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Movie Review: The Avengers By: Siddhant Pathak
POW! BOOM! These are the noises you are sure to hear if you go watch the blockbuster
movie, The Avengers. This movie combines humor and action in a super hit package that is sure
to impress everyone desiring a change to the usual old superhero movie. After all, it does have
an elite cast, including Robert Downey Jr. (as Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (as Thor), and Chris
Evans (as Captain America). It also includes Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye (you may remember
him from Mission Impossible 4), Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk, and Scarlet Johansson as the
Russian- American assassin, Black Widow. Along with the cast, the thing that makes this movie
special is the scope of the whole movie. Consider six unstable superheroes from all around the
world and other worlds (Thor) coming together to try to stop a seemingly endless alien army
led by Thor’s foster brother, Loki, the god of evil and mischief(played by Tom Hiddleston). At
first, the idea sounds unmanageable, even a little ludicrous since there are only six superheroes
against a huge army, but as you watch, you can tell that the odds are in The Avenger’s favor.
The whole movie has an element of danger in it, but the danger is exemplified in the end fight
scene which has duration of a half an hour. This movie receives 5 stars from me and I am sure it
will be the same from you. So head down to your nearest theater and watch The Avengers
today.
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GREEK INTERDISIPLINARY UNIT
By Pranavi Parsi
After testing time, everybody is exhausted and tired from all the hard work they have
done! So, we had a little adventure to the Greek gods on Mt. Olympus to say, ”Hi” to all the
major gods and goddesses and learn more about them. Let me introduce to you all of the thirteen
gods and goddesses. They are:
The Mighty Zeus, The Sea God Poseidon, The Deathly Hades, Queen Hera, Ares, Hephaestus,
Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes and last but not least, Clever Athena!
One of these god or goddess was our patron. We had to worship them and honor them by
selling products based on them. We had to spread our creativity and knowledge far and wide to
influence everyone to by our godly goods. We had so much fun learning about different religions
the Greeks practiced. This unit showed us what true friendship, leadership, courage, and
sportsmanship we have to bring our true inner self out. It showed us that all our hard work,
teachers’ and ours, had paid off.
I give my contribution of thanks to the teachers who helped each and every one of us
redeem ourselves to show and spread our great talent and knowledge to the world waiting for us.
In the past week, we truly learned how all our effort pays off. I would say that all the teachers
did an excellent job helping us all the way to the end but in the words of Shakespeare, “Bravo!
Bravo”.
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Summer Safety
By: Siddhant Pathak
(Note: information taken from www.medicinet.com)
In summer, everyone wants to have fun. But it’s important to stay safe too. So, here are
some summer safety tips that you can remember when you head off to the beach or the hang
out outside.
1. Water Injuries- Water injuries such as drowning or boating injuries are very serious. To
prevent kids from drowning, you should keep constant supervision on them to make
sure young children aren’t drowning, wherever they are. In addition, boating injuries
can be prevented if you are wearing the proper equipment. A small life vest can make
the difference between floating and sinking down. If you can swim, that can help you a
lot but a life vest is the way to go with boating.
2. Nature Related Injuries-Mother Nature can be as cruel as she is beautiful, especially in
the summer. There are tons of things that can go wrong. For example, you can get
serious injuries from the sun, insects, and storms. Too much exposure to the sun can
give you sunburn and later, you might even get skin cancer. Insects can hurt you by
giving you diseases such as Lyme disease. So, what you can do to prevent this is wearing
long sleeved in insect infested areas such as jungles and forests. Also, you can wear
insect repellent which can easily ward off insects.
3. Everyday Injuries- Besides other injuries, day-to-day injuries are very frequent. But you
can do simple things to prevent them. To stop yourself from getting hurt on bikes,
scooters, etc., what you can do is simply wear a helmet. This easy task can save you
from multiple trips to the doctor because your protection is absolute. Another common
type of injury is an injury on the playground. To prevent this, all you have to do is make
sure you have a stable footing at all times and that no surfaces are slippery.
Well, these are all the tips that I have so if you follow them, you are sure
to stay safe!
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J.K. Rowling Update
People all around the world of all different ages have come to embrace the Harry Potter
series written by the amazing British author, Joanne Kathleen Rowling, or more commonly
known as J.K. Rowling. After the last book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows, was published in 2007, fans were disappointed, but they had more to look
forward to because they had a few movies left to make. It wasn’t gone yet. But after Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was done filming and was watched across the globe,
many fans were suddenly struck by a new feeling similar to the blurb across the Harry Potter
promotional movie posters: It’s all over. But is it over for J.K. Rowling and her writing?
