King VOLUME. III, ISSUE III

Eighth-graders Gear up for High School By Adam Meehan The biggest thing that King eighth graders have to worry about this year may not be the I-Search or the large amount of homework, but the transition from middle school to high school. However, if any of the eighth graders went to the introductory event at BHS, you heard the teachers talk about how easy the move from middle school to high school can be. In fact, their message was clear: “Don’t be nervous.” True, BHS (Berkeley high) is a big school, with more than 3,300 students, but it is designed to make the transition from middle school to high school smooth. Pasquale Scuderi, the principal of BHS, says that to make students more comfortable, BHS is separated into small schools. “We know that most of our ninth grade kids come from schools that are significantly smaller than BHS so we like to connect kids to people See: Transition, Page 3

Cobra KING MIDDLE SCHOOL

JUNE, 2011

King Names New Principal Janet Levenson will move down the hill from Oxford Elementary

By Maya Wong The last time there was a vacancy for the principal position at King, the search ended up the hill at Cragmont Elementary, when principal Jason Lustig was plucked for the job. Four years later, King is looking to capture similar magic. By nabbing nearby Oxford Elementary's Janet Levenson, the district is hoping to adequately fill the big shoes Mr. Lustig’s is leaving behind. “She was a pretty good principal,” said sixth-grader Caleb Berg, who went to Oxford up until last year, and had Ms. Levenson as a principal. “Overall she was pretty nice.” Ms. Levenson looks to uphold the great reputation King has had under the beloved Mr. Lustig, who’s leaving for a doctoral program at Harvard. King is going to miss the great leadership and initiative he’s brought to the school. The question is, can Ms. Levenson live up to Mr. Lustig’s great standards? Her history suggests she can. Last year, under Ms. Levenson’s leadership, Oxford was one of two

Berkeley elementary schools to be awarded the “California Distingushed School” award. The award is based on a school’s Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress results, which is how the state and federal governments hold schools accountable. As many would agree, Mr. Lustig has King running pretty smoothly. He has made major improvements to the school during his four-year tenure, but is that all going to change? Ms. Levenson said that she probably See: New Principal, Page 3

Inside this Edition News

Opinion

Food

From Bin Laden reactions to tackling gossip the Cobra sounds off. Coverage of issues from around the King Middle School community Page 1-12

Movies

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Sports Baseball team struggles, but looks forward to new field Page 40

Can you solve the latest Cobra Crossword?

Don’t miss this revitalized strip of University Ave. Page 15

Puzzles/Comics

Our biggest movie section yet!

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King Cobra

Sixth Graders Join Youth Movement to Battle Climate Change King students take to SF streets and gather near city hall in order to change government emissions

By Dewi Zarni

On Mothers Day, about 100 people met near the San Francisco Ferry Building and marched to the Civic Center for one of several I Matter Marches, a series of Youth led marches happening around the world. So far, almost 150 marches have taken place in cities from San Francisco to Bangkok to London. The marches seek to bring attention to the fact that global warming is a serious issue that will affect this generation’s future. The specific demand of the I Matter marches is to get the government to agree to reduce carbon emissions 5 percent a year so that the U.S. can lower carbon levels back to a safe point. This will require cleaner energy, more efficient buildings and transportation, and reducing waste. This march was arranged by the I Matter organization, specifically Alec and Victoria Loorz. I Matter was created to empower youth to organize, and be heard on the issue of global climate change. Alec Loorz founded I Matter when he was 13, after learning about the climate crisis.

A polar bear rallies the crowd at the I Matter march

When interviewed, Loorz explained that he thinks it is important for young people to make their voices heard, since they are the ones most affected by climate change but up until now have not been part of the discussions about possible solutions.

