Edition Two 2013- December

S H R E K T H E M U S I C A L

BY: ANDREA ZERPA There are some distinct things that mark an era and become part of one's childhoods. "Shrek" is unquestionably one of those things. It's part one in a series of movies that have shaped our generations' minds. It wasn't just a film, it was a portal to another world -- to an adventure. A fun, roller coaster ride of action-packed quests that appeal to both boys and girls. We came to love the fairy tale characters in the story and grew up with them. I still remember my mom taking me to the cinema for the first time ever to go watch "Shrek." I loved it so much I lost count of how many times I watched it once it was out on DVD. Now that we're no longer children, the beloved tale "Shrek" is back. It has danced its way inside the walls of Perth Amboy High School as "Shrek The Musical" featuring all new songs as well as the Shrek anthem "I’m a Believer." SHREK THE MUSICAL brings all the much-loved DreamWorks characters to life, live on stage, in a singing and dancing extravaganza. If you make your way to the set after school, you'll witness first-hand the preparation for the play in full swing. Everyone has been working fervently since the very beginning of the school year when auditions were first held. Backstage there are students designing the set, transforming the plain black stage into the fairy tale land we all know and love. The actors are practicing their lines, singing, and dancing their numbers. With opening night less than a month away, they're all on top of their game to make this play the best it can possibly be. Opening night was Friday, December 13th, followed by a second show on Saturday the 14th at 7pm. There was also three matinees on the 12th for younger children and the elderly. When asked, "What surprises should we look forward to in Shrek The Musical?" Mrs. Dowd replied, “You'll get an incredible show with amazing performances and at a fraction of the price compared to watching it on Broadway. So come join the fun and experience Shrek live!”

BY: MARA ALONSO

PAHS is home to many exciting clubs that fit the interests of distinct personalities. The current spotlight has been placed on Classy Panthers for their intriguing upcoming events. This school year will mark another exhilarating year for the club since it was first introduced by Ms. Benitez. The club’s current president is Briana Galarza and Frances Hernandez is the Vice-president. Classy Panthers is mainly active among the female student body, focusing on the issues and problems girls face.

Classy Panthers' mission is to help female individuals struggling with peer pressure, low self-esteem, and any general difficulties teenage girls face. Its purpose is to build confidence and inner strength through the guidance of Ms. Benitez and her skillful advice. Members gain trust of one another, bonding and learning from the experiences that they share with their peers. Through creative and fun activities, members learn new things about themselves and develop solutions to the problems that trouble them. Overtime close friendships are formed from the handful of experiences, revelations, and secrets shared within.

To kick start the new school year, Classy Panthers has already been working on several projects. On October 18, 2013 members of the club went around the school seeking and interviewing teachers who are sought after for their strong, classy and independent style. Through these interviews, they were able to learn about the qualities that make a strong woman. Similarly, on October 27, 2013 they attended the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk to learn about the women who have overcome the hardships of breast cancer. With these opportunities, the members of Classy Panthers will be able to apply the new advice they learn to their own life.

From the start, the Classy Panthers have been receiving positive responses and the club has remained with a steady count of over 20 members. New members are always encouraged to join so that they can also share in the same positive experiences that others have enjoyed. The female students of Perth Amboy High School can join Classy Panthers by attending meetings every Thursday in Room 308 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

The C las sy Panther s ! ! !

Panther s , Ge t C la s sy !

PAGE 2 SCHOOL NEWS

B a t t l e O v e r t h e M i n i m u m Wa g eBY: CAROLINE CHAVEZ Shoutout to those who are still working under the standards of the minimum wage, because it is a true rip off. This past November the battle in the government over minimum wage has been heated. The idea was to discuss the strategy of raising the minimum wage to more than $10.10 an hour. This is a drastic improvement for the everyday employee. The minimum wage standard is currently about $7.25 and now the democrats want to actually make a change for success and improvement of wages. However, the battle has been long and hard because not all the democrats are in complete agreement over this subject. There are 55 members in the Democrat party and not all have the same views. In a way, the government is trying to figure out a solution to a longstanding problem but there are others who contradict mostly because some may want to add prepositions that others don’t really want. Therefore, the biggest question at hand is towards President Obama’s proposal. His statement was to raise the minimum wage to $9.00 the hour. This was not what Tom Harkin’s proposal stated, although Obama’s compromise attempts to find a happy medium between those who want the minimum wage raise and those who do not.. There are certainly other groups who are supporting Harkin’s statement of $10.10 the hour. Back in 2007 the minimum wage for the non-tipped workers was $7.25. On the other hand, the tipped workers were frozen at $2.13 the hour. If one is already complaining about only earning the minimum wage as a non-tipped worker, imagine working for $2.13 an hour. Is unbelievable to know there are workers out there who struggle to make a living and make ends meet because the low wages and taxes taken out of their paycheck leave them with not nearly enough for a stable life. In other places like Seattle and Washington, the minimum wage proposal ranges from $9.19 to $15.00 the hour. For the people who reside in these places, only being paid $11.32 the hour is considered a low rate for the employee.. Truth be told, the hesitation that emerges from possibly raising minimum wage stems from the idea that the more an industry gives, the more it stands to lose. Although these fears are reasonable and have been used to justify those who oppose raising the minimum wage’s arguments, it is easy to see that it is time for a change and for better pay.

