The South Side Post

Volume 4 South Middle’s Premier News Service November 20, 2015 Staff Interview

Getting to Know: Mr. Rihn

Sarah Beard

Me: When did you start playing your violin? Mr. Rihn: Kindergarten Me: Have you ever been on any trips for strings? If so, where? Mr. Rihn: Yes. I went to visit the Pittsburgh Symphony in Middle School Me: Why did you choose to be a strings teacher? Mr. Rihn: Because I loved playing and my strings teacher at school was very bad. So I felt compelled to be a strings teacher. Me: If you were not a strings teacher, what would you be and why? Mr. Rihn: I would be a history teacher because I love history. Me: How do you feel about the progress of your students throughout the years? Mr. Rihn: I’m pleased, but not satisfied. It’s rare that I’m satisfied with anything because we can always get better. Me: What has your most interesting strings experience been? Mr. Rihn: I played along­side the Pittsburgh Symphony Me: How do you feel about the condition of the strings program? Mr. Rihn: We have so much room to grow which is exciting. Me: Have you ever traveled anywhere outside the U.S.? If so, where? Mr. Rihn: Only to Canada Me: Has there been any exciting events that have happened to you during 2015? Mr. Rihn: I got married! Me: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Mr. Rihn: I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!

School News

Orchard View South Spirit and Thanksgiving

Jordan Steward Peyton Root

The holiday season is here! So many things have been going on! At Orchard View Intermediate, there was the Race for Education. The students raised over 13 thousand dollars!

With Christmas being just around the corner, the Eastern Panhandle has many volunteers working together to bring joy to all families in the area with Toys for Tots. There is also a young boy who is fighting against a rare form of cancer.

Due to this, the child was rewarded with a Make­A­Wish. Finally, a local veteran has spent his life in the Air Force. That put a big impact on his body weight. He has recently made a huge recovery by losing about 200 pounds!

This week at south middle school there was a south spirit auction. South spirit was auctioning off items, raffles, and students that are your friends or family to do work for you for 2 hours. South spirit also opened with a song at the auction. Also in school news, Thanksgiving break is just around the corner. We will have the 25 to the 29 off. It will be nice to have some days off and spend time with our families. Thanksgiving is a time to appreciate what you have and spend time with the people who you love. That is all for south middle school news this week!

Upcoming Events

Ava Kilmer

Nov. 23­ Interm’s issued to students Nov. 25, 26 & 27­ Thanksgiving break NO SCHOOL

∙ Nov17 6:00 PM ­ 7:30 PMDiversity Council Meeting

∙ Nov23 Interim Reports Issued

∙ Nov25 Thanksgiving Break ­ No School

∙ Nov26 Thanksgiving Break ­ No School

∙ Nov27 Thanksgiving Break ­ No School

∙ Dec8 6:00 PM ­ 7:00 PMAP Challenge Presentation

∙ Dec15 6:00 PM ­ 7:30 PM Diversity Council Meeting

∙ Dec16 1:00 PM ­ 3:00 PM Middle School Principals' Meeting

Club News Yearbook Robotics, STEAM, and

Book Jazz Band

Rory Bowen Afia Boaitey Paige Porter

The Yearbook club is one of the most important ones in our school. Directed by Mrs. Wills, this yearbook is definitely going to be an improvement. Each student is to be in the yearbook at least three times. In the yearbook staff, Peyton Root, Paris Frey, Maria Garcia, Destiny Page­ Sperrow, Afia Boaitey and Rory Bowen. This year you can have your name put on the cover and four icons. This year the yearbook will also include superlatives. Ex: Most likely to be late to their own wedding, Most likely to be abducted by aliens etc. This will only include the eighth grade. However there will also be a section for teachers. Who gives the most homework, Best story teller etc. There also may be a section dedicating some

South Middle School’s clubs are just getting better and better! The SMS robotics team is going green! Ms. Fisher and the robotics team have asked people to put their plastic containers in a separate bin during lunch time so that they can conduct an experiment. They want to see how many plastic containers to reuse. Their goal is to reduce waste. The robotics team is also having a competition on November 21st, so if you want to support your school’s robotics team, go to Shepherd University on that day. Another club that happens to also to be run by Ms. Fisher is the S.T.E.A.M. club. S.T.E.A.M. stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math. SMS’ S.T.E.A.M. club

Shake your hips and sing along to the music! Jazz band is one of South Middle School’s many after school activities. They meet twice a week in South’s band room, and sometimes play gigs or concerts outside of school. The band plays very well together and have made friendships in the band. Maybe that is why they play so well together. Some of the students included in this ensemble are Josh and Jeremy, and Drew and Jaris to name a few of the seventh graders. This band is not open for sixth graders however, unless they are asked. But keep your eyes peeled newcomers! You’ll never know when Mr. Lizer may need a new member!

