Time to take the test of the semester

 It is the season to be jolly, thankful, and, worst of all, stressed. Before all the sleep, play, and presents there are the dreaded finals. As the first snow begins to fall, students are anticipating the upcoming major event of the semester. Legs are shaking; nails are being bitten. The stress is building as the December days pass by. Study guides are made along with flash cards, practice tests, study partners, and end of the chapter reviews.

However, people find ways to keep themselves calm. Some like getting a good amount of sleep, while others like making sure they eat right. At times, people simply like lying around. Other ways of dealing with stress are listening to music, taking a walk, chatting with friends, watching fish in an aquarium, playing with pets, drawing pictures or coloring, dancing, praying, watching snow fall, pampering oneself, prioritizing, making a schedule, and many more.

The difficulty levels of dealing with stress are harder for some than others. For instance, students have been known to clean their room like there’s no tomorrow. Others push themselves harder in their sports’ games and practices. Also, some of the stressed people attempt to cook everything they can.

There is no way to avoid finals, but there are always ways to stay calm and relaxed. It helps to start studying ahead of time and to study little by little every night before you go to bed. Actually, it is proven that if you study or read something right before you go to bed, you can recall that information better.

Remember to take everything a step at a time, you can always ask for help, and it is fun to step in fresh snow to get your mind off of finals!

By Becky Welc

Actor Kills Mom with Samurai Sword

Michael Brea had minor roles in the ABC television show “Ugly Betty” and the movie “Step Up 3D.”  However,  he is  now achieving more fame,  but not from more television shows or movies. Recently he was charged with the of killing his mother with a samurai sword inside their apartment on Nov. 23, 2010, in Prospect Heights.

            Brea told the police that he had seen the devil in his mother.  According to police, he killed his mother shouting “sinner,” “repent,” and neighbors say they heard him yelling, “You never accepted Jesus.”

            However, neighbors are upset with the police about this particular situation.  They say the police waited about an hour before entering their apartment.  One neighbor said that he could hear her groaning, but she was not dead.  He also said that if police would have entered right away, Michael Brea’s mother, Yannick Brea, would have still been alive today. 

            According to friends and neighbors, Brea was a friendly man with no known history of mental illness.  However, Brea has been arrested for murder and is getting psychiatric treatment at Kings County Hospital. 

By: Elizabeth Farwell

"You Can't Take it With You" a Success

Dec. 4 was the opening night of the high school play, “You Can’t Take it With You.” 

This play is a comedy is about a young couple, recently engaged, who come from very different families. Alice Sycamore, played by Allison Sleeting, lives in a home whose family's social structure is far from normal, while Tony Kirby, played by Bryce McAuliffe, is part of a high class, structured, business family.

The pivotal part of the play was the dinner shared between the two families. This is when the drastic differences between the two families is brought out directly for the audience. The list of fiascoes starts with the Kirby family arriving on the wrong day. From then on, the night continues into a spiral of madness.

The play is high energy and rarely encounters a dull moment. The long line of somewhat random characters keeps the audience on their toes. The entire cast delivered a successful performance that provided the audience with a fulfilling comedic experience. Thank you to everyone who supported the cast by coming to the show and congratulations to everyone involved in the production!

By: Ellie Fink

The Forgotten Prince

With the media’s current infatuation with Prince William and his engagement to Kate Middleton, it seems as though the little brother, Harry, has been pushed aside. Well, I think it’s time he was given some attention!

Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales is third in the line of succession to the throne of 16 different countries, though primarily to the United Kingdom. He is the son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, and was born on Dec. 21, 1984.

He attended Eton College where he studied geography and art. After graduation, he spent a year in Australia where he worked on a cattle ranch and competed in polo and rugby. He also spent time in the African nation of Lesotho, working with orphans and producing a documentary known as The Forgotten Kingdom. He is responsible for the creation of Sentebale - a charity to aid children orphaned by HIV/AIDS based in Losotho. 

