The Cougar Star https://thecougarstar.com The Student News Site of Clague Middle School Wed, 10 May 2023 16:32:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.1 Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill https://thecougarstar.com/2578/entertainment/only-ever-yours-by-louise-oneill/ https://thecougarstar.com/2578/entertainment/only-ever-yours-by-louise-oneill/#respond Mon, 08 May 2023 16:27:46 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2578 “Only Every Yours” Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill is a book not meant to be enjoyed. It’s the complete opposite; it’s supposed to be loathed. However, it is just this loathing that surfaces a sense of understanding when you finish the last chapter. The beauty of this story resides in its paradoxical nature the very thing that may make one despise it is also what makes it great.

Women, also known as eves, are laboratory bred and only used for one reason: pleasing men. Their future is bleak as they attend the School to become companions, concubines, or chastities. The book revolves around frieda (the author purposefully lowercase to emphasize women’s lack of importance), a girl in her final year of school anticipating the arrival of the Inheritants the boys who determine their futures. As her best friend, isabel, begins to sway from the strict rules, frieda faces social pressures and betrayal. Frieda must decide between her formidable future as a companion or her love for her best friend.

I would give Only Ever Yours a 4 out of 5 stars. O’Neill vividly builds the oppressed world as a girl, showing the yearning of being completely beautiful for a man. She also writes a clear descriptive personality for each of her characters, each one displaying their own flaws and faults.

In the end, Only Ever Yours isn’t just a story, it is a face of reality. This novel sheds light on the misogynistic struggles in today’s world and the depths of society’s constant fixation on becoming flawless and the malicious envy the idea of perfection creates. This is only the tip of the iceberg. 

I recommend reading this book for ages 13 and up due to the serious issues contained such as self-harm and mental illness, occasional language, and mild romance. Regardless, I think this is a very powerful book. So if you like plot twists and dystopian worlds, this is the book for you. 

]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2578/entertainment/only-ever-yours-by-louise-oneill/feed/ 0
Clague Science Olympiad Heading to National Competition https://thecougarstar.com/2565/news/clague-science-olympiad-heading-to-national-competition/ https://thecougarstar.com/2565/news/clague-science-olympiad-heading-to-national-competition/#respond Thu, 04 May 2023 12:12:36 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2565 The Clague Science Olympiad team will be competing in the Science Olympiad National Tournament on May 19 and 20 at Wichita State University in Kansas. 

The following 17 team members are traveling to Wichita, KS with the Scioly board members, coaches and parent volunteers to compete in the tournament:

Sounak Debnath – 8th grade
Angad Pal – 8th grade
Rajonya Dey – 8th grade
Anika Raman  – 8th grade
Thisali Bandaranayake  – 8th grade
Lakshya Jaiganesh – 8th grade
Victor Tarca – 8th grade
Michelle Zhang – 8th grade
Srishti Jadhav – 8th grade
Jhanvi Giddu – 8th grade
Paavani Tewari – 8th grade

Kanishka Gupta – 7th grade

Sahan Ihalaranaweera – 7th grade
Jerry Zuo (Alternate) – 7th grade

Claire Svoboda  – 6th grade

Aarav Tirumali – 6th grade 

Edwin Liang (Alternate) – 6th grade

“A 15 member primary team will compete in 23 event categories spanning several scientific disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, earth science and environmental science,” Head Coach Kapil Gupta said. “These events include lab-based events, where students conduct experiments or analyze data, as well as study-based events, where students are tested on their knowledge of scientific concepts and facts. The competition also includes events that test students’ engineering and problem-solving skills. Two alternate team members will also be competing in a trial event called Solar Power.”

Every student commits to competing in 3-4 events, each event team usually has 2 students.

“Students attend parent volunteer-led coaching sessions 1-2 hours per week for each event that they compete in,” Coach Gupta said. “ Additionally they spend an equal amount of time outside of the coaching sessions working with their peers on past tests and self-study.” 

On the road the National competition, the Clague Scioly Team had many successes.   

The team placed first place in the regional competition held at the University of Michigan on March 18 2023 to qualify for the State competition. The team then went on to secure second place in the State competition held at the Michigan State University campus on April 22 to qualify for the national competition to be held at the Wichita State University on May 19-20. 

 

The Clague Science Olympiad team stands for a picture. (Courtesy of the Clague Science Olympiad team)
]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2565/news/clague-science-olympiad-heading-to-national-competition/feed/ 0
Deborah Song https://thecougarstar.com/2536/cougars-of-clague/deborah-song/ https://thecougarstar.com/2536/cougars-of-clague/deborah-song/#respond Wed, 03 May 2023 19:56:27 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2536 Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

 

A: My name is Deborah Song and I’m in 7th grade attending Clague. I will be turning 13 in June.