Sometime last year, a rumor went around saying J.K. Rowling was working on a new
book. Some speculated that there was going to be an eighth Harry Potter book, while others
thought that she wasn’t even writing a new book. But this year, J.K. Rowling updated her
website, and when people went on it, they discovered she was writing a new book. But it is not
a Harry Potter book. It is J.K. Rowling’s first adult novel, titled The Casual Vacancy. It is
supposed to be released September 27th, 2012. The plot revolves around a little town of
Pagford. After Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly, the whole town is in shock. Everyone is at
war with one another. Also, since Barry left a seat on the parish council, a huge warlike election
takes place. Who will win this election?
J.K. Rowling has also found a way to thank all the Harry Potter fans who have been
supporting her throughout the years. She has made a site called Pottermore. It is a place where
fans can enjoy the Harry Potter experience like never before. You can explore each chapter in
the book. You can also get sorted into a house and participate in the Wizards Duel, which has
been modified many times to make it easier and more fun to play. It also has information on
many different characters and their backgrounds and what they were initially like. It is also the
place where you can, for the first time ever, purchase Harry Potter eBooks. You can also
download digital audio downloads. To find out more, visit www.pottermore.com.
Everyone is confident about Rowling’s new book and how it will be a huge success. Fans
are enjoying Pottermore and the eBooks a lot. You have to give it up for this amazing author
who changed reading into a more enjoyable experience for so many people: J.K. Rowling.
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The 10th Dimension
Joheen Chakraborty
Look around you and the world you live in; look into space, and into time. Did you ever
wonder exactly what the universe is? About all of the different possible worlds when you pass
into another dimension through some kind of enchanted portal— into a fairytale land, or a
science fiction world, or maybe an antimatter universe? These so-called “portals” into a
completely alternate universe are theorized as black holes; on the other side of a black hole,
there is supposedly a parallel universe. Imagine how groundbreaking the discovery of
something like that would be!
Exactly what is a black hole? The easiest way to explain it is this: try jumping as high as you
can. Why don’t you levitate, higher and higher, into the farthest reaches of the universe? The
answer is a simple one—gravity. You are essentially trapped on Earth, unless you can find a
rocket that can travel at escape velocity away from the Earth. This is how space travel works; if
you shoot something fast enough, it can escape gravity and make it to outer space. According
to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, nothing in the universe can travel faster than light—but what
if there was an object whose escape velocity was so great that not even light could escape? This
is what we call a black hole. A black hole is formed when a large enough star dies. When a very
massive star exhausts all of its fuel it explodes as a supernova. The outer parts of the star are
violently expelled into space, and the core collapses under its own weight. If the remaining
parts are large enough, no known force inside a star can prevent gravity from completely
collapsing into a black hole. In other words, a black hole is formed when the amount of mass
held in a certain area is too massive to scientifically fit in that area—kind of like an overcrowded
toy box collapsing into a black hole (don’t try this, you won’t be able to).
What significance do black holes have? To understand that, you must understand spacetime: the combination of space and time, in the universe in which we live. If space-time were a
flat surface (which it is not), a black hole can be thought of as a hole in in the surface. What
would happen if you fall through the hole? You go plummeting off of the surface of the
universe… theoretically into another universe. This is where dimensions come into play… below
is a list of all of the dimensions of reality.
0. The 0th dimension is the dot. No numbers are needed to identify it.
1. The first dimension is the line. You need two dots to define a line; any other dot on that
line can be located using one number that will give the distance of the third dot to the
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first dot (using the distance of your first two dots as the unit). So, if your line is 1
centimeter on a ruler, your first two dots can be the 0 and the 1 cm dots. Every other
dot is at some cm length from the 0.
2. The 2nd dimension is the plane. You need two numbers to identify a point on a plane,
called the x axis and y axis.
3. The third dimension is space. You need three numbers to identify a point in space; think
of it as a cube. You would need one number for the point in length, one for the point in
width, and one for the point in height.
4. The fourth dimension is space-time. Four numbers are used to identify a point here:
three for the point in space (like in the third dimension) and an additional one for the
point in time. The four dimensional world (from the beginning of the universe to the end
of the universe) is the actual world we live in.
5. The 5th dimension is the first dimension in which the idea of “possible worlds” is used.
Imagine a world a little different from this one (maybe one where you didn’t read this
article). This possible world will give you a unit of similarity measurement to compare
the distance of other possible worlds to the actual one.
6. The 6th dimension is a plane of possible worlds. So with 6 dimensions, it is possible to
compare the distance of the world in which you didn’t read this article with the world in
which you couldn’t read at all without having to compare that to the actual world (the
one in which you are reading this article). We can also measure the distance of a
possible world in which the Earth was never created, for example. The 6 th dimension
allows us to compare and position all of the possible worlds that start with the same
initial conditions (for us, this is the Big Bang).
7. The 7th dimension will give you access to the possible worlds that start with different
initial conditions (other than the Big Bang). A point in the 7th dimension consists of all
the possible worlds that start with the same initial Big Bang and leads to all the possible
endings of the universe.
8. The 8th dimension gives us another plane of such complete possible universe histories
(sometimes called infinity). There, we can compare two such “infinities” without
necessarily having to take ours into account.
