AVID Celebrates Senior Night Senioritis Hits Hard
Transkript
AVID Celebrates Senior Night Senioritis Hits Hard
February 2, 2015 Issue 13 Volume 80 Est. 1935 AVID Celebrates Senior Night By Alperen Soylu; Contributing Writer IN THIS ISSUE: FRANKLIN Senioritis(2) Junto Magazine (2) BCPS Blog(2) Roommate Search (3) Senior Parking Lot (3) Beyond Franklin France Terrorism (4) UVA Frat (4) Disney Measles (5) Hogan Campaign (5) Those who are a part of or becoming a part of AVID should expect a course unlike any other. Those that manage to stay until the final years of the course know that AVID demands that a student always presents his or her best qualities in the classroom, at home, around others, and much more. The AVID 12 night, which was held on January 1, 2015, celebrated the achievements of the students that held this status quo and even went beyond. The program began around 7 PM, followed by introductions and meetings between teachers, parents, and students alike. The first thing discussed was the importance of AVID at Franklin, with individuals such as Bryan Green and Logan Beasley giving speeches about how important the program was to their well being and development. Followed by that, the AVID provides many opportunities for students looking for college opportunities. value of taking AP classes was highly stressed; as AP classes help contribute to free college credits that do not have to be paid during college. Following that, the SAT and ACT were discussed, with each vital component being explained to parents while also allowing the AVID coordinator to get closer to the parents in order to discuss the helpful benefits of getting a high score. Next, options to pay for college were discussed, including scholarships, financial aid sources like FASFA, and loans were all options that parents could choose to look in depth. Finally, the program was finished with several of the 12th grade AVID students receiving recognition in terms of quarterly GPA, student awards, and teacher recognition. The program then concluded around 8: 30 pm. Overall the turnout was quite well and the program went quite successfully. According to AVIDs status quo, it states that its mission is to meet the achievement gap by helping students in Franklin and all other high school students to get them ready for college and the real world itself. I myself being an AVID student can say that through the help of my AVID teacher, coordinators, tutors, and peers, I have successfully lived to my status quo of becoming more integrated yet distinct in terms of academic standings, social abilities, and overall belief in something great. For those of you that wish to enter the fantastic yet demanding world of AVID, I highly recommend that you prepare yourself for an experience unlike any other college program that you’ll find, one that I hope will change your life for the better. ENTERTAINMENT Golden Globes (6) Sia’s Video (6) PCA’s (7) Oscars (7) CES (8) New TV Shows (8) “Avengers” Trailer (9) Taylor Swift (9) Sports Olivia Gruver (10) Track Team (10) Senioritis Hits Hard Among Students By Regan Fleischer; Contributing Writer The first half of the year is a difficult and stressful time. The excitement about the first couple weeks of school wears off quickly, and students begin to feel the stress that only school can bring. The beginning of the year is usually when teachers decide to pile huge amounts of work to students, hoping to prove that their class is “rigorous and challenging.” By second quarter, students are run down and tired. They are nowhere near the end of the school year and pressure begins to build. Temperatures begin to drop, and the cold dreary weather outside matches the attitude and spirit of most of the students. On top of this stress and pressure are midterms. Midterms are supposed to be cumulative tests that test everything a student has learned so far. In theory, they should be easy to handle, but students end up teaching themselves months worth of material the night before. Now that second quarter is coming to a close, students can sit back and realize that they are half way through the school year. Spring and summer are just around the corner, and it is now easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This is especially true for the seniors. By this time, most seniors have been ac- cepted into college. They no longer have to worry about managing school, sports, and college applications, all within the span of a couple of weeks. Not only are they halfway through the school year, but they now only have a couple of weeks left until they graduate from high Continued on Page 2 FRANKLIN NEWS Senioritis Hits Hard Among Students Continued from Front Page school. While this is a fun and happy time for most students, and especially the seniors, it is all the time where students tend to slack off. Seniors realize that they have already been accepted into college, and their grades do not have to be perfect. They have more room to make mistakes. Some seniors take the new freedom that Seniors Kaleigh Ridgely an Emily Snydman are ecstatic that they are second semester seniors. they have too far. They slack off and put almost no effort into their classes, making “senioritis” real. Some seniors completely stop doing their work all together. Senior, Kaleigh Rigely, has a lot to say about being half way though the school year. “I am very happy that school is almost over. Since I am a senior, I get to relax and not worry as much about my classes. The first half of the year was extremely stressful. I had to manage sports with my grades and college applications. I am excited to have a break, but I am still going to put effort into school. It is still important to me to get good grades and always try my best.” Senior, Emily Snydman, agrees with Ridgely. “Even though I have already been accepted into a school, I am going to continue to work hard and do well.” Students Prepare for the Junto Magazine By Alperen Soylu; Contributing Writer It can be said that the greatest of judgments, beliefs, and struggles are best understood through the chaotic yet beautiful word of the writer. And the very art that fills the writer’s brain like an endless chasm is brought to life through the language of writing. This year’s Junto magazine should be one for the ages, and indeed that age holds great promise. Last year’s edition of the magazine was able to greatly capitalize on the work of new and upcoming potential students, with works based on the internal desires of man and works describing the pain of isolation, many people felt an incredible connection to the works of these students. Yet Junto is not simply a language of writing, for it also contains the wonders of life through its fantastic images taken in great detail by the Franklin photographers and artists. Indeed that this year’s edition of the magazine was quite spectacular. But like everything else in the world, everything is prone to mistakes, but that is life. The magazine should first off attempt to reach more in-depth in other topics such as the struggles of society itself, perhaps even the fragile bonds that keep man apart from animals, topics that could range hugely in philosophical content. Yet I am