 

Q: What’s your favorite class?

 

A: My favorite class is art (I had painting and composition) which I had in quarter 3 for 1st hour. I really enjoyed it since it was very therapeutic and was a great way to start the day!

(Just in case if the class has to be one of the main ones I would choose science since it contains many hands-on projects. For example, right now we are doing a plant project where we work on building an area, Then we add various plants to make it better for the community.).

 

Q: What hobbies/sports/clubs do you do and why do you like them?

 

A: I enjoy running athletics such as cross country, winter running, and track. I really like these sports since they are a lot less stressful than other sports to me. I also like to play basketball in my free time with my friends or my dad since when I’m playing with them it’s very comfortable and enjoyable.

 

Q: What is one thing you have learned since the start of the pandemic?

 

A: One thing I learned at the start of the pandemic is that I should stop my unhealthy pokemon card collecting addiction-

 

Q: What’s an interesting/unique fact about yourself?

 

A: I’m really confident in my SSBU (Super Smash Bros Ultimate) skills. I also really love collecting card decks!

]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2536/cougars-of-clague/deborah-song/feed/ 0
Students take on project based learning in science class https://thecougarstar.com/2556/feature/science-at-clague/ https://thecougarstar.com/2556/feature/science-at-clague/#respond Tue, 02 May 2023 19:32:29 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2556 Since March 20 7th graders have been constructing models of Kerrytown to Cinemark to strip malls and proving how they can apply the topics that they were taught: the life cycle of a plant, the process of photosynthesis, how and why flowers get pollinated, and the process of fertilization. Science teacher, Lea Kotlinski, has been teaching for around 10 years and contributing to the Clague community as a science educator.

“Science has to be manipulative,” Kotlinski said. “In order to really learn a scientific concept you have to be able to build something in real life—it’s analyzing and using data to explore the world us.”

In 7th and 8th grade, they have been using the science concepts they have learned so far and applied them in big projects, linking them to real world problems. 

“I love making learning project based,” Kotlinski said. “It gives kids a chance to use engineering skills and problem solving skills to solve a real world issue.”

The big project concludes on April 24., having Clague staff and students be encouraged to come in the classroom the following day after the completion of the project. 17 different models will be displayed, all built to favor local districts and neighborhoods, and be educated of the model’s objective on how vegetation will profit Ann Arbor; the leading choice will win a “million dollars.”

“I have had students come back from previous years and tell me how much they still remember this project,” Kotlinski said. 

What has also certainly made its impression as a memorable project, was the 8th grader’s recent activity. To culminate the month and a half long unit on electricity and magnetism, a project on executing the learning objectives betided. 

Participants of the project had to develop a design, capable of arranging into an arcade game, using electricity and magnetism to function. Afterwards, Clague staff and students were invited to trial and traverse through the arcade.

“The 8th grade project really has the kids to really build something from scratch,” Kotlinski said. “They can take whatever idea they want to build and make it a playable fun game.”

An idea that was conceived and built was a skee ball game, constructed with circuits. This is so that when the ball arrives in the hole, the lights would pulse a consistent pattern of flashes, as well as the magnets weaved into the composition of the game, so the balls obtained would issue out from an exit.

“The variety of projects that the 8th graders chose was really interesting,” Kotlinski said. “ We had everything from skee ball to Donkey Kong.”

Yes, Donkey Kong, a millennial’s childhood game during the weekend. Though in this contemporary model, the machine operates on wires, circuitry and electromagnets — utilizing the circuits to create a network: the circuits connecting to a raspberry pie linked to a laptop, performing as a functional game, where no person has yet to vanquish it. But being able to accomplish such elaborate projects starts from 6th grade.

“Each year in Clague we build on the previous year’s knowledge,” Kotlinski said.  “For  example in 6th grade, thermal energy will connect to 7th grade chemistry, which will connect to 8th grade physics — 6th grade cells [applies to] … 7th grade [when] we learn about how cells impact the body.”

6th grade is the start of learning a new concept in science, but those concepts carry on to 7th grade, 8th grade, etc., adding onto knowledge each year.  One of those important concepts building up each year is cells. 

6th graders were introduced to a new unit in early April: cells and systems. The start of this unit being a case study: a young man who dropped a weight on his foot, which caused a bone fracture to transpire. From there, 6th graders would be educated on how cells are responsible for how we grow, how we heal, and pass on genetic information

“I think that the unit has been very educational and is accelerating my comprehension on cells,,” 6th grader Noemie Wurster-Dillard said.