“Climate change is the biggest issue facing humanity today,” Loorz told the audience, “and I urge all young people to stand up and be heard.” Loorz said he enjoyed visiting King Middle School and thanked us for participating in the march. Along the march, people carried banners with environmental slogans that said "I Matter" to reinforce the point that Students Emilie Kathol-Voilleque, Mayou Roffe, young people -- who will and Armani Turner-Jenkins took to the stage at the bear the brunt of climate I Matter rally in San Francisco change -- matter. They course, King Middle School. Sixthchanted, "What do we want? graders Mayou Roffé, Armani Climate Justice! When do we want Turner-Jenkins, and Emilie Katholit? NOW!" and other slogans for Voilleque, from King all spoke from clean energy and against climate the stage. Even media mogul Ted change. Turner marched along with the At the Civic Center, a biodiesel youth and other concerned citizens. powered bus served as the lounge Another sixth-grader, Darius for speakers and organizers to meet. Roffé, said he participated in the In front of the bus was a stage, from March because our future is at which many speakers addressed the stake. crowd, including environmental “We need a safe environment to journalist Mark Herstgaard, live,” he said. If we don’t have a Directors, and co-founders of I future, then what do we have? Matter, Alec and Victoria Loorz, Nothing.” author of “The Story of Stuff,” By marching and speaking Annie Leonard, and Green Schools about climate change, the kids from Initiative Director, Deborah Moore, King and other schools who explained the connection demonstrated very clearly that kids between schools and climate: do matter. They also showed that “From the 125,000 schools they do have a voice and that they across the U.S., about 250 million want to be part of the solution to tons of carbon (mostly from climate change. Sixth-grader Egon electricity and transportation) are Gilstrom thought the march was a released into the atmosphere” said great start, but is eager to see more Moore. “That’s why it’s so efforts to combat global important for kids to take action at warming. their schools.” “I think we all need to get Also present were kids from together to do a giant march,” he different schools around the Bay said, “like the one we did, but Area, including The San Francisco bigger.” Urban School, Brandeis Day School, Kensington Hilltop School, Dewi Zarni, a sixth grader, is a Palo Alto High School and, of contributer to the King Cobra.

Vol. III, Issue III

Transition (cont. from page 1) in their small schools or programs right away.” There are six small schools, Arts and Humanities Academy (AHA), Berkeley International High School (BIHS), Academic Choice (AC), Communication Arts and Science (CAS), Community Partnership Academy (CPA), and the Green Academy. Dominic Ky, a freshman at BHS, admits that BHS is intimidating at first, but students quickly get used to it. He also mentions that the infamous eggings of freshmen, which many middle schoolers fear, are becoming less common. "Transitioning to Berkeley High might be scary at first because it's such a big school and there are eggs waiting for freshmen, but everybody gets used to navigating around the school.” said Ky, “Also, Mr. Scuderi has been making stricter rules about egging, so the chance of getting egged will probably decrease." To make the transition to high school easier, students need to be academically focused. You can’t procrastinate. And you especially

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can’t be tardy, as BHS will come down hard. If you have 5 tardies in one quarter, you can be suspended. BHS can be challenging. In fact, it has an 11% dropout rate, a number that is considerably higher among minorities. To help ease freshmen into Berkeley High, Mr. Scuderi would like all King 8th-graders will soon be one of more incoming students to come Most than 800-plus freshmen at Berkeley High to the BHS orientations the he has enjoyed being with the week before school starts. students. “We like to make sure all of our “I am fortunate to have worked ninth-grade students are here for here and to have known most of freshman orientation the week prior these kids for three years. You to school.” Scuderi said, “We really (students) have been my teacher,” believe that the process we have set he said. “I am grateful that students up with orientations eases anxiety have shared their life with me and and allows incoming students to get have confided in me.” familiar with our campus and pick Santangelo also said it was up their schedules the week prior to wonderful to see all the risks taken the first day.” by the students. Many of the students moving “By trying new things, it on to BHS will miss King. teaches you about yourself. Just Likewise, the faculty will probably keep taking risks worth miss the students they developed taking.”

friendships with. Mr. Santangelo, the muchloved eighth-grade counselor says

New Principal (cont. from page 1) won’t change much at King, and she would like to mostly observe during her first year. However, she does have some ideas for improvements. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Lustig. I’m very excited to continue the good work that he has done and make improvements because he hasn’t finished all the work that he had to do here,” said Ms. Levenson. One area that Mr. Lustig exceeled at was getting money for the school, whether it was through fundraising events like the Unity Party, or getting grants written. Ms. Levenson said she has a lot of experience raising funds and knows where to find the money.” “I have a lot of ideas about school funding, so I’m excited for us to raise some money for programs here,” she said. “At Oxford I had parents writing grants, so we would get ideas for programs we wanted. I have some ideas about bringing all three middle schools together and writing some grants together to try to get some money.”