students favorite teacher and why that particular teacher was chosen. Fortunately this year each teacher will be included in the yearbook, not just a few. So hopefully everyone will enjoy this years yearbook.

takes these 5 subjects and turns them into fun activities that can be done at home (with the right supplies). For example, Last week in S.T.E.A.M. we constructed cool routes filled with loops and sharp turns for a marble! How cool is that? Being part of the club, I can say that S.T.E.A.M. is always a lot of fun and very informational. Last, but certainly not least is SMS’ book club! Mrs. Macher runs the book club in South Middle. The club is recently reading Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I’ve gotten the opportunity to read a little bit of it and I was hooked by the first sentence! If you love to read, I recommend you read Inkheart.

World News

Attacks in Paris

Jack Reisenweber

On Friday, November 13, 2015, terrorist attacks were launched in Paris, France. Over one hundred innocent humans, one being an American, lost their lives on this day. Hundreds of people were injured during the attacks. Those responsible for these actions were claimed to be the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.(ISIL) ISIL can also be known as ISIS. In the attacks, there were mass shootings, suicide bombings, hostages taken, and hit and run tactics used. The Eifel Tower was then lit in blue, white, and red for the Paris flag and as a symbol of remembrance. The attackers then said they would come over here (USA) because they like the taste of our blood. Our prayers go up for those who lost their lives, family members, and Paris.

Sports

Cheerleading

Boys Basketball Girls Basketball

Jeremy Appiah Dairn O’Brien Ashleigh Wallin

Go Trojans, Go Trojans, Go! It’s the Southside cheerleading squad; that is what school spirit is all about. The girls have been practicing their routines to perfect them for upcoming events. The most well­known cheer among the student body is the “South Side, You Know” chant. There are many more original cheers created by our very own cheerleading group so, come to one of South Middle School’s basketball games to experience the squad mesmerize the crowd with their cheers. “We don’t know for sure but I think we are holding a pep rally this year,” says Laryssa Price, a current member of the cheerleading team. Go give support to the people who give support. Whenever you come and sit to observe a basketball game,

Boys basketball is the most popular boys sport next to football. Some of the things they need for basketball are: jerseys, sneakers, shorts, water, and supportive teammates. Also most boys will want to stretch before playing to prevent cramps that will take them out of the game. If someone is hurt the team most of the time will have a replacement person to fill in while the injured player heals. Another thing players do to warm up are called suicides. To do them you run a quarter up the court then back then halfway up the court etc. this is my take on the second most common boys sport basketball.

The girls basketball team has worked hard for this up coming season. They have practiced atleast four times a week. At their practices they do all kinds of strengthening excersizes. They do sprints, and play each other to get more control, and other things they will need to prepare for this season. The girls basketball team has been practicing on their speed to be able to move up and down the court quickly. The team is also deciding about what shoes and what their jerseys will look like. Their first game will be December 3rd, at 6:00pm. Their first game will be against Wildwood. They hope to see a full crowd To help support the South Middle Trojans girls basketball team. We hope to see you there.

examine the cheerleaders and watch their spirit fill up the area.

College Sports

Girls Soccer Boys Soccer

Hunter Dodson not submitted Briana Holston

College sports have become a phenomenon in almost everyone’s life, so I will be glad to share with you college basketball events. For many college basketball teams tip off has already happened (tip off is the beginning game), and here are the top ten ranked teams standings from Monday 16th through Wednesday 18th. Number one North Carolina (92) has beaten unranked Fairfield (65). Number two Kentucky is facing number five Duke (Tuesday, November 17th). Number three Maryland is going to play unranked Georgetown (Tuesday, November 17th). Number four Kansas is going to play number thirteen Michigan St. (Tuesday, November 17th). Number six Virginia (68) has been defeated by unranked George Washington (73). Number seven Iowa St. (106) has beaten unranked Chicago St. (64). Number eight Oklahoma (840 has beaten unranked Memphis (78).

by the time of publication

Hagerstown Revelation is a travel soccer boys team. They have worked really hard all season to achieve their accomplishments such as winning a tournament. They are the champions of a tournament and they have gone a long way to get there. There season was pretty rough but at the end they did pretty good. They won some they lost some and they might've tied some too. They have a lot of good players on my team none of them are bad at all. The way they play is very precise. They play is very precise. The way they possess the ball, pass the ball, shoot the ball everything.

Number nine Wichita St. is going to play unranked Tulsa (Tuesday, November 17th). Number ten Gonzaga is going to play unranked Northern Arizona (Wednesday, November 18th).

Local News

FBI Raids Local Law Firm

Xavier Jenkins A law firm by the name of Martin and Seibert L.C was raided by the FBI [recently]. The law firm is located on Winchester Avenue, just down the street from Gabe’s retail store. The FBI allegedly “aggressively seized property and detained personnel".