The 25 day long unit that 6th graders are partaking in, teaches from the difference of plant cells and animal cells to investigating blood smears, bone cells and skin cells under a microscope to singing “The Microscope Song” written by 6th and 7th grade science teacher  Jennifer Inaba. 

This unit concludes as a test and a model, demonstrating the 6th grader’s knowledge with the new concepts introduced during the course of four  weeks, cells and systems were taught. 

“6th grade scientists are lots of fun because they wonder about everything,” 6th and 8th grade Clague science teacher Gretchen Hahn said. “One of the nice things about teaching 6th grade science is that they expect to learn and have fun, so they do.”

This applies widely to Clague as well. In Clague, science is taught through big tactile projects all the way to ending a unit by making ice cream, a 28-year old tradition made by Grethen Hahn. 

“Science helps us to look at the world a way we have never looked at before,” Kotlinski said. “What we do here at Clague with science allows us to interpret our world and be constantly amazed by it.”

]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2556/feature/science-at-clague/feed/ 0
Super Mario Movie Review https://thecougarstar.com/2550/entertainment/super-mario-movie-review/ https://thecougarstar.com/2550/entertainment/super-mario-movie-review/#respond Mon, 01 May 2023 15:10:23 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2550 After playing the 2009 edition of Super Mario Bros. for as long as I can remember, I was ecstatic when I heard that a Super Mario Bros. Movie was in the making. Over the weeks, I anxiously counted the days until the movie was released. And finally, on April 5, 2023, it was playing in theaters around the nation. 

The Super Mario Bros. Movie follows the journey of Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and his twin brother, Luigi (Charlie Day), as they team up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) to defeat Bowser (Jack Black). The movie starts off showing Mario and Luigi’s aspirations to do something with their lives, like become plumbers. During one of their plumbing adventures, the sewers turn out to be magical, and they get whisked to the world of Super Mario Bros. As Mario finds himself in the Mushroom Kingdom, Luigi gets trapped in Bowser’s kingdom. Mario teams up with Princess Peach, and they travel through the worlds on their mission to save Luigi and defeat Bowser. 

This movie was one of the greatest movies I’ve ever watched. I may be biased because of my love of the video game, but it definitely had great features that anyone would enjoy. The animation was impeccable, and the characteristics of the video game were incorporated really well. Furthermore, it’s completely PG and is a great movie to watch with family and friends. The casting was also amazing, and each actor added the spark we needed (especially Jack Black)

Overall, this movie was a pleasant surprise. I walked into the theater uncertain about what to expect but walked out with a big smile on my face. It’s a movie I would definitely watch again, and highly recommend it. 

]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2550/entertainment/super-mario-movie-review/feed/ 0
Romeo and Juliet: Written by Shakespeare or Not https://thecougarstar.com/2553/opinion/romeo-and-juliet-written-by-shakespeare-or-not/ https://thecougarstar.com/2553/opinion/romeo-and-juliet-written-by-shakespeare-or-not/#respond Wed, 26 Apr 2023 19:24:32 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2553 Fashionable, lonely, colorful, and generous. All random words with only one thing in common, William Shakespeare (1564-1616). He is the source of these daily-used adjectives. Shakespeare was also the source of some of the most charming and pulchritudinous works of literature. However, some believe that the origin of these famous compositions and plays were written, not by Shakespeare, but by the one and only, Edward de Vere. Impossible! How could Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, be responsible for 37 celebrated plays and 154 acknowledged sonnets? Could his authorship be possible?

Some scholars believe it is possible. De Vere’s admirable education together with his personal affiliations with the inner court has convinced some avid Shakespeare enthusiasts and several august individuals, such as Walt Whitman or Derek Jacobi, that De Vere is in fact “Shakespeare.” Other pieces of evidence for De Vere’s authorship, include the circumstances that De Vere’s uncle Arthur Golding translated a play composed by Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis, which he dedicated to De Vere. Furthermore, De Vere’s bible, had notes highlighted and emphasized, that associate with Shakespeare’s verses; all these clues point to De Vere, and not Shakespeare, as the writer of those 37 plays and 154 acknowledged sonnets.