Sixth grader Christopher Hahn is excited for Ms. Levenson to come, and thinks it might be a whole new experience for the school. “I think it’s gonna be a whole different situation for her coming to a new school and it’s gonna be really cool having a new principal,” said Christopher. However, Sarah Carlin feels differently. “I’m kind of mixed because I think it’ll be nice to have a new principal but it’s sad that Mr. Lustig is leaving because he’s really good,” said the seventh grader. King Middle School will be different without Mr. Lustig, but should be in good hands. “I love kids; I’m definitely very supportive,” stated Ms. Levenson. “I’m very serious about learning and about kids coming to school to learn, but I’m also very playful.” With Ms. Levenson on board, next year should be a success. Hopefully, Mr. Lustig can leave without any worries. “I’m extremely excited about next year,” said Ms. Levenson. “I know King really well and I’m really, really looking forward to be here.”

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Drama Program Pulls off Shakespeare By Henry Bazakas and Juzo Greenwood Another Spring, another successful play by Richard Silberg and the King drama program, which performed a New Orleans-style adaptation of Macbeth, a classic Shakespeare tragedy. The plot focused around the rise and fall from power of Macbeth. The story begins with Macbeth as a loyal soldier, when he meets some witches that predict his rise to power. Aided by his wife, he goes on a destructive path to the crown. The play starred three-time drama veteran, eighth-grader Aya Newman in the title role. Newman said that she was pleased with her performance, however she wished she had more time to grow in the role of Macbeth. “I think that I did all that I could in the time that I had. If I didn’t have the iSearch I would have been able to grow my character a little bit more, but I did what I could and I’m happy with what I did,” she said. In the key roles of Lady Macbeth and Banquo, respectively, were returning actresses Maddy Pauker and Izumi De Los Rios Kobara. The play also featured newcomers Loren Aya Newman starred Meigs as King Duncan and Ma’ayan as Macbeth, with Godner-Abravanel as (the heroic) Maddy Pauker as Macduff. Lady Macbeth

King Cobra

The play featured music by the Modern Music band, directed by Michael Hammond. They played several bluesthemed songs to go with the play’s dark, voodoo qualities, including “Sugarland” by Papa Mali and “I Put a Spell on You” Dancers snaked to the music by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. in the dark drama, Macbeth Silberg said live music would continue to be used in future plays, “as long as Mr. Hammond is directing a modern music ensemble.” Also included were dances choreographed by dance teacher Sarita Trujillo and performed by the witches, and fights choreographed by Dave Maier, an associate of Silberg. “We have a fight week, training institute, (with) Dave Maier from the Berkeley Rep School of Theater,” said Silberg, “This is always based on a grant from the Berkeley Public Education Foundation. (Maier) trains the kids in fight techniques and then they choreograph their own fights and then Dave kind of adds something to it.” New to this production was extensive use of makeup and fake blood to emphasize the dark theme of the play. It was used primarily on the witches to exemplify their eeriness. “We realized that the witches really needed something to set them apart from the rest of the world,” Silberg said, “because their world represents something different.” Overall the play was a very well received. “I think all the elements that we tried to put together,” said Silberg, “the music, the dance, the movement, the blood, the fighting, the acting, all happened to blend together well.”

A Legendary King Personality Moving On Albert Williams leaving King at the end of the year

“Albert is very nice to see in the mornings," By Emily Wert said eighth-grader Hannalina Kalonji. "He With all the changes going on at always makes me happy." King, it's easy to overlook those details Mr. Williams, who served in the marines, and that will be greatly affecting the school is also a minister, has worked in the Berkeley community, such as the departure of Unified School District for 21 years. In that school counselor and administrator, time, he’s worn many different hats, including a Albert Williams, at the end of the school lengthy stint as vice principal at nearby Oxford year. Students and teachers alike will miss Albert Williams busts a move, Elementary. He has also seen his two children go through the Berkeley schools. his upbeat spirit. as Mr. Santangelo and Ms. He said he’ll miss the students at King the “Albert means a huge smile," said VP Sanders look on most, and mentioned how impressed he was David Gold," when he leaves he will leave when they emptied their own pockets for Haitian relief a void, because he has a really good connection to the “I was really proud of them and what they did,” he students," said Vice Principal David Gold. said. “The students really stepped up and took Mr. Lustig’s While Mr. Williams, or "Albert" as the kids refer to challenge of raising money. King students are some of the him, has been a visible and approachable personality, he finest students I’ve worked with as an educator.” has also been behind the scenes, helping to run things like It is not often that staff members are able to bond as student council, which organizes various fund raisers, well as Mr. Williams has with the students. school dances, and the even latest talent show. “Albert bridges the gap between school needs, as an For a lot of student who've passed through King, educator, and student needs," said humanities teacher Mr. Albert holds a special place in their middle-school Selk. "People are comfortable with him." memories. Whether it was "Albert Fridays," when Though Mr. Williams is unsure of his next move, and Williams would bring a stereo system out on the yard at how much he’ll work, he can’t see himself not being lunch and start a mini dance, or a friendly greeting in the around kids. hallway, he will always be one our King's favorite “I'll be somewhere, with students somewhere," he educators. said.