9. With the 9th dimension we can compare all the possible universes’ histories starting
with all the different possible laws of physics and beginnings.
10. The 10th dimension is the point in which everything imaginable is already covered in the
other dimensions. Since we can’t imagine any further and there isn’t anything left to
imagine, we have to stop here.
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OM State Finals
By: Nishant Nagalia
On April 21, 2012 Odyssey of the Mind held their State Finals at
Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Odyssey of the Mind is an international
program where students from Kindergarten to College use their ingenuity
and creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices
to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. Then the different
teams bring their solutions to competitions on the regional, state, and World
level.
Woodrow Wilson Middle School Team B for Problem Four: You Make
the Call received second place in regionals which allowed them to move on
to States. Woodrow Wilson Middle School Team B consists of Aishwary Desai
(Team Captain), Deep Patel, Smit Shah, Phurshotham Shekar, Narayan
Agrawal, Anuj Patel, and Vijay Annand. They were doing Problem 4: You
Make the Call in which the team design and build a structure consisting of
only balsa wood and glue that will balance and support as much weight as
possible. The structure may have a maximum weight of 9 grams and will
receive 2 times the weight held, or 12 grams and receive 1 ½ times the
weight held, or 15 grams and receive the actual weight held. The testing of
the structure will be presented in a performance that includes mathematics
in its theme.
Their performance was based off of an interview consisting of Mango
Hippie and Steve Jobson. For their structure they picked the 12 grams as
their maximum weight. While they were placing weights on the structure,
Steve Jobson (trying to act like Steve Jobs) was promoting his new “i”
products such as the iGreedy and the iLogical. The iGreedy distributed
money to small and big companies. The iLogical was a calculator; voice
activated, and contained a ruler and protractor inside. To connect the
iGreedy and iLogical they used iGrass which functions exactly like iCloud.
The iGreedy and iLogical were created to add the mathematics theme to
their performance and they created iGrass for Style points. Also their
structure held 397.5 lbs of weight.
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Once they finished their long-term problem performance they had to
wait until their spontaneous time. A Spontaneous problem requires teams to
respond to a problem on the day of the competition. The team does know
what the problem will be ahead of time. After their spontaneous they had to
wait until the Awards Ceremony where they would announce the results.
Only the top two in each division will move on to Worlds. The long wait has
finally come to an end and the results are… Yes!!!!! Woodrow Wilson Middle
School Team B is going to Worlds on May 23rd to May 26th in Iowa State
University.
You Rock!
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On May 29th, 1917, a great American president was born. His name was John Fitzgerald
Kennedy and was the 35th president of our country. We celebrate this day to thank and honor
him for what he has done for America. Here are a few things he has done. He brought a new
spirit to our country by having a vision, courage, and which is what also lead him to achieve
great things. He was accepted in the navy at a young age, and was on a PT boat when a
destroyer sliced the boat and he saved the crews life with an injured back. With amazing
leadership John was awarded several medals.” During his presidency John blamed himself on the
crisis of the Bay Of The Pigs which made him a truthful and loyal president” as stated by his
brother Robert. Not only that, he also had devotion for his own people. JFK knew much of the
world was suffering from hunger and poverty. John knew that money was not the answer to these
problems. He envisioned an” army “of trained Americans going to other countries to teach life
skills. By beginning the Peace Corps volunteers from America have brought goodwill and have a
hope for a better future. Furthermore, JFK played a major role in the civil rights movement and
actually helped promote it and showed what an amazing orator he was. Lastly during his
presidency the space race had already begun, and was a race between two powerful nations; USA
and the Soviet Union. To challenge his nation he said “I believe that this nation should commit
itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning
him safely to earth. John F Kennedy did not live to see whether the United States could rise to
the challenge of landing a man on the moon. But he would have been proud to know that they
did. Kennedy did not do what was in his best interest politically, but what was in the best
interest of the country...and that's what makes a great president. As you can see his memory
remains in people’s hearts and his legacy continues today. On May 29th a legend was born and
citizens stand by his grave and see not his name but within it a soul of a hero.
By: Swasti Jain
J.F.K at his father’s funeral
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Chewing Gum Improves Grades… And More
BY: Meghna Srinivasan
Did you know that gum chewing helps you memorize things? If
you chew gum today, while studying for a test, you’ll remember 3% more than
what you do if studying without chewing gum. Also, if you chew flavored gum
like fruity, or orange, it’s been proven that, you focus more in school. Well,
originally, it was band from schools because it distracted children during class, but,
these new studies prove otherwise. Gum chewing actually helps many students
focus! Researchers, took 108 eighth grade math students and divided them into two
groups. One chewed gum while studying/taking tests, the other group didn’t. To
their surprise, the results were astounding! On the test, the ones who chewed gum
scored 3% more than the eighth graders who didn’t chew gum. During this,
teachers found that students, who chew gum, tend to need fewer breaks. They also
measured students cravings after they ate lunch and found that students chewing
gum seem to eat less high calorie snacks including decrease of the “hunger” feeling
and cravings for sweet foods. So, in conclusion, this one question seems to be
leaving me hanging. Should we, let students chew gum during class since it helps
them, or should we not?