While these theories might be compelling, there are plenty that mention Shakespeare being authentic to his identity. One of those theories during the Elizabethan Era, the custom was not to publish one’s name on literary creations, the custom Shakespeare followed, until in 1598, there was an exception. Shakespeare’s name was being used, in fact his name was spelled 2 different ways, showing that he did not really care. If “Shakespeare” really had initiated a separate identity, he would’ve been more consistent with the spelling of his name. Adding on to this theory, the practice back then was to publish anonymously rather than pseudonymously. This is further evidence that De Vere was not the writer. Since there was an established stigma, that a nobleman needed to conceal their identity as writing plays brought shame. Which makes us wonder: why would De Vere use a pseudonym and not publish anonymously?

Another group of theories supporting Shakespeare involves collaborations; a common concept at the time. Records have proved that around half of Shakespeare’s final ten plays were produced with collaborators, for ex. Two Noble Kinsmen was written in collaboration with John Fletcher.  It has also been determined that Shakespeare’s initial plays were also collaborations with actors or poets. For ex, Henry VI, Part 1 was written with either Thomas Nashe or Thomas Kyd and Titus Andronicus with George Peele. However, in spite of the standard aspect of collaborations which still appeals to this contemporary period, it is at odds that if a nobleman, like De Vere was trying to discreetly publish their works and plays, the collaborations would have not occurred, because it would risk the inevitable ignominy faced by nobles in the theater.

Finally, how could a nobleman isolated from the actors and the theater, be aware of these slight features while writing the plays, which would be taking a certain level of physical association with these factors. While Shakespeare was influencing literature at his time, he was a shareholder of multiple theaters, and was directed to compose the plays. This entailed the constant presence of Shakespeare at these stages, so mistakes would not transpire. In addition, past documents presented evidence that Shakspeare wrote actor and stage specific sections, not pursuing the standard practice of character-specific parts. In 1610, Shakespeare’s previous theater’s location was transferred to Blackfriars, which involved a down-scale in size for the stage. This resulted in Shakespeare having to be strict on the elements of the stage, since missteps would consequently result in loss of revenue. In other words, it is implausible a nobleman writing that far away could perceive such essentials and such specific plays.

In conclusion, relating to Shakespeare’s authorship, they all point to these main questions, Why publish pseudonymously instead of anonymously? Why collaborate with a known actor? How does a nobleman write including details without being there?, it doesn’t quite piece together. Each conspiracy, theory, possibility, hypothesis, and candidate for Shakespeare, when scrutinized, contain no empirical evidence. And all go back to the original author: William Shakespeare the origin of alluringly woven literature. And said by Shakespeare, himself, “To be, or not to be: that is the question.”

And to answer that: to be.

]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2553/opinion/romeo-and-juliet-written-by-shakespeare-or-not/feed/ 0
And the Geobee Winner is… https://thecougarstar.com/2531/news/and-the-geobee-winner-is/ https://thecougarstar.com/2531/news/and-the-geobee-winner-is/#respond Mon, 24 Apr 2023 19:22:14 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2531 Today, we interviewed the recent GeoBee winner, Jason Lu. We asked him about his experience, what it felt like winning, and how he did it. After all, being a sixth grader and knowing so much about geography is a very amazing feat. Congratulations, Jason! 

 

Q: How did you prepare for the GeoBee, or is your skill a natural talent?

A: I did not prepare but I have watched a lot of geography videos. 

Q: How did you feel after you won?

A: I felt excited and surprised because I thought that I wouldn’t have won.

Q: Was the experience more fun or competitive?

A: I would say it was fun because it was competitive. 

Q: Do you think that you will want to enter next year?

A: Of course I will enter next year!

]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2531/news/and-the-geobee-winner-is/feed/ 0
‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’ set to release https://thecougarstar.com/2545/entertainment/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-set-to-release/ https://thecougarstar.com/2545/entertainment/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-set-to-release/#respond Wed, 19 Apr 2023 17:30:15 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2545 “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” is an open world adventure game that was released early in March of 2017. There wasn’t much thought of a sequel after it was released, however a small teaser for a supposed ‘Breath of the Wild 2’ posted in 2019 left fans on their toes for the announcement of a new game. However, this wasn’t exactly the case. Over the next few years, there was little information provided to fans concerning the game, and it was thought that the idea was scrapped and there would be no Breath of the Wild 2 as many had thought before. At the time, I was disappointed to hear this because it looked really interesting and the premise seemed very cool. In the meantime, another Legend of Zelda game was released in 2020. This was ‘Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity’. It is an alternate universe to the pre-canon of Breath of the Wild, and added more depth to the characters, however despite the amazing new game there wasn’t any new information about Breath of the Wild 2.

 

However, it seemed not all hope was lost after all. A trailer released in 2021, showing gameplay, hinting elements to the story and even giving a release window for 2022. Though this release window was scrapped, it was confirmed that it would be released in 2023, and is anticipated to be released soon on the 12th of May. Now after six years after the release of Breath of the Wild, and four since the first announcement, the game is set to release.