The raid was caused by many complaints from past employees and customer. The law firm wrote in a statement, “Over the last twelve months, several attempts were made via social media to defame the character and business

practices of Martin & Seibert, L.C.” The law firm also said in the statement "[the law firm] remains steadfast to our most valuable asset, our employees, whom unfortunately are the most affected by this unfortunate event."

Editorial

ISIS Is Not Limited to Paris

Finnian Mungoven

Paris isn't the only one with explosive problems. The day before the Paris attacks, 11/12/15, Beirut was attacked by two suicide bombers that left 40 people dead and 239 injured. A would be suicide bomber that survived the attack claimed to have been in league with ISIS, a middle­eastern terrorist group. The explosions were detonated within 150 meters and 5 minutes of each other, shaking a market and other parts of the Bourj al­Barajneh district in the south of Beirut. The explosions damaged at least 4 other buildings in the area. ISIS claimed to have done this, but investigators are still trying to verify this.

Editorial

The Meaning of Life

Diante Dawson

What exactly is the definition of "life"? If you are a scientific person, you will say something along the lines of 'anything breathing or able to reproduce and grow and­­' et cetera. However, I believe it is a little deeper than that, at least for humans. In my opinion, all scientific explanations and basic answers aside, "life," in all of its beautiful and ugly and loving and hateful being, is sharing your beauty, ugliness, love, and hate with the world. Not all parts of a human's face or body is perfect or

one­hundred percent beautiful, it has its ugly parts, too, and vice­versa. "Life" is making friends and building bonds and then having some of those friendships destroyed because the ones that left taught you some sort of lesson you can use to better yourself later on. "Life" is accidentally stepping in dog feces or messing up the one chance you had to prove to your friends you actually can be competent because not everything is allowed to be easy or things would get boring awfully quick.

With "life," and all those overrated things like breathing and blinking and whatnot, you accept not only the hardships, but also the success of making your friends genuinely laugh or finding five dollars on the street, or even getting away with something you probably should have gotten in trouble for at school. That is what the definition of "life" is, at least by my standards.

Ask “The Dude”

Dear Dude, I am a seventh grade boy and I have a problem. My problem is that I am very short. My mom and dad were both short in middle school. They didn't grow until 8th or 9th grade. My dad is now 6'2". The doctor said my growth spurt will happen sometime soon. I am just going to keep eating fruits and vegetables and drinking milk. That should help my bones grow big and

Dear Dude, I am a seventh grade boy and I have a problem. My problem is that I am "over weight" or "fat." Right now, I am trying to lose weight by not eating a lot. I use a watch called the "Fit Bit," which sets your goals to exercise. With the Fit Bit I have lost 5 pounds in five weeks. Do you have any advice for the rest of the weight?

stronger, but I am having trouble waiting to be tall like everyone else. Sincerely, Can't Wait any Longer Dear Can't Wait, I know what you are going through. I'm extremely short too. My entire family is tall but I'm the odd one out. When I walk down the halls, people call me a 6th grader. My friends know who I am though. It may be uncomfortable for people to look down on me and act like I'm invisible but, just wait. Face it, you're short. I can't put it any other way. Be comfortable in who you are. By the way, short people have many advantages. Sincerely, The Dude

Sincerely, Attempting to Lose Dear Attempting to Lose, Do not worry about your looks. You are wonderful on the inside. If anyone is tormenting you then they are probably insecure about themselves and want to tease someone that they think has less value. You NEED to eat. Do not starve yourself. Be confident about who you are. Of and if you want me to answer the question then, watch what you eat (but not too cautiously), research helpful works outs and, with each pound that you still have, think about how many pieces of you that is still there. Sincerely, The Dude