no critic, and I love each and every piece that a student may These past Junto magazines have become a big hit among students and faculiy alike. submit. And yet, I ask that our fellow Franklin students try to make connections between the life that we live now, and the world that we once dreamed. This is the beauty of this magazine; for we are humans we are here to express our individuality as a group. For those interested in writing, students can write original poems, short stories, screenplays, and creative nonfiction stories. Keep in mind that you only have a 1500 word limit. For those interested in submitting art, students can take photographs of original drawings, paintings, or photographs. And for those interested in doing both, then set your mind free and submit as much as you desire. Send the work as a Word document or a jpeg file to Mrs. Showalter through her email at jshowwalter@ bcps.org no later than February 27th. You should be notified if your work has been submitted by March 27th. I leave with this note when you start writing or taking a picture; ideas are chained in doubt, but those brave enough to break free of these chains unleash the most beautiful new ideas. Let your imagination flow freely, and let the world be inspired by your great works of true art. BCPS Introduces A New Blog By Kayla Green; Contributing Writer Attention everyone at Franklin High, there’s a new blog posted beyond BCPS One called BCPS OPPS. This blog is where not just students but parents and others can go find information about many opportunities available to them not just in BCPS but throughout the entire community. BCPS OPPS is now a present website which offers competitions, workshops, scholarships, and more to explore on BCPS OPPS. BCPS OPPS is also a website with new opportunities for students to see what they may be interested in not just in school but outside of school too. BCPS OPPS tells us what is offered, who the meetings are for and what the meetings are for too. Here on this blog features opportunities for students to advance their education. One feature is the upcoming Special ‘’Just for Juniors’’ Tour at UMBC. For high school students who are interest- ed in college tours, high school juniors (and sophomores, too) are invited to a special ‘’just for juniors’’ campus tour at UMBC on Saturday, March 28, 2015 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For students and parents participating in this event will get a chance to learn about college admissions, and the financial aid pro- cess. Current students and faculty will be present to talk to, you will be able to also explore and take a tour of the campus, and to get an understanding of what it means and what it takes to being a retriever believer. 22 FRANKLIN NEWS Step 1: Get Accepted Step 2: Find a Roommate By Rachel Yarsky; Contributing Writer With everyone getting into college, it is time to start making more in depth plans. To many people, an important aspect of college life is having the perfect roommate; someone you can become life-long friends with and share your college life with. Social media has been assisting with this process very efficiently. Perspective students can request to join Facebook groups with people in their graduating class and post a little blurb about themselves and what they are looking for in a roommate. Some people take it even further than Facebook. Along with posting usernames for Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, people set up GroupMe conversations for everyone to join. This is a great way to get to know people and make friends since people come from a variety of states and you can’t always meet up in person. “I joined the Facebook group as soon as I found out I got into Villanova,” said Maddie Schwartz, “And soon after that, someone made a GroupMe. That’s how I found my roommate, Emily. We’ve been talking for a while and she seems really cool; I can tell we are going become really close. I’ve always wanted a roommate I can do everything with, and she definitely fits that mold. Senior Megan Ertel meets up with her roommate for lunch to get to know her better. Checking this off my list was such a relief and now I can finally start looking forward to college life!” Roomsurf is also a great way to find room- mates who match your habits and personality. Roomsurf is a website connected to Facebook on which you take a questionnaire based on things you want to do on campus and organizations/activities you want to be a part of. After you fill everything out, it tells you what percentage your answers match other people and vice versa. Picking a roommate is a scary process because that is the person you are going to share your living space and your first college experiences with. You don’t want to rush into anything just because you feel rushed and stressed about finding the perfect person to live with. Take your time and take advantage of the social media groups. Seniors Demand their own Parking Lot By Rachel Yarsky; Contributing Writer As the years go by here at Franklin High School, it appears that the senior class is slowly getting stripped of their previous and traditional privileges. This is the first year that seniors have to eat lunch in the main cafeteria with the rest of the school because the senior cafeteria was turned into a dance studio this year. This upset the vast majority of seniors and many juniors as well who were looking forward to having this privilege in the future as well. Having been in the school for four years, seniors should definitely be entitled to some perks that the rest of the grades don’t have. In a way, it gives them something to look forward to, and the privileges are a big reason of why people look forward to their last year in high school. A perk that would be greatly appreciated by us seniors is a senior parking lot. Catonsville High has one and I believe it is a great idea. Schools that do have their own senior lots are able to have specific spots designated to students that those students can decorate the spot with chalk and ribbons. This would be a great way to start enhancing school spirit. “I’ve always wanted my own parking spot to decorate,” says senior Ellie Profaci, “I think it’s adorable when I see pictures of my friend’s spaces from other schools and I just think it would be a really fun thing for our class to do.” Another reason why a senior lot is a won- derful idea is for organizational purposes. The seniors have designated a small area of the parking lot close to the building that people do call the “senior lot”, but juniors still park there because it’s not an official rule. And since everyone who drives gets to school around the same time, if you leave a minute or two late, there are no parking spaces left in that area which can be extremely frustrating if you park there every day. It would be so much nicer knowing that when you get to school there will be parking for you and you won’t have to scramble to find somewhere further away to park. Senior Julia Dugan agrees saying, “I think the designated lot would be a really nice idea. Overall, seniors should have supe- Franklin Gazette Staff Editors Morgan Caplan Joshua Rubin Frances Stump This tiny parking lot is not sufficient in size for the increased amount of juniors and seniors receiving their license. riority parking in terms of cars.” students. On days where It should just be privilege traffic is heavy and there the seniors get for their last aren’t as many parking year in high school. And I spots available, it would am certain that classes in be nice to know that I the future would apprecicould rely on one specific ate this perk as well. senior lot to not be filled with junior’s or parents’ Staff Writers Luis Belmontes Alexandria Jefferson Rachel yarsky Allison Feldman Caila Lurz Ally Feldman Reagan Fleischer Bridget McNamara Sydney Gaskins Myah Parker Kayla Green Jack Quint Christopher Hood Earlene Witherspoon Gibson 23 BEYOND FRANKLIN NEWS World Is Shaken By Terrorist Attack in France By Kevin Sachs; Contributing Writer France became the victim of the latest terrorist attacks as in the past few weeks two terrorist attacks have taken place. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for these attacks, as well as ties to ISIS. France has beefed up security by deploying 80,000 soldiers across its country. Soldiers were dispatched to Jewish centers, mosques, and travel areas. Said Kouachi and Cherif Kouachi were the two brothers who launched an attack on the Charlie Hebo printing shop. Intelligence Sources claim that the brothers received weapon training in the deserts of Marib. In 2011, the French government said that they knew that the brothers had contact with Al Qaeda. They were last seen on the roof of the building before they were shot. They were shot by French authorities. A salesman of the Charlie Hebo said that he shook hands with one of the men and thought he was a police officer. That day, many schools were on lockdown, and roads and shops closed. The brothers didn’t just launch an attack on the newspaper; they robbed a gas station as well. The other attack happened at a kosher grocery store. There was only one suspect involved in this attack who was later shot. His name was Amedy Coulibaly. H was earlier suspected of killing a policewoman. He held many shoppers hostage. The store was Hyper Cacher kosher grocery store. Fourteen hostages were freed and rushed out of the building. Bystanders reported seeing heav- ily armed police and loud explosions. Police were still looking for another suspect who they believe also helped carry out the attack. French President Francois Hollande denounced both of these attacks. The Al Qaeda claimed that the attacks on France were a result of the French deploying troops in Mali and Central Africa in addition to their recent role in the U.S led coalition in Syria and Iraq. The French government is now trying to crack down on hate speeches, antiSemitics, and terrorism. They are proposing more broad laws that will give more intelligence through phone tapping and other methods in order to prevent this type of attack from happening again. A French citizen, Fritz-Joly Joachin has Police arrived at the scene of the grocery story where the suspect supposedly held the fourteen hostages. been arrested in Bulgaria trying to cross to Turkey because of his ties to the two terrorist brothers. France issued a European arrest warrant for him. He told prosecutors that he was not an extremist. He said “I am Muslim but I am not a radical or terrorist” Following the attacks from Muslim ex- tremist groups, many people in Germany are launching marches against Muslims. Hatred organizations have formed as well. This may create inequality across Germany. Questioning the Fraternity Culture at College By Madeleine Wroe; Contributing Writer The University of Virginia is gaining unwanted attention from the media once again, as they are dealing with a fraternity gang rape allegation. The fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi has been under fire for gang rape allegations at one of their parties. The alleged victim, Jackie, has had inaccuracies in her story and the fraternity says they did not throw a party the evening of the alleged gang rape. UVA has implemented new party rules to prevent another event like this one. Now when the fraternity throws a party, the sober members have to supervise the bedrooms of the frat house. The University gave a little praise to Phi Kappa Psi as they were the first to sign and help draft the new rules. The UVA President Teresa Sullivan said “We welcome Phi Kappa Psi, and we look forward to working with all fraternities and sororities in enhancing and promoting a safe environment for all.” We will see if the does not comply with the events of Jackie’s story. Such evidence like Jackie changing the number of her attackers from five to seven, and other various changes in her story is why people have opinions on both sides. Regardless of whom you believe we may never hear the truth of what really happened. While the fraternity has been re-instated, it is a plus that the college has created new rules for safety. Hopefully these new Protesters at the fraternity house of the gang rape suspects. They wanted the fraternity rules will be effective in to be punished and banned. stopping sexual assault final decision will be to was only temporary, last- and the rape victims do from occurring. The proban Phi Kappa Psi or what ing till January 9, 2015. not get the help or justice testers are calling for UVA will happen to any of the Upset protesters wanted they seek. After Jackie’s to stop hiding rape cases, suspected members of the the fraternity to be banned story came out, there have and to punish fraternities rape. Rolling Stone maga- for its actions. been many stories of a that engage in illegal bezine has written a few ar- UVA has also come under rape culture on the UVA havior. Even though there ticles on the rape story, but fire for not doing anything campus, so it is not just are questions regarding recently said that Jackie is about the rape allegation. an isolated incident. So- Jackie’s case, hopefully it becoming more unreliable Often colleges do not do nya Shah, eleventh grader, will force colleges to adas her story continues to anything about rape be- says “UVA should have dress issues of sexual aschange. cause it would bring bad taken more actions to help sault on campus. After the Rolling Stone ar- press like this case, and the girl” and that it was ticle, protesters vandalized also they would have to “wrong of UVA to try to the frat house and called take unwanted actions cover up her rape story.” for justice. The President such as ban fraternities. The case is unraveling bedecided to suspend all fra- Too often officials cover cause of false statements ternities, but her decision up the rape allegations and information that 4 BEYOND FRANKLIN NEWS Disneyland Measles Outbreak By Alexandria Jefferson; Contributing Writer In Disneyland a Measles outbreak has started recently and its numbers continue to grow. And it’s most recent number of outbreaks had escalated to 52, including a 22 month old girl who was visiting from her home, Mexico. Measles infects 9 out of every 10 nonimmune individuals it finds. Measles is airborne and hangs around up to 2 hours after the infected person has left the area. In an unvaccinated population, each person infected with the