Vol. III, Issue III

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Favorite After-School Hangout Closed until Next Year By Kyra Traynor & Danielle Walton Many teens go to the north branch library after school to hang out or study, but now they’ll have to find somewhere else to go. In late April, the North Branch library closed for a year-long remodeling. Some students are happy that the library is closing because the remodel promises a better environment for teens in the long run. However, others are upset because they have lost their after-school spot. Even the grass area The historic North Branch Library will keep outside of the library is it’s exterior, but will get much-needed fenced off. One student, renovations inside who’s been going to the library with her friends for the past three years, and spent a lot of that time on the side yard, is a little bummed out about it. “We’d always hang out on the grass,” said 8th grader Nailah McGee. “I feel upset about it, but they’ve got to construct, so that’s cool. We still sit on the side and watch them build.” One of the big changes that the library will have is a bigger teen room which will be doubled in size, and house more books and computers. There will also be added electrical outlets, better heating and, plumbing, and more room for school groups. Since the entire building is historical, the beautiful wooden beams will be refurbished and repainted. There will also be more room for disabled people to walk and maneuver through. “We would like to offer more space to people after school homework clubs.” said Rachel MacNeilly the North Branch manager. Some people are worried about what will happen to the books during the remodel and wonder whether or not they’ll still be able to read their favorite books. Many of the books in the library will be put into storage, but some of the more rare books will be added to the Central Branch library. Videos and audio tapes will also be sent to different libraries. For now, students will just have to wait for the improved library. “I think its closed for too long,” said eighth-grader Thai Hill,” but, if they’re improving the library, I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

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Garden Confused by Funky Weather By Claire Inman You feel the rainfall drip down your face as you cultivate a a garden bed. You roll your eyes and think, "When will this rainy season come to an end?" There's been so much rain this year, that the governor has declared the major drought over, and that was almost two months ago. So, how has all this water been affecting the The tomatoes are garden? Well, right now, having a hard time up is down, and down is growing in the rain up. Plants that enjoy warm weather, like tomatoes, have been slowed in their growth, But plants such as lettuce that thrive in the cold, have been enjoying this long season of rain. "It's May 31st and it's been raining. That's not right." Said Mr. Geoff, an instructor in the edible Peppers, basil, and other schoolyard. summer plants wait patiently So true, in in the greenhouse for the sun the past few years, it's been warm and dry around this time of year. Many plants that you should see in the garden are locked away in the greenhouse waiting for the warm weather to come upon them. “We’ve got a lot of things like basil and peppers, that normally would have been in the ground by mid May,” said Mr. Geoff. Furthermore, the mystifying rain has been affecting the bird life in the garden. "The ducks really “Lettuce Likes the rain," said Mr. Geoff. love the wet weather. The chickens hide in the shed, he said. The rain has had it's ups and downs on the garden, but soon enough things will be back to normal. - Rebecca Miller contributed to this story

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King Cobra

Knitting Circle Brings a Calm to a Hectic Middle School Day By Mia Elser and Samantha Whitty Amidst the racket of the Game Room, a tiny corner lures students to its calm nature. Started by school counselor Ms. Spector and Rachel Williams, daughter of Albert Williams, this small section of the room is the knitting club. If you have ever gone to knit in the Game Room, you know it is a fun, drama-free place to create a fashionable piece of winter wear, all while talking with friends. “We thought a knitting circle would be a way for students to gather at lunch time and do something relaxing,” Williams said “The hope is that students can learn something new or practice something they already know how to do while getting to spend time with their classmates in a more relaxed atmosphere.” As we walk into the knitting area, Williams greets us with a smile, and ushers us to the display of colored yarn and bare needles. She didn't waste a minute, showing Ms. Williams said knitting us the techniques of circles are back in style casting on and knitting a regular stitch. As we sit down, we realize how soothed we are. In contrast to the chaos behind us, we could barely hear the competitive foosball and ping-pong games going on around us. When the bell rang, we said thanks and left, knowing we would return as soon as we could. We were disappointed that the next Monday (The club is on