College Corner - The College of New Jersey

BY: KAYLA LEITON

The College of New Jersey is a public college located in Ewing Township, New Jersey. It is a medium sized, four year, Liberal Arts College and it offers bachelors and master’s degrees. There are about 6,500 undergraduate students and, of 10,295 applicants, 4,750 get in. This puts it at a 46% acceptance rate. TCNJ has early decision and regular decision. (Early decision is a college admissions option, where the applicants submit their applications early in order to have a better chance of being admitted. The admission however, is binding, and all accepted early decision applicants must go to that college.) The early decision application was due November 15, while the regular decision application is Due January 15. The college begins telling applicants whether or not they were admitted starting February 15, and May 1st for all those accepted to TCNJ. Tuition and fees are about $14,730 while room and board is around $11,932, making TCNJ a relatively affordable college. Students typically get a financial aid package of $10, 062 and merit scholarships are given out as well. In 2012, TCNJ offered more than $30 million in freshman in-state merit scholarships and the award amounts given out range from about $2,000 to $10,000 per year. When giving out merit scholarships, TCNJ considers the class rank, SAT or ACT scores, and extracurricular activities, as well as leadership qualities. All admitted applicants are automatically considered for scholarships, so there is no need to fill out a separate form! TCNJ requires the SATS or the ACT to be taken in order to apply, and 99% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their class. The average SAT scores for critical reading are 550 – 650, for Math 580 – 680, and for Writing 560 – 680. Still, don’t be discouraged if your scores aren’t as high as the averages provided. TCNJ accepts students whose SATS have been lower and higher than the averages. TCNJ offers a variety of majors, ranging from business, biology, education, engineering, English, psychology, a variety of social sciences, visual & performing arts, and more. TCNJ’s most popular majors are education, business, biology, psychology, and engineering in that order. As for activities, there is everything from fraternities, student government, concert bands and yearbook committee to the Jazz band, film society, dance club, and choir. If none of these interest you, there are far more clubs that can be joined as well. TCNJ also has many sports teams, from the always popular basketball, football, and cheerleading to other sports such as boxing, Judo, and rodeo. There is always something to do in TCNJ, so don’t miss out on applying!

PAGE 3 FUN

4 S q ua re1 . H o l i d a y R e c i p e s

BY: DEIJA SMITH

APPLE PIE

Preparation: 30 minutes Cook: 1 hourReady in: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients+ 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie + 1/2 cup unsalted butter+ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup water + 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 cup packed brown sugar + 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced.

Directions1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice and work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run.3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

ROAST STICKY CHICKEN ROTISSERIE

STYLE

Preparation: 10 minutes Cook: 5 hoursReady in: 9 hours and 10 minutes

Ingredients+ 4 teaspoons salt + 2 teaspoons paprika + 1 teaspoon onion powder + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + 1 teaspoon white pepper + 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper + 1/2 teaspoon black pepper + 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder + 2 onions, quartered + 2 (4 pound) whole chickensDirections1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Remove and discard giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture. Place 1 onion into the cavity of each chicken. Place chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours.2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).3. Place chickens in a roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 5 hours, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.

BY: JOSE QUISTIAN

Christmas season is here and we can all show those we care about just how much we appreciate and love them, by giving them a token of appreciation. We have all gone through the problem of not finding the perfect gift for our loved ones or even having no idea of what to give them. Here are some the hottest gift ideas of the season to help you get find that perfect gift..

First, you can't go wrong by giving someone a tablet. Tablets are the hottest thing when it comes to technology and will make a perfect Christmas gift since they’re useful for just about anything including school and work. Also, they can be used to just have fun. The two main candidates for a tablet gift are the ipad mini and the kindle fire since they’re more affordable and convenient than bigger tablets. These table both are only 7 inches. The kindle fire is sold by amazon and comes with great offers and some free trials and subscriptions for the awesome price of $199. On the other hand, the ipad mini is manufactured by the mighty apple and costs about $279.