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How Music Makes You Smarter
Joheen Chakraborty
In 1996, the College Entrance Exam Board Service conducted a study on all students
taking their SAT exams. Students who sang or played a musical instrument scored an average of
51 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 39 points higher on math. Another
study shows that when listening to Baroque music, it is possible to learn a foreign language with
85 – 100% effectiveness in 30 days, while the average time is two years.
This obviously shows that music somehow makes you smarter. In fact, it not only makes
you smarter, but it also improves test scores, cuts learning time, calms hyperactive people,
reduces careless errors, improves creativity and clarity, heals the body faster, integrates
both sides of the brain for more efficient learning, and can raise one’s IQ score by up to 9
points!
According to the research outlined in the book, musical pieces, such as those of Mozart,
can relieve stress, improve communication and increase efficiency. Creativity scores soar when
listening to Mozart. This is called the Mozart Effect. Mozart’s music, which is very sequential,
increases your spatial-temporal reasoning skill. Spatial-temporal reasoning is the ability to
visualize spatial images and mentally manipulate them over a time-ordered sequence of spatial
transformations. As you can imagine, Mozart’s music improves your skill to sequentially
manipulate images and sounds over a sequence, due to its sequentiality. This ability is important
for creating solutions to problems found in architecture, engineering, science, mathematics, art,
games, and everyday life.
When your body hears the even, one beat per second of Baroque music, your heart rate
and pulse relax to the beat. When you are in this relaxed but alert state, your mind is able to
concentrate more easily. Music corresponds to and affects our physiological conditions. During
heavy mental work, our pulse and blood pressure rises, and it's usually more difficult to
concentrate in this state.
Music is thought largely to be the province of the cerebral cortex, where higher brain
functions such as reasoning, thought and language are seated. The brainstem was thought to be
unchangeable and uninvolved in the complex processes linked with music. However, it was
newly discovered that listening to music stimulates the nerves in this area.
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Overall, music activates the whole brain and makes you feel more energetic. In the work
place, music raises performance levels and productivity by reducing stress and tension, masking
irritating sounds and contributing to a sense of privacy. Almost any kind of music—classical and
Baroque, mainly—can make your body and mind function more efficiently and effectively.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson may just look like a regular 12-year-old, but after he is attacked by his
own math teacher who changed forms and kills a Minotaur with his own hands, that doesn’t
seem likely. He went to Yancy Academy, where he made a friend with Grover Underwood. After
he was attacked by his math teacher, who was actually a Fury from the Underworld, Grover
insists on protecting him. When he goes home to face his mom, she says that they are going to
Montauk, the place where she met Percy’s father. At Montauk, Grove appears and tells Percy’s
mom that Percy has to go to Camp-Half Blood. On their way there, Percy and Grover make it in
safe, but Percy’s mom was captured. Percy meets Chiron there, who actually was his teacher at
Yancy Academy. Chiron explains to him that he is a half-blood, who is half human and half god.
He also finds out that his father is a god, but he does not know who yet. Percy then meets
Annabeth, a very confident and athletic girl. During a game of Capture the Flag, Percy is
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attacked by a hellhound, a vicious monster. He defeats the monster and is immediately claimed
by Poseidon afterwards. Percy is granted a quest to retrieve Zeus’ master bolt, which has been
stolen. He is accompanied by Annabeth and Grover. Will Percy manage to bring the lightning
bolt back, or will the world be in chaos because of a huge fight between the gods?
This book was filled with suspense and humor, combined in an experienced way. Rick
Riordan is an amazing author who makes his readers cling on to every page without skipping a
single word. He builds up the anticipation at the end of the book which makes you start to itch to
get your hands on the next one. Through many of the books I read, Percy Jackson stands out to
me because of its humorous and casual voice. Riordan will surely not disappoint you with The
Lightning Thief.
Book Review: Sea of Monsters
Pranavi Parsi
This shocking tale of a land filled with monsters which come within the
Western Civilization from Greece. As Percy Jackson, who is accompanied by
Annabeth Chase, is in search of his best buddy, Grover the Satyr and the dying tree
that protects their beloved camp. Grover went in search of the great Lord Pan. He
got lured into a monster’s lair and is trapped there, waiting for his friends to rescue
him. The Lord of Time is behind this evil scheme and is trying to change the Great
Prophecy. Percy and Annabeth go through rough times in search of their best
friend, plus an object that will cure the disease that struck the tree. They gain
knowledge but also lost some as they travel together. Will Percy and Annabeth
save their friend and their camp in time? Will the Titan Lord’s scheme work? How
many lives would Percy save this time? So, grab The Sea of Monsters and start
reading!