]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2545/entertainment/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-set-to-release/feed/ 0
Asian Heritage Charity Concert https://thecougarstar.com/2528/news/asian-heritage-charity-concert/ https://thecougarstar.com/2528/news/asian-heritage-charity-concert/#respond Mon, 17 Apr 2023 20:13:58 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2528 As a celebration and acknowledgement of Asian Heritage Month, a charity concert will ensue on Saturday, May 13. Due to COVID-19, many Asians in the US were stranded in unsuitable conditions. In some cases, quite a few lost their lives. 

This has inspired the start of a fund to achieve the recovery of Asians; who suffered during the pandemic.This is taking place as a charity concert, organized by Jayden Im.

What drove Im, a 15-year-old sophomore at Washtenaw Technical Middle College, to initiate this charity concert, were the devastating consequences of this pandemic and her love for music. 

“Since it is Asian Heritage Month, I decided it would be fun to hold a concert to celebrate Asian Heritage since after all, I am Asian, and I also love music so much,” Im said.

 

Im’s mission: 

“The purpose of this concert is to raise awareness for Asian American Mental Health,” according to Im, “to support these people that have suffered, we are trying to raise money to donate to the Covid-19 Recovery Fund by the Asian Pacific Fund, to contribute to their programs that aim to help Asians overcome the devastating effects of the pandemic. Donations are not required, but will be fully appreciated.”

“This left a huge mark on Asian culture, and consequently, lots of Asians were left traumatized, homeless, unemployed, severely injured, and even dead,” Im said. “I am so grateful for this opportunity to raise awareness for Asian American mental health and am overjoyed that music can be tied into it.”

Instruments ranging from strings to woodwinds to brass will be presented at the concert, with elementary schoolers to undergraduates performing as solos, ensembles and duets. The concert will take place on Emerson School’s stage at 5425 Scio Church Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 in the AIC. 

“For me, it means a lot to be able to combine a passion with an act of service,” Im said.  “I think that the concert will prove to others that there are so many different ways to serve the community and it does not have to be a chore.” 

The participants will be performing for around an hour.

 The pieces will range from “Arpeggione Sonata” on the double bass to “Duo concertant” op. 55 movement 2 on Soprano and alto sax to “Air on the G string” on violin, cello, and flute.

“Performing is one of my favorite things to do,” Im said. “ I am so glad that other musicians can share this event with me. I hope that in the future, if this concert is successful, I can organize more concerts for different heritage months and donate to other charities.” 

 

When and where:

Saturday, May 13 at 4pm

Emerson: 5425 Scio Church Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 in the AIC

 

Donate here to support this cause

]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2528/news/asian-heritage-charity-concert/feed/ 0
Chaemi Kim https://thecougarstar.com/2524/cougars-of-clague/chaemi-kim/ https://thecougarstar.com/2524/cougars-of-clague/chaemi-kim/#respond Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:22:32 +0000 https://thecougarstar.com/?p=2524 Q: Tell us a little about yourself

 

A: My name is Chaemi, I go to Clague and I’m in 6th grade. I like to read during my free time.

 

Q: What’s your favorite class?

 

A: My favorite class is probably ELA.

 

Q: What hobbies/sports/clubs do you do and why do you like them?

 

A: I like jump roping because it’s an easy sport and it’s fun.

 

Q: What is one thing you have learned since the start of the pandemic?

 

A: Learning at school is way more fun than taking Zoom classes.

 

Q: What’s an interesting/unique fact about yourself?

 

A: I like k-pop. Especially New Jeans.

]]>
https://thecougarstar.com/2524/cougars-of-clague/chaemi-kim/feed/ 0
https://thecougarstar.com/feed/
thecougarstar.com
CC-MAIN-2023-40
45111
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:U4W4YMEEXVE2POF4PUG27LZ2N3YPVGD5
<urn:uuid:2d60f2d4-15ed-44d8-a0b0-0536fc2dd8c8>
2023-09-30T00:28:58Z
104.21.32.166
application/rss+xml
sha1:67HRX5S3GYD2QBNYQMCDNHD7FWQXHCYN
<urn:uuid:a00e1c8f-1a33-452f-9170-3f75e7d045fa>
https://thecougarstar.com/feed/
response
<urn:uuid:5fadb63f-76b1-42bf-9561-ec96be4c17ca>
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2023-40
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for September/October 2023
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-67-67-67
software: Apache Nutch 1.19 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 1.5-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: https://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/