buy some candy, soda or souvenirs. With barely any energy left, we loaded the buses and headed back home. The ride back was uneventful, and most of us were exhausted after a long, but exciting day at Fairview Lakes.

I interviewed fellow classmates and they had some complaints about the food, or how people made news friends, how some stayed with their “old” friends. Either way, during the activities, everyone was a team, and even if for that moment, we all made new friends that day. It will be a memory that stays etched in our minds for years to come. We will always remember our first trip together back in the 7th grade when we first started out at West Essex!

Apologies: The Knightly News would like to apologize for the late printing of this article. It was meant to be published in the previous issue, but it was inadvertently omitted.

Think About This…

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“You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”

- A Yiddish Proverb