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Our thought about school
Nirali Patel
School. It is one word and one place yet when kids remember school, so many different
things or feelings come to mind. When one kid remembers school they may think of the word
fun, but the kid sitting right next to that person may first think of jail. Some think of the word
relax when others think of tension. We all have different opinions and when the word school
comes up we can definitely see that. Here, in Woodrow Wilson Middle School, our opinions are
pretty similar in the sense that they are mostly positive. This is a gist that was made on
wordel.net on how our sixth graders think about school. As you see, most kids in this school
think that school fun and exciting or something similar. Though you would need a magnifying
glass to see this, if you look closely, some kids wrote words like jail, prison, boring, tiring, and
detention. Surprising, right? Well, it might be for you but after looking at the statistics I was
surprised about how fewer kids wrote boring and tiring. In a national survey, middle school and
high school students were asked to use 3 words to describe how they felt in school. The word
most often used by students was "bored" followed by "tired". That means that our teachers in
this school are doing a great job in making learning fun! The end of the year is approaching so
don’t forget give a big “thank you” to your teachers before leaving!
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TECNOLOGY: HOW IT AFFECTS SCHOOL
By:Nithish Selvaraj
As most of you know, next school year, Woodrow Wilson is getting a huge
upgrade by installing Promethean boards in every classroom. But how will this
affect the attitude towards education? And will it be a good or bad decision on the
school board?
Technology affects our daily lives every day, including in school. We use it
our everyday lives, including at school. We use SmartBoards and overhead
projectors, usually. But few classes have been able to experience a Promethean
Board, a more enhanced version of the SmartBoard. Some improvements include
automatic aligning and built in speakers!
This new advance of technology will further affect teaching strategies, good
and bad. Some ways that it may improve school is less homework (Yay!). Teachers
will be able to just put it up on a screen instead of writing every single word out.
This may allow teachers more unplanned extra time, which can be filled with
finishing your homework from that class. Also, the technology will provide more
hands on activities like learning Excel using laptops.
This may affect school badly by slowing down teaching. Teachers may not
realize this, but technology is more vulnerable to errors in the programming, which
may cause it to crash, resulting in deleting any unsaved work, such as notes or
homework. This may take a while to reboot the system and retype the unsaved
work. This will tremendously alter teachers' lesson plans.
This new advance in technology may result in a better era of teaching or
come spinning into chaos. One way or another, technology will still affect our lives
in an amazingly large way that most people cannot even conceive.
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Help! I’m Bored
By: Dhara Gohil
Rinnng! School is out. Now it is summer vacation. You have the biggest and the greatest plans. You wanted to go to
Hawaii, go on a cruise trip, sky dive, and take a tour around Europe. On the school bus, you have all of these wonderful
thoughts about summer. As soon as you get home, you hear these words: You have to baby sit your sibling for the
summer. Now you think, oh great, now my summer is destroyed. What am I supposed to now? I’m definitely going to be
bored to death now. That is for sure.
Well you can solve that problem. You can do some of these things to have some great
fun.
1
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One thing you can do is a simple word search or a crossword puzzle.
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surfing
vacation
warm
4
5
6
8
9
11
Down
2. a dessert you would eat on a hot day
12
4. a bug that "loves you" and wants your ____.
6. what does a kid not like about school
7. a place where you can cool of on a hot day
10. you ride the waves
10
Across
1. kids would go to get in touch with nature
3. a drink which is very popular for a stand
5. good way to cool down and have fun
8. this season is warm
9. An activity people do for ____.
11. Instead of being stressed, you should _______.
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
12. this weather describes summer
The NUMBER ONE Amusement Park in the World
Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio
Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio is quite the place for everyone! Along Lake Erie, a popular place
for the world as it is the number one amusement park in the world!
Fun Rides:

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
MaXair- you need to be 52 inches or taller to ride. It is rated to have aggressive thrill
(5/5), and you’re seated with 49 other people in a giant ring, facing outward. It spins and
swings, so hold on tight!
Skyhawk- you have to be at least 42 inches or taller. It has 5/5 rating for thrill, and in
fact, it’s a swing set; but not your ordinary swing set. It is actually 120 feet, and in 2 giant
arms, it swings 20 people per arm.
Power Tower- you need to be at least 52 inches to ride. At a 5/5 rating for thrill, you can
choose to ride it up 240 feet or free fall, both at about 50 miles per hour.
Wind Seeker- at a height of 52 inches or higher, you will receive a 4/5 (high thrill) by
sitting in a seat, 301 feet in the air!
Witches’ Wheel- you need to be at least 54 inches to ride this ominous wheel. Sit into a
car, and you’ll be spun round and round until you go upside down! But thank the g-forces
and seatbelt that you don’t fall! It is rated a 4/5 for its thrill.