In addition if you want to give that special someone something for Christmas, you cant go wrong by giving them something classy such as jewelry or accessories. Specifically, if you want to give that special girl a jewelry piece that she will always remember, you can always give her a Pandora bracelet. This bracelet is made and can be adorned with little charms that help show who the individual is. A Pandora bracelet should cost around the $150 range. If you want to give that special boy something he will appreciate for Christmas, then you can give him a GShock watch which comes in any color you want. This

BY: DEIJA SMITH

“FIX ME”

"Fix me" by Rune Michaels takes us through the life of Leia, an orphaned child, terrorized by her abusive brother, and haunted by memories. Leia's parents are dead and her Aunt Phoebe, who has been living with them, keeps threatening to leave. One day, Leia completely loses it and escapes to the zoo. The zoo is a sanctuary: a protective space for families and a safe place for the traumatized to forget. Here at the zoo Leia communes with the animals and does weird things like crawling into the old tiger cage to sleep at night. The zoo is a safe space for Leia, a place where she no longer needs to self-mutilate, but she knows she can’t stay there permanently. Eventually she will have to leave the safety of the cage and join the “animals” outside. Michaels has created a stark, disturbing world of human violence and psychological abuse. In "Fix Me", it is ironic the caged animals, whose potential for violence is innate and expected are peaceful compared to the violent acts human beings in the novel perform. This chilling tale will challenge our preconceptions of family, memory, and self, leaving readers wondering, who are the real animals?

means that you can give him his favorite color as well. A GShock watch will be around $100.

If youre wondering what to get your little brother or sister, here are two great examples of what to get them: For him, you can get the awesome game of Skylanders which should make him very happy for Christmas. A skylander package is on sale for $74.95 at amazon.com. For a little girl, you can always get her a Easy bake oven. This cute little oven is good for making simple pastries and will keep your little sister throughly entertained. She will always have fun baking food and you might even be able to taste some of her creations. Hey, she could even make the snacks for New Year’s Day! The easy bake oven is available in stores for $45.50. If you have no idea what to get your parents for Christmas, there’s always the option of getting them something that they can both enjoy together. In my personal opinion, I think that getting them a gift card to their favorite restaurant is a perfect Christmas gift. The gift card should be for a restaurant that they both love and it should cover a decent meal. Finally, remember that nothing beats material gifts except for love and appreciation. This is the holiday season and it's a time of joy so remember to appreciate and spend time with your loved ones!

2. Book Of The Month 3. Christmas Gifts

4. “Fresh Out of the Box” - Little Bit ‘Bout Sneakers!BY: ADAM SOTO Everyone has shoes for different occasions. You have your party shoes, you have your casual shoes, you have your workout shoes, and the shoes that you use to impress the other sex. The variety of shoes are endless, and with big name brands like Nike or Jordan supplying us with constant releases, the choices are plentiful. When it comes down to it, the shoes that you wear are a good indicator of who you are as a person. Shoes add to ones own personal style and can make good focal points for conversation. "A shoe has much more to offer than just walk" stated luxury french shoe and bag designer Christian Louboutin and there has been an increase of fashion over function in regards to shoe choice and design. If you're a sneaker fanatic, then the next couple of months will be very good ones for you. Nike is starting off strong by releasing a new colorway for the newly released shoe line called the Lebron 11's. The shoe itself nicknamed the "Forging Iron Lebron 11's" will sport a orange body with silver accents. These Lebrons were speculated to be the recreation of the Big Bang Lebron 9's, though they share obvious differences. One main difference is the price tag. If you manage to get your hands on a pair of these limited edition shoes the MSRP, or retail price, is $250. Also the Jordan company is not to far behind with releases being that they are releasing a new color way for the Retro 5's line. The new retro 5, nicknamed the "Oreo 5's" will display a new colorway of a black suede body with white accents on the inside padding and outer sole area. Its obvious how these shoes were nicknamed. The MSRP price of the retro's will be $160, but if you have bought Jordan's before then this price shouldn't come as a shock to you. It’s getting very close to the holiday time and Christmas is right around the corner. While you're out looking for potential gifts for that special someone or something nice for yourself, keep this in mind: December is a big month for release dates. Shoes from the Jordan Retro 12's to the Nike Foamposites line will be surfacing new shoes. Also, December holds one of the most long awaited releases. The Jordan company will be releasing a new colorway to the infamous Jordan retro 11 series. The retro 11's nicknamed the "Gamma Blues," after its new color way, will sport an all black body with a deep blue bottom sole and blue and gold accents. The Jump man on the side of the shoe will be colored a baby blue, almost reminiscent of the Columbia 11's Jump man, though the varsity maze 23 on the back of the shoe will be colored a goldish yellow color, as well as the Jump man Jordan sign on the tongue. If you want to get these shoes, then you're going to have to do some serious shopping. The shoe’s MSRP is predicted to be $185, for men's sizes, according to www.kicksonfire.com, However, just obtaining a pair for purchase is going to be a feat of its own. There's going to be many more shoes releasing, and each month there'll be more shoes to look forward to. Who knows what'll be the next shoe "Fresh Out The Box”?