Mondays during lunch) was a holiday, and we couldn't make it. Williams said that knitting is a great stress reliever. “Knitting can be challenging at first until you get the hang of it,” she said, “so it’s exciting to see people stick to it and feel good about mastering a new skill.” Although knitting may not be your thing, Williams said that both newcomers and experienced knitters alike enjoy the group very much. “We’ve learned that there are already a lot of students who know how to knit and having knitting at school may have reminded them how much they enjoy doing it,” said Williams “There are also of course many students who are learning for the first time and they are having a good time!” Williams tells us that knitting circles are a classic social gathering that have been coming back into style over the last couple of years. It may not sound fun to some people it is a good way of doing a fun craft while chatting with your friends. “I learned to knit when I was a little girl and I’ve always found it to be a comforting way to pass the time,” said Williams “I love the sense of accomplishment that comes when you finish a project. We thought it would be great to start a knitting circle at King to give students one more lunchtime activity option as well as provide a place for students to get to know each other in different way and maybe make some new friends!”

Game Room Makes for Healthy Competition By Elias Joseph

“They learn how to accept victory and to accept defeat.” The game room is also helpful to students in a social aspect. “It teaches them respect for one another and it also gives kids time to develop friendships,” said Mr. 8th--grader Nick Boulet gives the C. thumbs up to the game room However, the competition is still what makes the game room ping pong the most popular. Some students get so good, appealing? they decide to take on Mr. C himself. “It’s fun and I like to play games,” said “Once the kids have learned to play these seventh grader Matthew Stolaf. games, they like to try and play against me. It Mr C, the director of the game room, gives me a chance to teach kids how to play said that it’s the competition that attracts these games, which gives me a chance to interact kids. with kids I don’t see in the after school “Every student likes a challenge, every program,” he said. “I would like to invite every student likes to see who’s the best” he said. King student to come down and try the game “It gives opportunities to come and have a room out.” chance to compete against one another in a Game Room director, Mr. C, is This year, the game room has been opened during lunch, so students can come play games like foosball, pool and ping pong. Every lunch, students flock to the game room to challenge their friends at the available activities. So, what about the Sixth-grader Kian Broder-Wang game room is so returns a serve in a game of

responsible and social way.” he continues.

not afraid to take on the kids

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The Puzzle that is Marijuana By Cleo Osheroff   Like it or not, marijuana is very prominent in the US. Many people abuse it, while others use it for a variety of reasons. What is really important to remember about weed is that it can affect different people completely differently. Maybe one guy hates it because it makes him more uptight and controlling, while a teenage girl might only enjoy edibles because the smoke makes her feel nauseous. Then yet another teenager might love weed because they have a lot of stress from their family about school work and their parents are divorcing, and the relaxing drug helps them forget their troubles. Even though everyone is affected differently by marijuana, most people are still affected in one way or another, either positively or negatively. One marijuana expert said the drug has different scientific effects. Ralph Cantor, a teacher, counselor, and administrator for the Alameda County Office of Education, has worked for 30 years in prevention of substance abuse and specializes in marijuana awareness. One component in weed is THC (delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol) and it is the part that makes you high. Cantor says the THC “Gets to your brain through your blood, when you smoke or eat it,” and locks into different parts of your brain. According to Cantor, weed affects three major parts of the brain. These cannabinoid receptors are the hippocampus, cerebellum, and basal ganglia. For different people, weed effects these parts in a variety of ways. These range from memory loss, to poorer -- or better -- coordination, to extreme positivity, to paranoia, and many things in between. Smoking, of course, affects your lungs. It also is especially dangerous for all teens or kids. If your brain is still developing, the THC can stop some brain development. It can be hard to undo brain damage after smoking as a young adult. Mr. Santangelo, the eighth grade counselor at King, who specializes in teen drug abuse, believes students and teens should stay away from weed while they are still growing. “It has a lot to do with brain development. They (students) need to learn how to deal with stress, they have to learn to cope.” What do People Think of Marijuana? Usually, people have a set opinion. They have chosen where they stand and aren't moving unless a significant amount of evidence is put in front of them them. One Berkeley teen, Isabel Xochitl, thinks many people look down on those who smoke, without really giving it much thought. “A lot of people don't have a (good) reason to think badly of marijuana, they just do because everybody else does,” said Xochitl. On the other hand, Ms. Specter, a counselor at King who works with teens daily, has come to believe that marijuana is made out to be less harmful then it really is. “Marijuana has a reputation as a "soft" drug. A lot of people use it because they believe it is harmless. After working with many people whose lives were significantly and negatively impacted by marijuana, I am convinced it is not