measles will transmit the disease to 12 to 18 other people, making the number of people who visit Disney world at high risk. Because of the rides, interactions and the crowded people at Disney, it is very easy for someone to spread the disease. Many suspect that immigrants have something to Instead of focusing on Disneyland as the origen of the outbreak, but instead of the bouyant movement. do with the outbreak. Disney says that they do not know who the first to enter Disney with the disease was and they say they don’t really need to know. They say “it is not undocumented immigrants we should be pointing the finger at”. When the CDC tracked the measles cases for the first half of 2013, they found that 159 cases resulted from 42 importations of the disease, but more than half those importations were U.S residents returning to the states from abroad. There is no vaccine that can 100% percent protect a person from measles. If a child is not vaccinated people are 35 times more likely to catch measles than vaccinated ones. Measles can spread when the infected person coughs. And the virus literally hangs in the air. And symptoms include fever, rash, runny nose, and red eyes. People can be infectious for nine days, including time before and after they have the telltale rash. The exposure started between December 17 and 20.Disneyland said it was informed of the measles cases among employees on January 15th. “We immediately told our cast to raise awareness,” the theme parks chief medical officer Dr. Pamela Hymel said in a statement. Even though it is not clear how many of the theme park employees were vaccinated. Disney says they were informed by the outbreak by employees. Six of the nine confirmed measles cases involve people who were unvaccinated, including two babies too young to have received their first shots. One person with measles was fully vaccinated. The Disneyland outbreak is disturbing because it affects people who are likely to get on planes. Measles can spread easily. Two of the confirmed cases linked to Disneyland were Utah residents. However, Dr.Gil Chavez, deputy director of the states Center for Infectious Diseases, said at a Wednesday news conference that Disneyland would be “perfectly safe” if you have been immunized. Five Disney employees so far have been diagnosed with measles, three of whom have fully recovered. Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the state health department, says “if you have symptoms, and believe you may have been exposed, please contact your health care provider.” Hogan Campaigns for School Reforms By Bridget McNamara; Contributing Writer Governor Larry Hogan has joined the petition to have all public schools in Maryland start the day after Labor Day. The Comptroller Peter Franchot, is also a huge supporter of starting the schools later. Hogan said “I think this is a tremendous effort for a lot of reasons,” “It’s not just a family issue, it’s an economic issue.” People that are for beginning the school year later say that people will have an extra week of summer to spend money at businesses in Maryland and it will make more tax revenue. According to the Bureau of Revenue Estimates, starting school after Labor Day would increase economic activity by $74.3 million, $3.7 million in new wages, and $7.7 million for state and local profits. The tourism sector is the fourth biggest industry in Maryland, and gives jobs to more than 340,000 people. It also plays a huge role in help- Hogan advocates for schools to start after labor day. ing Maryland’s economy. According to a study done by the comptroller, eight and a half percent of families with children in school would take a new day trip or overnight trip to one of Maryland’s most popular vacation spots: Deep Creek Lake, Ocean City, or Baltimore City. 5.2 percent of families said they would go out of state or an overnight trip and the rest of the families say they would take another day to do a leisurely activity near their homes. Governor Martin O’Malley and State Senator James are also for this petition. Hogan was the 13,244th person to sign the petition. Franchot said that “13,244 Marylanders have sent a clear message that starting school after Labor Day will give families, students, teachers and small businesses the break they need — and deserve. It gives students time to learn life lessons beyond the classroom, teacher’s time to recharge their batteries and small businesses much needed help during tough economic times. I am confident we can make this meaningful adjustment and continue to end the school year in early to mid-June.” Those who oppose have said that if schools start later they will have to end later in June. Teachers say that they need more days to train teacher and get students ready for the state exams in March and June. Also, some people are concerned that students will have to spend more time in the hot schools because not all schools are air-conditioned. Currently, school boards can make their own calendars, and the different counties usually have different starting and ending days. Worcester County, in Ocean City, was the only county in Maryland to start this school year after Labor Day. Many students at Franklin would be ecstatic about this change. Franklin Junior, Gail Cohen said “I would be happy because if school started later it would feel like summer is longer.” Another Franklin High student, Jillian Fribush said, “I would love it! Plus it would give me more time to do my summer work.” 5 AWARD SEASON NEWS Great Nominees in 2015 Golden Globes By Chris Hood; Contributing Writer The 72nd annual Golden Globes nominees were announced from Beverly Hilton Hotel a already pre-drawn ceremony in Beverly Hills. According to GoldenGlobes.com, HFPA president Theo Kingma introduced Kate Beckinsale, two-time Golden Globe Award-nominee Peter Krause, Paula Patton, and Golden Globe-winner, as five-time nominee Jeremy Piven did the honors. The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler aired on Sunday, January 11, 2015, coast-to-coast on NBC from 5:00-8:00 p.m. (PST)/8:00-11:00 p.m. (EST). The event was a great night for those who watch and attended the event that night. The best motion picture (Drama) was given to the movie Many attended the candlelight vigil for Alcorn at Kings Mill High School. “Boyhood”; Julianne Moore received Best Actress in a motion picture (Drama) for her performance in “Still Alice”. Eddie Remayne got the award Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) for his performance in “The Theory Of Everything.” Best Motion picture (Musical or Comical) was won by the movie “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Michael Kenton for his comical performance in “Bird- man” received the Best Actor Award (Musical or Comical). The Best Animated film award was won by the movie “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” The movie “Leviathan” received the Best Foreign Language Film Award. Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture was received by J.K. Simmons for the help with “Whiplash”. Best Director for a motion picture went Richard Linklater for is contribution with the movie “Boyhood.” Best Screenplay for motion picture was given to Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo for the movie “Birdman.” Best Original Score motion picture went to Jóhann Jóhannsson (The Theory of Everything). Best Original Song motion picture went to Selma. Best TV Series (Drama) went to the show enjoyed by many, “The Affair.” Best Actress in a TV Series (Drama) was given to Ruth Wilson for her performance in the TV show “The Affair.” Best TV Series (Musical or Comedy) was given to the television show “Transparent”. Best Actress in a TV Series (Musical or Comedy) Gina Rodriguez was the winner for her performance in “Jane the Virgin.” Best Actor in a TV Series (Musical or Comedy) was given to Jeffrey Tambor for the TV show “Transparent.” Best Actress in a (MiniSeries or TV Movie) went to Maggie Gyllenhaal in “The Honorable Woman.” Oscar Nominations Revealed January 15th 2015 was a big day in the world of Entertainment. The Nominations for the 2015 Oscar Awards Show, the 87th Academy Awards, were revealed. The Oscars are considered the biggest film awards in the world and for an actor or member of the film industry to win or even be nominated for an Oscar shows great prestige. According to Oscars.org, the Oscar statue given to the winners is, “the most recognized trophy in the world, the Oscar statue had stood on the mantels of the greatest filmmakers in history since 1929.” The trophy itself stands 13.5 inches off of the ground and weighs eight and a half pounds. So far 2,947 of these trophies have been presented throughout history. The chief art director at Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, Cedric Gibbons, designs the trophies to illustrate a figure of a knight holding a sword standing on a sheet of film with five individual spokes representing the By Sydney Gaskins; Contributing Writer Here at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center is where all the action takes place for the Oscars. five branches of the academy. The five branches of the academy are actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers. The solid bronze trophies will be presented to prestigious academy members at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center on February 22nd, 2015. Awards will be presented in up to twenty five different categories. Some of the main categories include Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, and Animated Feature Film. Posted on the Oscars website are all of the nominees in the twenty-four different categories. Anyone can make their picks on the website to predict the winners of the 2015 Oscars. By simply clicking the box next to the person of the Academy or Film, one can make an impact on the entire film industry that’s looking forward to this big event. The Oscars in the past have been a memorable night for everyone watching and everyone attending. In 2014 Ellen DeGeneres hosted the big night where she tweeted a historic selfie with huge names in the film industry such as Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Channing Tatum, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Jared Leto, and more. More big names spoke at the Oscars in 2014 like the lovely Anne Hathaway, Samuel Jackson, Jim Carrey, and Kerry Washington. In 2014, “12 Years A Slave” won best picture, Cate Blachett won best actress, Matthew McConaughey won best actor, Lupita Nyong’o from “12 Years a Slave” won best supporting actress, Jared Leto won best supporting actor, and Gravity took the stage winning over four different awards in different categories. This year the biggest names in the industry are nominated and excited for the big event. Bradley Cooper is nominated again for actor in a leading role along with Eddie Redmayne, Steve Carrel and more. Reese Witherspoon, Felicity Jones, Julianne and more are nominated for actress in a leading role. Alongside these women is the beautiful Emma Stone, Keira Knightley, Meryl Streep and more. Anyone can watch the Oscars on Sunday February 22nd on ABC at 7pm. 26 AWARD SEASON NEWS Celebrities Win Big At People’s Choice Awards The 41st Annual People’s Choice Awards have officially released their winners. The awards show, which was held on January 7th, is an award show based on the votes of the people. People all across the nation and world could vote on the official website. The winners were revealed and they are now online for those who couldn’t catch the show. This is what happened this year: In the movie category, the breakout star was Disney’s “Maleficent”, which won most of its nominations. It won Favorite Movie over fellow nominees “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”, and “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” The Disney reimagining also won Favorite Family Movie. Robert Downey Jr. had a really huge night. The star of the upcoming “Avengers: Age of By Ayinde Roberts; Contributing Writer Chris Evans received his award for Favorite Action Movie Actor for his role as Cap in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Ultron” won both of his nominations for Favorite Movie Actor and Favorite Dramatic Movie Actor. Jennifer Lawrence also won both her nominations: Favorite Movie Actress and Favorite Action Movie Actress. The adaptation of Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” scored the award for Favorite Action Movie and Favorite Movie Duo (Theo James and Shailene Woodley). The last notable winner is Chris Evans winning the award for Favorite Action Movie Actor for his role as Captain America in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” For television, the biggest story was “The Big Bang Theory.” The CBS sitcom won 3 out of 4 of its nominations, including Favorite TV Show. Other nominees included HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Some more winners include the CW’s “The Flash”, which won Favorite New TV Drama, “The Simpsons” winning its fourth award for Favorite Animated TV Show, and David Tennant winning Favorite Actor in a New TV Series for “Gracepoint.” Jimmy Fallon also won an award for Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host and “Saturday Night Live” won for Favorite Sketch Comedy TV Show. The most popular and debated parts of the award show are the winners of the movies and music. In music, the Favorite Male and Female Artists went to Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, respectively. Taylor Swift was another big winner, winning 3 awards; including Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Song for “Shake It Off.” Ed Sheeran also had a big night, winning two awards, one for his album “X.”The award for Favorite Band/Group went to Maroon 5 and Breakout Artist went to Australian music group 5 Seconds of Summer. Also, Australian rapper Iggy Azalea also won for Favorite Hip-Hop Artist over others such as Drake, T.I., and Nicki Minaj. Hunter Hayes and Carrie Underwood won for their respective awards: Favorite Male and Female Country Artist. This year’s People’s Choice was an incredibly big success. Two other noteworthy winners were the winners of the TV Icon and Humanitarian Awards, For Favorite TV Icon, the people voted 92 year-old Betty White and Favorite Humanitarian went to the star of the upcoming “Batman v. Superman” Ben Affleck. ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Sia’s Video Strikes Controversy By Madeleine Wroe; Contributing Writer Sia Furler is a pop star, best known for her hit song Chandelier. Sia was born and raised in Australia, and began to gain popularity in Europe in the 90’s. She gained recognition in America after releasing the song “Breathe Me.” The pressure of fame weighed on Sia, and she became an alcoholic as well as a drug addict. After going to rehab, she decided to step away from the spotlight, only emerging a couple years later under the condition that she would not have to do press or touring. Now, when she performs, she wears a wig and hides her face. This has become a symbol for Sia. People responded with great enthusiasm when they saw the music video for Chandelier. The video featured 12-year-old Dance Moms star, Maddie Ziegler, who is an extremely accomplished dancer. In the video, Ziegler wore a nude leotard and a blonde “Sia wig” Sia and Ziegler preformed the song on Dancing With The Stars, as well as The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The video received a nomination for best music video at the Grammys and has over 400 million views on YouTube. When it was announced that Sia would be releasing another song, people wondered if Ziegler would star in the music video once again, since it was so successful the first time. People’s speculations were correct. Ziegler and actor, Shia LaBeouf, stared in the video for the song Elastic Heart. Ziegler had on the same outfit that she wore in the first video, while LaBeouf was shirtless. Ziegler and LaBeouf danced to the song, while locked in a giant cage. This video was extremely controversial because people felt that locking a young girl and a shirtless adult in a cage was inappropriate. People even went on to use the word “pedophilia” to describe the video. People were so offended by the video that Sia was forced to make a public statement in regards to her intentions of the music video. In response to all of the negative comments the video was getting, Sia tweeted, “I anticipated some ‘pedophilia!!!’ cries for this video. All I can say is Maddie and Shia are two of the only actors I felt could play these two warring ‘Sia’ self states. I apologize to those who feel triggered by #ElasticHeart My intention was to create some emotional Sia’s video has sparked controversy across America as she employed young Maddie Ziegler to perform yet again. content, not to upset anybody.” Gail Cohen, a junior at Franklin High School, is a big fan of Sia. However, after seeing the video, she was disturbed. “I felt that the video was extremely inappropriate. It featured a young girl and grown mad dancing in a sexual way, while locked in a cage. I do not really understand the message that Sia was trying to send. I felt like her first video was a lot classier then her second video. 7 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS CES Impresses the World By Sydney Gaskins; Contributing Writer According to CES web.org, the Consumer Electronics Show is, “the worlds gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies.” The show is held in Las Vegas, Nevada annually serving as the, “proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies.” The Consumer Electronics show is the worldwide showcase for the innovations of the future to be introduced to the marketplace. The showcase welcomes over 3,600 exhibitors including developers, suppliers, and manufacturers of consumer technology hardware, content, technological delivery systems, and much more. The show was held on January sixth through January ninth in 2015. One hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty people attended from over 140 countries. So what were some of the innovations? Smart watches are kicking into high gear in 2015. Health trackers and fashion watches were found in many locations on the show floor. Self driving cars are also becoming an idea of the present. Audi made an impact by sending a car with no driver from the San Francisco Bay Area to Las Vegas. Second to that, Mercedes Benz showed off their 15 foot “living room on wheels.” BMW and Volkswagen also showed off their navigation technology with cars that park themselves. These vehicles are supposed to be able to hunt down their own parking spots in a large garage. Also, drones are kicking into high gear. While the laws are making it hard to put drones out into the world just yet, the quad copter drones were a showstopper at CES. Similar to that, three dimensional printers are also becoming an idea of the present. These printers are using materials such as metal, wood, stone, and even chocolate. Innovations are also being made for your body. According to Gizmag.com, “The Thync mood-changing wearable zaps your brain to make you feel either calm or energized The CES showcased the new and improved inventions for the 2015 year. after just 15 minutes of use.” This was introduced to CES as a mood changer that truly does work. Your typical washing machine is also taking a turn. LG has upped the stakes in the field of home appliances with a washing machine with a Home Chat platform. This washing machine has the ability to do a simultaneous but different second load of laundry. Also considering the more urban citizens of the world, at CES a new type of motor scooter was introduced. Gogoro looks to install battery refill stations throughout cities across the nation and ultimately the world in order to use the urban transportation more effectively without running out of juice. Garmin is trying to make a comeback after apps took over the navigation issues of the world. They claim you’ll never get lost again with their new Epix mapping watch that costs a whopping $600 with previously installed maps. The favorite innovation of many would be the robochef Cooki. Also according to gizmag.com,” This meal preparation robot makes cooking as simple as selecting a recipe and throwing ingredients into the hopper. Cooki adds the ingredients at just the right time, heats and stirs everything into a meal and sends you a text message when it’s time to eat.” This sounds like a great tool for people who live busy lives. Many more innovations and inventions at CES are worth looking at. The biggest technological invention convention grabbed the attention of many in 2015 and is looking to grab a lot more attention in 2016. Snapchat covered the event and showed the world what goes on behind the doors of the Techies convention. In order to attend, one should register. But in the meantime educating ones-self on the innovations and inventions of the future is not only beneficial to your knowledge, but entertaining as well. Taylor Swift Gives Fans a Surprise By Myah Parker; Contributing Writer The 25 year old pop star, Taylor Swift, has a plethora of dedicated fans that help support her in her growing career and stays devoted. She makes sure to check in on her Tumblr and respond to many of questions fans ask and read comments they leave. But, it’s nothing like the support of a close and personal friend like, Rebekah Bortniker, a girl who goes by the name of thatcheshirecatsmile on Tumblr. Her Tumblr page is like a shrine to Swift, her cats, and her style. t