Shoot the Rapids- a water ride that you need to be at least 48 inches tall. Up and down,
it takes you to see the rapids. Be ready to be surprised! It has been rated aggressive
thrill (5/5)
Snake River Falls- a water ride that is only for people 48 inches and taller. In a large
boat, it takes you up a hill, and down 82 feet at a 50 degree drop! Be prepared for a big
splash! Rate: Aggressive Thrill 5/5
Hours:
JUNE 2012
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
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JULY 2012
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AUGUST 2012
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The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
10:00 AM 10:00 PM
5
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12
10:00 AM 10:00 PM
19
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26
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6
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7
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13
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20
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16
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30
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18
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10
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15
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9
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14
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10:00 PM
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25
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11:00 AM 9:00 PM
10:00 AM 10:00 PM
Pricings:
1-Day
2-Day
1-Day Ride
Cedar Point Cedar Point and Slide
2-Day Ride
and Slide
3-Day Ride
and Slide
Starlight
$32
$64
$46.99
$72.99
$89.99
$24.99
Jr/Sr (Under 48" tall in shoes $21
or age 62 and older)
$42
$34.99
$44.99
$54.99
$21
Regular/Adult
*For more information, check out the official website: www.cedarpoint.com
More Places to Check Out-
Atlantic City
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
Atlantic City has rides, a boardwalk, and casinos! A perfect place for a few days stay! Stop in
and have fun!
Seaside Heights
Seaside Heights has rides, a boardwalk, and the one and only. . . BEACH! A nice place for
experiencing the Jersey Shore!
Have a lovely summer!!!!
Is Cyber School For You?
By: Pooja Bhate
Ever heard of going to school without leaving your home? Thought no such thing
existed? Well, it does exist, and it’s not called homeschool either. Cyber school is what it is, an
online school. You log on and BAM! You’re at school, you’re at home, and most importantly,
you’re learning what you’re should be learning in school.
About 250,000 students attend cyber middle school. A TFK article also discussed virtual
schooling.
‘For Amakhut Tyehimba, 13, getting to school is easy. All she has to do is turn on her
computer. That’s because Amakhut goes to Cyber School.
‘Her teacher at Ohio Virtual Academy offers lessons using a video camera. She answers
Amakhut’s questions by e-mail or over the phone. With help from her mom, Amakhut does her
classwork online. She even chats with her classmates throughout the school day. Of course, it’s
with instant messages and texts. “I do everything a regular kid would do,” Amakhut told TFK.
‘Amakhut’s school day may not sound regular to most kids. But some experts say that
could change in the future. “This is one of the fastest-growing innovations in all of K–12
education,” says Susan Patrick, president of the International Association for K–12 Online
Learning (iNACOL).’ (Article from Time For Kids)
As you can see, real people do use cyber schooling programs and cyber schools, but there
are pros and cons for virtual schooling.
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
With online schooling, you can work in your own schedules. You can go to places in the
middle of the day and come back home to find that you can continue your work exactly where
you left off.
Cyber School is also good for the people who work slower or faster than normal
curriculum, since there are slower programs and faster ones too. It is also great for those who
need special programs or programs that focus in on one subject, such as math, or writing.
You can do all your work online. It really helps when you have sloppy handwriting, or a
slow pace, that may be too sloppy or slow for when you work in public schools. If you enjoy
typing, or type faster than you write, Cyber School will suit you.
Cyber school also eliminates school supplies, which come at $80-$100 per child, every
summer. For this school, you need a computer, which most kids have already.
But, as there are pros, there are some cons as well. There are no social skills at all when
you use Cyber School. You can text and video chat, but the question is, does that make up for
face-to-face conversations, group work, and team cooperation? In virtual school, there aren’t
really group projects, discussions- (unless you count texting), or debates, where students can
really talk, and interact with others.
Most public schools offer clubs, sports, teams, games, activities, and so much more.
Virtual School may not offer as many team activities, or after school programs since every
students day is different.
Also, normal schooling, whether it is private or public, helps you prepare for the real
world. You meet real people, not images on a screen, and talk face-to-face, not through symbols
and chatting.
Later on in life when kids get jobs, they have no “own” schedule. They follow what their
boss tell them, and they get no free work time, since their boss controls that as well. When they
grow up, they will have to interact with real adults, and make their own their friends.
So it’s up to you to decide, is Cyber School really for you? Remember, the outcome is
different for everybody!
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
NBA playoffs 2012 By: Tejas Venkatasubramanian
The NBA playoffs are finally here and the journey for the eight powerhouse teams
from both the Eastern and Western Conferences chasing the dream of lifting the
Larry O’Brian trophy has been interesting, to say the least. Seemingly sure shot
winners like last year’s champions, Dallas Mavericks, have been found short in the
first round of the playoffs itself while others less heralded have gone from
strength to strength.
Rounding out the Western Conference are the following: San Antonio Spurs;
Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles
Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, (2011 NBA champions) and Utah Jazz.