Dear Dude, I am a seventh grade girl and I have a problem. My grades are slipping more and more. I have D's and F's, but one A. I don't want a tutor because I have things to do after school. I don't want a tutor because I have things. If my grades get too bad, I am doomed. Do you have any advice for me? Sincerely, A Bad Grader Dear A Bad Grader, First of all, what I would do is find the root of the problem. Are you struggling in the classes with D's and F's? Are you just not motivated? If you are struggling, you do not need a tutor, you have a teacher! Just ask them one day at the end of the period if you have any extra worksheets or just something to help you. I'm sure they'd be glad to help! I'm sorry to say this, but to have good grades, you'll have to sacrifice some time. You need to be focused, but you'll have to curtail your time playing sports or whatever you do on your free time and dedicate yourself to school. Essentially, to get good grades, you have to be very, very focused. I hope this helped you, and I wish you good luck with those grades! Sincerely, The Dude ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Dear Dude, I am a seventh grade boy and I have a problem. I have a problem with my step­dad. He is always mean to me if I don't do something right away. We don't get along with each other. I want him to not be mean to me. I try to stay away from him most of the time. If I try to talk to him, he just argues with me. I really just don't like him. Please, help. Sincerely, The Stepson Dear The Stepson, First of all, I want to tell you this: please don't take it personally. If you start thinking that you can't do anything right, don't. This isn't part of the question, I know, but I don't want you to start thinking that since he gives you a hard time it's your fault. Alright, to the actual answer! Alright, this may be difficult, but try to stay positive. Constantly thinking about it will only build more resentment and difficulty in you and your step­dad's relationship. Keep a happy aura. Thank him for anything. Even just a brief "I love you," That can diffuse tension. Build a good group of supportive friends outside your house. Having friends can make you feel better when you're having a bad time at home. Make sure that they are fun to be around and supportive. Make sure that they don't put you down in any way. Go to a counselor. Find a way to make an appointment with your stepdad, and you guys can talk about your problems. I highly suggest this, because talking to somebody makes things better. You both can voice how you feel and why you can't get along. Alright, I hope that helped you! Remember; happiness is infectious. If you stay positive and be respectful to your step­dad, he'll lighten up. Keep believing that you two can have a healthy relationship. Have good friends, too. And most importantly: try to find a counselor! I suggest this a lot because it works! If you two can talk to each other and have someone certified diagnose the problems, I promise you it will get better! Hopefully that didn't sound cheesy to you, The Dude

Student Interview

Getting to Know: Gray Silver

Elizabeth Silver

Me: What is different about 8th Grade compared to 7th? Gray: In 8th Grade teachers do not tolerate late or unfinished assignments. Me: What high school classes are offered in 8th grade? Gray: There is high school math and Spanish class. Me: Are the high school classes harder than the other classes? Gray: Yes, because the work is more challenging. Me: Are there more tests and quizzes in the high school classes?

Gray: It contains a slightly larger amount of tests and quizzes, but it is not that big of a difference. Me: Are the high school classes full or half­size? Gray: In high school math, it is a smaller class. In Spanish, the class is a normal size. Me: Do you have any privileges in 8th grade that the 6th and 7th graders do not have? Gray: I do not think we really have any privileges. Me: Do you ever wish that you did not sign up for high school classes in 8th grade? Gray: Sometimes it is hard, but then I am glad I have the opportunity to learn new things. Me: Are you nervous about high school next year? Gray: No, not really. But I will miss South next year.

Reviews

Movie: Spectre

Music: “Emperor’s New Clothes”

Title 23

Stephen Rice Jordyn Endrick Author 23

Skyfall, the previous block buster movie, left high expectations for the next movie, Spectre. The James Bond series has always been great, many use the phrase “best Bond ever,” and Skyfall claimed that title. Many were spectacle about how good the movie would be, especially since (spoiler alert for Skyfall) M. died. This movie didn’t come close to the demands. The kooky plot led Bond to Mexico with a slow boring movie. You can only think about when it will be the end. There was a low budget on set and costume design, and it show. The movie did not enhance me on bit. I can conclude, this wasn’t the best Bond ever.

Panic! At The Disco’s new song, “Emperor’s New Clothes”, is skyrocketing in views. The music video for the song was posted on October 21st this year and already has over ten million views! Panic! At The Disco has been around for more than ten years with dozens of songs, albums, and platinum records. “Emperor’s New Clothes” was watched by more people in three weeks than by most of the Panic! At The Disco songs. The song and music video is roughly based on what happens to Brendon Urie, the band’s lead singer, after he dies. The song is not specifically based on Brendon Urie, but instead a character he plays. Personally, “Emperor’s

New Clothes” is one of my favorite songs and I love listening to Panic! At The Disco’s music. Panic! At The Disco is a great band and you should listen to them too. Maybe they will become one of your most beloved bands, like they did to me. After ten years of performing as a group, Panic! At The Disco continues to inspire many people, including me.

This Week’s Weather

Author 25

Horoscopes

Addie Hughes Aries­ Dec. is going to embrace you with new acquaintance and many opportunities. Taurus­ It’s your chance to make the first move. Gemini­ Your eyebrows are powerful, they are an advantage. Cancer­ trust your friends and loved ones. They are only looking out for you. Leo­ your new lucky number is 10. You’re awesome. Virgo­ Dec. is going to be your month. Live life fully Libra­ wear more red. You wear it fabulously. Scorpio­ you can’t trip on what’s already behind you.

Sagittarius­ 2016 is a new year. Do what you love. Capricorn­ don’t dress to impress someone not important to you. Aquarius­ your lucky number is 1. Don’t get caught up in love. Pisces­ don’t waste all of your time worrying. Photojournalism

NYC

Barrett Colerick

"Someday I will be living in New York City, and all you're going to be is mean"­ Taylor Swift