harmless,” said Ms. Specter, “Weed is a significant substance with significant side effects. People can become addicted, be impaired while driving, and experience problems with work, family and relationships as a result of using marijuana. Since the brain does not fully develop until the age of 25 and marijuana has a significant impact on memory and brain development, I think kids, teens and young adults (i.e. anyone under the age of 25) should not use marijuana at all.” So should people stay away from weed just because they don't know if it's harmful? Well, it's a choice people have to make. For some adults, weed is a way to relieve pain, and in one case, it wasn’t the drug that cost a woman, “Martha,” her job, rather, it was her job that caused her wrist injury that she now uses marijuana for. This may not be a typical scenario, but it is real. Martha uses marijuana for relief from the pain in her wrist that was caused by typing in an office for too long at a time. She worked for an advertising agency and resigned after seven years in the profession. She uses marijuana for her repetitive strain injury (RSI) rather than taking prescription medication, but also uses weed to boost her creativity. “It allows me to expand my vision and stop overanalyzing,” said Martha. A lot of people would look at Martha’s scenario and not think badly of it, but what if it was a kid that was smoking weed for an injury. Would it be the same? Mr. Santangelo really believes that of all the ages, marijuana affects kids and teens the worst. “If you have the kind of brain that reacts to THC, you’re developing habits and ways of doing things that may not be (best for you).” Is it Good or Bad? Well, it's really not that simple. There are a lot of opinions on marijuana use in teens and adults. What's important, is to think everything through and take from it what you will. Try to keep an open mind and be ready for any unexpected fact to come your way. Really, whether weed is bad for you depends on who you are and why you are using weed. If used as a recreational or medicinal drug, marijuana can be enjoyable or beneficial. But, if abused, it can distract you from your life; your interests, and your goals. Mr. Santangelo thinks having fun is important to establishing a sense of self. “We've got to find out how to feel good and build a life,” said Mr. Santangelo. Marijuana is sometimes used to avoid dealing with problems. Instead, people should try to solve them in other ways. Using drugs to ignore problems will not solve them. “Where do you draw the line,” said Xochitl, “between coping mechanisms that make you stronger, and coping mechanisms that make you reliant on them?”

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Technology Making it Easier for Bullies Cyberbullying a major issue in today’s modern world by Sicily Masuret Cyber bullying is when a child or teen is harassed, tormented, or threatened through phones, IMs, emails, Facebook, social networking sites and other ways on the internet. Cyber bullying is one of the biggest threats of the generation. In some instances, it has escalated into murder and suicide. For instance, 27-year-old Rachel Wade was sentenced to second-degree murder in Florida April, 2009. She was convicted for stabbing to death a woman named Sarah Ludemann. For months, the two girls had been exchanging long cruel threats through texts and MySpace. In another high profile case, 15-year-old Pheone Prince hung herself January 14 after months of non-stop torment from nine teenagers at her school, through texts and social networking sites, like Facebook. The nine teens were charged with "unrelenting" bullying. A 17year-old and 18-year-old male were charged with statutory rape. Six students were charged with connections to her suicide. Three were expelled, and three other remain at the school. King Counselor, Anthony Santangelo said that cyberbullying is something that is very prominent with teens. "Teenagers haven’t yet developed a healthy self esteem and they try to gain popularity and status in a lot of negative way,” said Mr. Santangelo. “They think the way they can become popular by putting someone else down," According to the National Crime Prevention Council this problem affects at least half of all American teenagers. The Cyberbullying Research Center say there are 19,000 suicide attempts in America a year, due to bullying, and that it’s responsible for 20% of

middle school students’ suicidal thoughts. An anonymous female student at King, who admitted to the King Cobra to being a cyber bully, actually explained her motivations. "I cyber bully because it’s fun. It makes me feel pleasure and entertainment,” she said. She also said that she bullies through her phone or email. And she was asked if she only bullied people that were weaker than her.