Leading the charge for the Eastern Conference are the following: Chicago Bulls,
Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, New
York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
To many basketball fans, the most heart breaking story of the postseason has
been that of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Chicago Bulls. A fancied pick
to win it all, they had the misfortune of losing their key playmaker, Point Guard,
Derrick Rose in the first game due to a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).
Unsurprisingly, their season went up in smoke as the last place (8th seed)
Philadelphia 76ers beat them in six games.
But to me, the Dallas Mavericks being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder struck
to the core. I felt like somebody punched me in my stomach really hard. Not only
were the Mavericks last year’s champions, they had beaten the Thunder in the
playoffs last year in just five games, one over the minimum. Though the Mavericks
lurched from one low position to another low position in the standings during the
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
regular season, I was still secretly hoping that they would somehow change their
fortunes magically once the postseason started. But, my hopes were belied.
I am still following the postseason but in a somewhat calmer manner. I enjoyed
watching the San Antonio Spurs beat the Utah Jazz, LA Lakers narrowly beat the
Denver Nuggets, the LA Clippers ousting the Memphis Grizzlies, the Miami Heat
taking down the NY Knicks with ease, the Boston Celtics upset the Atlanta Hawks
and the Indiana Pacers destroy the Orlando Magic. Rather than belabor the entire
postseason results, I want to focus on the remaining storylines.
The Conference Finals are underway right now with the Boston Celtics taking on
the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the veteran San
Antonio Spurs. Both series are evenly poised, with both the Thunder and the
Celtics clawing back from seemingly insurmountable odds. I realize now that the
game is a lot more enjoyable when my favorite team is not involved in the
proceedings. It does not matter who wins it all. I’m just happy to watch this
phenomenal game every night.
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
Theseus's Birth
Once there was a young boy named Theseus. Nobody knew who his father was, for both King Aegeus of
Athens and Poseidon had been fond of his mother Aethra. Right before Theseus was born Aegeus said
to Aethra, "If we shall have a son, when he is old enough tell him to lift this rock and take my sword and
sandals from under it." Then Aegeus placed both his sword and his sandals under a large boulder and
then set sail for Athens.
Now this all happened in a small town called Troezen where Theseus grew into a strong young man.
When Aethra thought it was time she took Theseus to the large boulder and told him to lift it. Theseus
wrapped his mighty arms around the boulder lifted it as if it were paper. Then he threw the boulder into
a nearby forest. Aethra then told him to take the sword and sandals and go to Athens.
Theseus Journeys to Athens
Aethra and her father begged Theseus to go to Athens by sea, for horrible robbers and bandits inhabited
the road, but Theseus was bold and went overland. After a few miles he met a large man with a shiny
club. "I am Periphetes the cudgel man and I'm going to bash you're head with this club," he said. "That's
a mighty fine club you have there," replied Theseus.
"Pure brass."
"I bet it isn't."
"Yes it is."
"It's just wood wrapped in brass."
"Here, look at it to make sure."
Periphetes handed the club to Theseus. Theseus knocked Periphetes in the side of the head with it. "Not
bad," thought Theseus, "not bad at all. I think I'll keep this."
Theseus started walking again. Not much farther he saw giant man holding a battle-ax on the side of the
road. "I am Sciron and these are my cliffs. To pass you must wash my feet as a toll!" the man said. "What
would happen if I didn't?" replied Theseus. "I will chop of your head with this ax, and don't think that
puny little twig you're carrying will save you, you're absolutely...WRONG!!!!" Sciron yelled. So Theseus
sat down and started to wash Sciron's feet. Theseus looked over the side of the cliff, there was a
monstrous turtle at the bottom. Then Theseus knew that this was the Sciron that kicked people off the
cliff where a man-eating turtle waited. When Sciron's foot came towards him, Theseus jerked aside and
hurled Sciron off the cliff.
Theseus walked a ways longer until he saw a man that looked remarkably like Sciron. The man said,
"Could you do me a favor young man? Hold this pine tree down for me." The man's name was Sinis the
pine-bender. Sinis bent a pine tree down and waited for Theseus to hold the tree down with him. Then
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
Sinis let go! He was expecting Theseus to be catapulted in the air, but Theseus held it down. Sinis
stooped down to get a better look at the tree, thinking that it had broken. Theseus let go of the tree. It
hit Sinis in the chin knocking him unconscious. Theseus then tied Sinis' legs to one bent pine tree, his
arms to another. Then Theseus let go, the trees ripped Sinis in half. Vultures screamed with delight.
Theseus went on his way again. After a few miles it got dark. Theseus saw a large house up ahead of
him. He decided to ask the owner for a bed for the night. He walked up to the door and knocked. A man
came to the door and said, "Welcome young man. Come in, you look tired. My name is Procustes. I have
a magic bed for you to stay the night on. It is exactly six feet long, but can fit anyone, be they short or
tall." Theseus had been warned about a man named Procustes. His so called "magic" bed did fit anyone,
but in an unpleasant way. If you were to short he would fasten chains on to your arms and legs and
stretch you. If you were too tall he would chop of your legs until you were just right. Procustes led
Theseus into the room where the bed was. Theseus pushed Procustes on to the bed and chopped off his
legs. So Procustes wouldn't feel pain Theseus sliced his head off to.