all started when she posted a video of the former country singer and her celebrity pals to the theme song of the well known TV show, Friends. Swift wanted to repay her fan by sending her a giant box of some personalized gifts. As a devoted follower of Swift, Bortniker posted a video showing her reaction to the personal gifts she received from Swift and opened up a handwritten letter Swift sent on Sunday, January 11. It said, “Hi you. I was thinking about you today, and how you have been there cheering me on in the most thoughtful and creative ways. I love the video you made of me and my friends, and your text posts always crack me up or make me think. I got out my paints for the first time in a while today and made you something I really really really really hope you like it. I’m not a good painter but I think you’re so beautiful and positive, even though you’re dealing with the stress life brings, so I wanted to make you something.” After reading the addressed letter, Bortniker, then opened a Polaroid of Swift painting and the actual artwork she made for her and a necklace of Swift’s with the tag saying, “Was mine, now yours.” The most thoughtful gift of all was a $1,989 check and on the check was another tag that read, “Rebekah, now you’re $1,989 closer to paying Rebekah Bortniker is one of the many fans who got a surprise off those student loans.” student loans After reading that Bortniker openly cried as her a million years did I ever a fan, to have supported mom filmed her emotional imagine this happening to you all of these years bereaction. Bortniker made me, I never imagined you cause you are truly the sure she sent a letter back even knowing who I was most amazing, genuine, saying, “I know I’ve said let alone you taking your and selfless person.” it so many times already time to paint me somebut thank you, thank you, thing and to write me a thank you, from the bot- note. I am so honored and tom of my heart. Never in so thankful to call myself 8 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BCS Championship Releases “Avengers” Trailer By Sydney Gaskins; Contributing Writer The BCS Championship Bowl, The game where the best football teams in college come together and play for the title of the best. This year pitted the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes against one another, but with the game also came a new 90 seconds TV Spot for Marvel’s highly anticipated sequel “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” The trailer opens up with a quote from Tony Stark’s Iron Man talking about this world needing something better to protect it, something more powerful than the Avengers, which is the basis of him creating Ultron. Then, it cuts to James Spader saying, “Everyone creates the thing they dread.” Then another shot with Ultron appearing in the Avengers tower. There are more quick shots of Quicksilver and Scarlet Scarlet Witch and the Hulk in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” will be featured in the new movie. Witch and Nick Fury saying that no matter who wins or loses, “trouble always comes around.” Then there are more shots of Andy Serkis as an unspecified role, though fans still assume he is playing Ulysses Klaw, who is a “Black Panther” villain, and also a scene with Captain America battling an Ultron drone and losing. Then, Ultron comes out saying: “I’m gonna tear you apart. From the inside.” Cut to more scenes of destruction, and the trailer ends with a lot more of the Hulk and Hulkbuster Iron Man trading blows. It ends with the usual title card and another split second shot of Ultron before fading out. While there wasn’t much else new, there were still some new things to address. The major new info came from the Hulk vs. Iron Man fight clip. We all knew the fight was gonna happen, but there was speculation as to why. We get a quick look at the Hulk, and what we see is that his eyes were red, just like Scarlet Witch’s eyes whenever she uses her powers. The theory is that this fight takes place before the twins switch sides, and Scarlet Witch has controlled the Hulk with her abilities. She twists Bruce’s mind and gets him to go on a rampage in what could be Wakanda, which would explain Andy Serkis’ appearances. So, Iron Man would have to try and knock some sense into him. There’s also a quick shot of a grey looking Hulk, which is most likely a nod to the more controlled but still as angry Grey Hulk. Another scene to mention is with James Spader’s Ultron, where he says, “I’m gonna tear you apart from the inside.” The trailers make Ultron look like a force to be reckoned with and an actual villain. The only real problem with the Marvel was that their villains were really bland and deprived of character. Loki was their best foot forward, but they really didn’t have any other stand-out villains. “Age of Ultron” plans to turn that around with Ultron. The android will stop at nothing to eradicate the human race, even if it means breaking the Avengers. The film is set for a release in North America on May 1st in 3D and IMAX 3D New Television Shows Plan to Excite Audience By Earlene Gibson; Contributing Writer Empire is the new show on Fox 45 that comes on on Wednesdays at 9:00 with the most amazing actors and actress. Empire takes place in Chicago, it’s about a billionaire, Luscious Lyon, played by Terrence Howard and how he makes his way through the music world with a trusty wife Cookie Lyon played by Taraji P. Henson. Cookie Lyon started the business herself, but after getting caught by the police, she spends 17 years in prison. When she comes back, she demands that she’s going to finish what she started. Cookie Lyon’s leaves 3 boys behind, played by Jussie Smollett, Trai Byers and Bryshere Grey. Ones son wants to take the business down, another is transgendered and has father issues and the last son has a large ego. They all have grown up in the limelight but the show takes a spin when Luscious Lyon is dying from cancer and now he has to put his 3 sons against each other to see who will run the business. The first episode of Empire was Wednesday January 7.2015. The show was absolutely amazing from my own personal experience. The show is funny, serious, and confident. The actors and actresses bring a whole new show with drama, especially Taraji P. Henson playing Cookie Lyon as she says “ you no longer think of Cookie as a sweet treat , you will think of Cookie Lyon an ex- con music mogul and mother character. This drama is the most rated on Fox 45 after one episode, just because the people say that the acting it feels so real as though they are the character in real life I know I think I had the same reaction. On Wednesday, January 14, 2015, the second episode of empire aired on Fox 45 with two new cast members Cuba Gooding Jr. and Jennifer Hudson as side people to help with Luscious Lyons second son with his career. Along with “Empire” a new show “Turned Up is planning to air on the E! Network. A new show is coming to E! Network about a Cuban family and friends. Christina Milian is an American actress singer and song writer. At the age of 19 Milian signed her first contract with def jams. Turned up is Christina’s new show premiering Sunday 18 2015,after taking