After his time abroad in 2005, the young prince returned home and enlisted in the Royal Military Academy. While in Afghanistan, Harry had called in United States Air Force air strikes, helped Gurkha troops repel an attack from Taliban insurgents, and performed patrol duty in hostile areas. In 2008 he was decorated with the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan.

Harry’s recent desire has been to fly military helicopters in the Army Air Corps, just as his brother, father and uncle did, and he was presented with his wings in early 2010. Clearly “His Royal Highness Henry of Wales” is worthy of more attention than he receives. At the young age of twenty-six, the prince has accomplished more than some do in an entire lifetime.

By: Anne Lehan

Yoha loves Brad Pitt

Age is just a number for actor Brad Pitt who was born in December 1963, making him 46 years old now. Although he is old, he is still active and doing a lot of work.

After being raised in the Midwest, Pitt moved to Los Angeles, two weeks before earning his degree. After working odd jobs, he landed his first starring role in the 1994 movie, Interview with the Vampire acting alongside Tom Cruise. In 1999 he furthered his acting career in the movies, Seven, 12 Monkeys and finally, Fight Club. Through these movies he became popular and still impresses many people with his acting.

Appearance is also very important to Brad Pitt and has been described as one of the world's most attractive men. He was selected as the "most attractive" man alive twice by People magazine. In the movie Fight Club and Troy, Pitt worked out to look strong. He took lessons in boxing, taekwondo, and grappling. Of course, people praised him for his work and physique.

Along with his acting career and flawless appearances, Pitt owns a production company named Plan B Entertainment. He is busy with acting and producing movies, being a hard worker, and continues to be the most attractive movie star in the world!

By Yoha Lee

Pull up your pants!

Pull Up Your Pants

Johnson was Black Friday shopping wearing saggy pants. While shopping Johnson faced ridicule from other shoppers, who decided to do something about this unwanted sight. The security guard approached Johnson and told him to pull up his pants, which he did. But, when the security guard saw Mario later in the checkout line, his pants were once again low.

As soon as Mario was reproached, the tensions rose. Profanity was shouted and fingers were pointed. The police arrested Mario Johnson at 5:30 a.m. He is now being charged with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct and is being held on a $500 bond in Shelby County Jail.

By Anais Tabor“Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground,” ---- This famous quote from an American Idol hopeful can also be applied to Black Friday Wal-Mart shopper, Mario Johnson, in Memphis, Tenn., who was arrested for indecent exposure. 

Comic book fun

One of the easiest and most popular ways to spend free time is reading comic books. With detailed description and interesting stories, comics will show you a new world.

Japan is well known for their huge comic market. Their comics,  called Manga, and animations not only earn a lot of money from other countries but also help create a good image of Japan.

There are hundreds of different comic books in the market. Here are some famous Manga:

"Bleach": This is about adventure of Ichigo, a soul reaper. He tries to defend people from evil spirits. Right now he is working on controlling his power and saving his friend. The series is not done yet and has unreleased issues.

"D. Gray - Man": A handsome boy, Allen Walker, becomes an Exorcist, and destroys Akuma, monsters. With his special left eye, he can distinguish between normal people and Akuma. One of his duties is to find Innocence, and fight against the Noah family. But people find out that 14th Noah has a connection with Allen. This series also is not finished yet.

"Case Closed": Also known as Meitantei Conan, this comic is a famous detective series. One day, Conan was attacked by strangers and became a little kid. Since he cannot speak in public as a kid, he decided to stay close to his friend's father, a private investigator. He helps solve criminal cases and helps people through the investigator.

"Dragon Ball": Although it is an old comic book, many people still love it. It is a story of Son Goku training his fighting skills and searching for seven dragon balls, which are known for answering one's wish. There are over 40 issues in this popular series.

"One Piece": This is the best-selling comic book in Japan. Recently the 60th volume was released and over two million copies were sold within a week. It tells of the adventures Monkey D. Luffy and his pirates have. Monkey D. Luffy is exploring the ocean and searching for the treasure, One Piece, so that he can be a Pirate King.

By Yoha Lee