Theseus Recognized
The next morning Theseus reached Athens. It was the largest city he had ever seen. He went to the
castle where Aegeus lived. Aegeus had married Medea who (being a sorceress) had him under her
power. With her powers Medea recognized Theseus and knew that he would get rid of her. So she told
Aegeus that Theseus had come to kill him and that she would give Theseus poisoned wine. Aegeus-not
knowing that Theseus was his son-agreed. Aegeus invited Theseus to a banquet. When Theseus was just
about to drink his wine Aegeus recognized the sword and dashed the wine cup to the floor. Theseus and
Aegeus were filled with happiness. Medea left in a chariot drawn by dragons.
Theseus Journeys to Minos
Theseus and Aegeus were happy for a long time, but when the time of the spring equinox came all the
Athenians became mournful as a ship with black sail approached Athens. Theseus begged his father to
tell him why the Athenians were sad, but Aegeus said nothing.
Theseus went down to the harbor and asked the captain of the black-sailed ship what was happening.
The captain told him about how King Minos of Crete's eldest son Androgeus had accidentally been killed
in Athens. Minos was very angry. He attacked Athens and demanded that the Athenians pay a yearly
tribute of seven young man and seven young women to be fed to the Minotaur. The Minotaur was half
man and half bull. It lived in the Labyrinth, a large maze that once one is in he or she will be aimlessly
lost in its many tunnels.
Theseus went back to Aegeus and said, "I will go to Crete as one of the victims and I will slay the
Minotaur!" "No my son," said Aegeus, "you mustn't go. You are my only son. The only heir to the
throne." "I must go father. I must prove that I am a hero." said Theseus. In the end Aegeus let Theseus
go, but made him promise that if he return alive, to change the sails from black to white. So Theseus
volunteered to go as one of the fourteen victims.
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
When Theseus and his companions landed at Crete, Minos was there to welcome them. He asked each
who they were. When it came to Theseus' turn he said, "I am Theseus, prince of Athens, son of
Poseidon!" To this Minos replied, "If you were the prince of Athens wouldn't old Aegeus be your father?
To prove you are son of Poseidon fetch my ring." Minos threw his ring into the sea. Praying to Poseidon
Theseus dived into the water. He saw the nymph Thetis who gave him the ring and an old crown.
Theseus came to the surface holding the ring and the crown.
That night Theseus was visited by Minos' daughter Ariadne. She said to him, "Theseus, I have decided to
help you kill the Minotaur if you will take me back to Athens and make me your queen." Theseus was
glad of the help and promised to Ariadne that he would take her back to Athens. She gave Theseus a ball
of silk thread and told him to tie it to the entrance of the Labyrinth and unwind it as he went. The string
would lead him back to the entrance.
The next day Theseus and his companions were forced into the Labyrinth. Theseus tied the string onto a
rock and told everyone to follow him. He led them towards the center of the Labyrinth where the
Minotaur was. When they got there they saw the beast sleeping. Theseus jumped on it and ripped of
one of its horns. Theseus started poking at the Minotaur (who was very angry) with the horn. Then
Theseus ran to a safer distance and threw the horn like a javelin. The horn ripped into the monsters neck
and stuck there. The Minotaur now enraged charged at Theseus, but fell dead before it was half way.
Everyone cheered. Theseus was a hero! They followed the thread back to the entrance of the Labyrinth.
Theseus, Ariadne, and the others went on board the black-sailed ship and set sail for Athens. One night
the god Dionysus came to Theseus and said, "You mustn't marry Princess Ariadne for I have chosen her
as my own bride. Leave her on the island of Naxos." Theseus did as the god told him. He was so sad; he
forgot to change the sails from black to white. Old Aegeus sat on a cliff watching and waiting for Theseus
to come, but when he saw the black sails he jumped into the sea. That fatal stretch of water was named
after him. It still is called the Aegean Sea.
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger, Volume 1, Issue 3
We hope you’ve enjoyed the third issue of
The Woodrow Wilson Challenger!
The Newspaper Team
Teacher Supervisor: Mrs. Colicchio
Editor-in-chief: Siddhant Pathak
Journalists:
Siddhant Pathak
Claire Gao
Melissa Yang
Meghna Srinivasan
Peter Wu
Joheen Chakraborty
Tejas Venkatasubramanian
Swasti Jain
Nithish Selvaraj
Nishant Nagalia
Aditya Iyer
Adithya Rachakulla
Dhara Gohil
Amulya Mutnuri
Pooja Bhate
Nirali Patel
Pranavi Parsi