off and raising her daughter Violet Madison Nash who the Dream a R&b rapper song writer and singer her first husband, the child they have together. Christina’s family takes place with her sister’s Danielle Milian Carmen Milian and Liz Milian. The show also represents a lot of emotional moments as Christina warned us about her family on the Wendy Williams show yesterday. The show I about family and love and business , as she told America yesterday that she even has a new love life that she calls her( Man Crush) and says that they are good together. The first episode of turned up came on and I never saw so much laughter and drama. Violet, Christina’s daughter is so funny and cute a has a sassy attitude. Appearing on The Real she was talking about how that it’s just not her in the show the main focus is on the whole family, for example her sisters aren’t known as Christina’s sisters they are known by their names and what they do. After seeing the first episode I really have gotten attached to it so ill be watching this Sunday on E! for the second episode for more drama I think this fits in right with my drama shows from now on. 9 FRANKLIN SPORTS NEWS Olivia Gruver Setting Records ByAlexandira Jefferson; Contributing Writer Olivia Gruver, one of the most talented pole-vaulters in the state of Maryland as well as the nation has had many opportunities in her high school life. From setting records, to committing to colleges, Olivia has done it all. Olivia had no idea of her talent prior to high school, and had no idea that it would take her this far. Olivia tried polevaulting for the first time when she came to Franklin High school and was surprised that she even started to like it. She says ninth grade was not the best year out of the all her seasons because she still was getting into the swing of things and was still getting to know pole-vaulting for what it was. She then went to a club for polevaulting and started seeing her true talent and what she was really good Olivia Gruver completes the jump at thirteen feet. at. She had no clue of her talent until she tried the sport and got a lot of encouragement from her coaches, who taught her everything she knows. She says that her tenth grade year was also a great season but she was starting to show her true talent once she got into the swing of things. In her junior year of high school she broke the Maryland state record. She usually comes to big and important track meets this year and usually blows out the competition with her amazing skills. She says that this year has started out slow but her junior year started out slow and it was her best season with her records. Her personal record is a great 13 ft. and 4 1/2 ‘s. Her 10th grade year was not as fun because of a broken ankle she received, which set her back for practices and meets that she could not participate in. However, when she came back in her junior year Olivia set outstanding records and was ranked second in the nation. She has made Franklin and her friends and family very proud of her. Olivia tried something new and set out to make it her best, something she did not think she was interested in. She is very surprised of her accomplishments and never thought pole-vaulting would get her where she is today. Because of her great accomplishments and making her self noticed, Kentucky University looked at Olivia and realized they had to have her. Now she is committed to a university for a sport she never knew she had a talent for until three years ago. Olivia is excited and is hoping for a great season this year, she says, “ I expect to achieve big heights and go to nationals.” Nationals are the ultimate goal that everyone is trying to go to, and win. Olivia is very grateful for everyone who has been on her side but she is most thankful for her coach Eddie, she says, “ I would thank my coach, Eddie who has helped with everything in terms of pole vaulting”. We hope Olivia achieves her goals and has a great experience at Kentucky. Champions Arise At Track’s County Meet By Madeleine Wroe; Contributing Writer Franklin’s track team has been successful throughout the year. A big part of their success is the athletes that train hard and become future champions. A few state champions are Senior, Olivia Gruver and Junior, Amanda Murphy. Amanda competes in shot putt and Olivia competes in pole vaulting. Freshman Nyjari McNeil is very promising because she is already ranked in county rankings that include third in the three hundred, third in the eight hundred, and sixth in the mile. The Baltimore County Championship meet was on January 20, 2015. With Olivia winning pole vault, Nyjari winning her events and Amanda got second place in shot putt. This County championship meet is only for the varsity team as the JV competes in a separate championship meet. Olivia has been doing pole vaulting for four years. Her record Olivia Gruver prepares for her highest jump so far. is a little over thirteen feet. She has been county champion three times during the indoor season, and two times during the outdoor season. Her favorite thing about pole vaulting is “the feeling of being free and flying.” She describes it as “amazing and she has never felt anything like it before.” As Nyjari is a freshman, all her performances could lead to personal records that will only get better throughout the upcoming years. Amanda’s record for shot putt is thirty nine feet. Her closest competitor from Catonsville at thirty three feet is Taylor Giles. The freshman and sophomores aren’t as good as the varsity team but their meet will be expected to have high results as they have the potential to succeed. The main teams that compete in the county meet are Dulaney, Hereford , Towson, Catonsville, Perry Hall, Carver, Milford Mill, Pikesville, Eastern Tech, Dundalk , Patapsco, Franklin, New Town, Kentwood, Woodlawn, Western Tech, and Owings Mills. The teams are close in skill since they are competing for the county championship. Some athletes achieved a win and will receive a ribbon for placing. Brennan Mason came in first place for male shot putt. As stated before, Olivia Gruver won first place in pole vaulting and the high jump. Nyjari McNeil got first place in the five hundred and eight hundred. Amanda Murphy got second place in shot putt. Warren jones got first place in the fifty five hurdles. Nala Gilbert got third place in the high jump. A few more athletes placed in the top six places in their event, but only top three get ribbons. It is quite an accomplishment to get a ribbon because you have hard competition to beat. The freshman and sophomore county championship meet is this Thursday, January 22. Franklin is in the 3A group for track and field. The next meet is the Central Regional Championship on February fourth. After that meet, then comes the 3A State Championship meet on February seventeenth. The top twenty four in each event in the regular season qualify for Regionals. So Franklin has many chances to take home a win this season. The top four in each event at Regional’s qualify for the State Championship. The track team has a big season ahead of them this year and as the seniors start to leave, we will have to wait till next season to see what to expect. 10