Coming up......The Music Department’s Winter Concert - Thursday, December 19 at 6pm in the Auditorium

The Cross Country Team is hosting a Black and White Dance! December 19 at 7pm in the Main Campus Upper Gym!

PAGE 4 ON THE FLIP SIDET h e C o m e d y C o r n e r. . .

BY JENNIFER SOTO

Pick up lines that are guaranteed to work…. 1. Even if there wasn't any gravity on earth, I would still fall for you!

2. Can I have your picture so I can show Santa what I want for Christmas?

3. Even Santa doesn’t make candy as sweet as you.

4. Shouldn’t you be sitting on top of the tree, Angel?

5. I'm not a photographer, but I can picture me and you together.

6. If I was Santa and I had to choose between milk and cookies, I would pick you.

Jokes……1. What goes Ho, Ho, Swoosh, Ho, Ho, Swoosh? Santa caught in a revolving door!

2. Knock Knock! Who’s there? Mary! Mary who? Mary Christmas!

3. What do you get if you cross an iPad with a Christmas tree? A pineapple!

4. What do you call a child who doesn't believe in Father Christmas? A rebel without a Claus.

5. What goes “Oh, oh, oh”? Santa walking backwards.

6. What did Mrs. Claus say to Santa when she looked out of the window? “Looks like rain, dear.”

7. Why does Santa's sled get such good mileage? Because it has long-distance runners on each side.

8. If athletes get athletes foot, what do astronauts get? Mistletoe!

EDITORIAL

STAFF

2013-2014

Editor-in-Chief Deija SmithSchool News Editor Kayla Leiton Advisor Mrs. Acquavella

Anyone interested in writing for the paper, see Mrs. Acquavella in Room 218. If you have a story idea or would like to write for Paw Prints - please email chrissyacquavella@gmail.com.

Opinions expressed in the paper are not the consensus opinion of the staff and do not reflect the views of the adviser or school administration.

Dear Teen PEP,

I just started seeing this guy, we’ll call him Kelvin. I really like him. This is my first real boyfriend. We’ve been together now for 4 months. Kelvin keeps bringing up sex, but, I’m just not ready. I’m worried about getting pregnant or getting a disease. What if after I do give in to him he breaks up with me? I really like him and I think he really likes me too. His parents are going away for Christmas and he and his older brother will be home alone for 2 weeks. I just know he’ll ask me to come over. What should I do? What should I say? I don’t want to lose him.

Confused

Teen PEP Advice Column

Hi Confused,

There are a lot of teens who have been in this situation. We often get ourselves in trouble because we don’t have a plan and we are caught off guard. Here are a few things that you might find helpful: SAY NO! If you really aren’t ready to take your relationship to the next level, say no. Make sure to keep eye contact, be firm, and be confident in your decision. SAY HOW YOU FEEL! Tell him why you are not ready and how his pressuring is making you feel. COMPROMISE OR WALK AWAY! If he really cares about you and your feelings, you will both be able to talk it through and come to an agreement. If he doesn’t understand or gets mad, you’re just going to have to walk away. Well, Confused, I hope that will help you through your difficult situation. Don’t ever feel that you have to do something that you’re not ready for just to please someone else. Having sex is a huge decision that comes along with a lot of responsibilities and consequences. Always remember that being true to yourself and your values will get you out of difficult and risky situations.

~Advised by Jacquelin Leon-Adler

BY: CYNTHIA CAPELLAN

The cold weather is here to stay as winter is just beginning so "Tis' the season for layering." You may not be able to break the cold with just blouses, a sleeveless shirt, or dresses without wearing a jacket but you can definitely make that jacket look perfect with a finishing touch. Stay warm by layering with just about anything, without breaking a sweat. We have spotted

Infinity Scarf

Infinity Scarf

them nearly everywhere and probably all have one by now. Infinity scarves, the perfect accessory, are so easy to just put on without doing any type of fancy tying techniques. Not to mention, that they’re so versatile so whatever your style is, be it bohemian, prep, edgy, or girly, a bulky infinity scarf looks great with everything. It is an autumn essential this year.