“No, I don’t care how strong they are, I just bully them," she said. A recent poll at King Middle School of 70 students asked: "Do you think boys or girls are bigger bullies at this middle-school age?" The results showed 23.6% thought boys were meaner, while 76.4% thought girls were meaner. The majority of those who were asked indicated that girls were more aggressive on both a psychological and violent level, and boys were just physically aggressive. "Boys are physically more aggressive, and girls are way more mean on a psychological level," said one student, while “Girls tend to do more damage, with their words, and its not like they won't hit you either. They are willing to do both," said another. Many students agreed that a common form of girls bullying is through their phones or facebook. 

Stats from Bullyingstatistics.org

• Around half of teens have been the victims of cyber bullying. • Only 1 in 10 teens tells a parent if they have been a cyber bully victim. • Fewer than 1 in 5 cyber bullying incidents are reported to law enforcement. • 1 in 10 adolescents or teens have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken of themselves without their permission, often using cell phone cameras. • About 1 in 5 teens have posted or sent sexually suggestive or nude pictures of themselves to others. • Girls are more likely than boys to be involved in cyber bullying. • Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most popular form of technology and a common medium for cyber bullying. • About half of young people have experienced some form of cyber bullying, and 10 to 20 percent experience it regularly. • Mean, hurtful comments and spreading rumors are the most common type of cyber bullying.

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Depression - You are Not Alone by Claire Inman The world is caving in on you. There is no escape. Your world has become a black hole filled with sadness and unhappiness. You are depressed. Depression is diagnosed as a severe medical condition. Once you are in, you feel as if there is no way out. According to TeenDepression.org, about 20% of teens go through depression before reaching adulthood. If it’s not addressed, depression often leads to self-harm, or even to suicide. "It's people feeling overwhelmed. It's kind of how they view the stress in their life," said Ms. Spector, a school counselor here at King. Sometimes even the most “stress-free” people may come off as just that, but on the inside they are suffering. People are hiding behind a mask, smiling, and laughing on the outside, but sometimes it just becomes to much to handle. "Bullying by school peers may lead to teenage depression" said the, Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute. One of the leading causes of depression among young people is bullying. While bullying has been around a long time, its became a very hot topic the last few years. Even President Obama has recently spoken out against bullying. Earlier this year, in a very high publicized case, Tyler Clementi, a former student at Rutgers University, killed himself last fall by jumping off the George Washington bridge because of a sad case of cyber bullying. The emotions he must have been feeling are unimaginable. During the evening in November 2010, at Rutgers University, Clementi asked his

roommate, Dharun Ravi to have the room to himself for the night. During the next few hours, Ravi was at Molly Wei's dorm which was just a couple rooms down from Clementi's. Wei and Ravi were deviantly passing their time by spying, via Skype on Clementi and another man together, kissing, in his room. Ravi and Wei then decided to broadcast the video on the web. Shortly after Clementi found out, he made the decision to end his life. He made the hour drive to the George Washington bridge during the cold, windy night. When he got to the bridge, he left his wallet and cell phone on a nearby ledge near his car. From there he jumped to his death, never to be seen again. Imagine what would drive someone as young and as talented as Tyler Clementi, to kill himself. He did nothing to deserve to be lying in his grave at such a young age. Imagine if you were Dharun Ravi, or Molly Wei, and were responsible for a promising musician's death. In this case, causing someone's suicide is not much different than actual murder. Think back to when you made fun of someone, and you succeeded and they were hurt by it. Didn't you feel at least one ounce of guilt? Imagine if you hurt them so badly that after school they went home and pounded their head against the wall because they feel so ashamed. You may think that they are "wimpy" for doing that, but think of Clementi, along with all the other people who decided to end their life because they were bullied. The Rutgers tragedy isn't the only case of cyber bullying, leading to suicide. There are many lowerprofile cases that never make it into the news. All different types of bullying makes some kind of imprint on people. It is one of the main roots to depression. If you are repeatedly

told the same thing over and over again, such as, “you’re dumb!” Then you may start to believe it. There are many more people out there who have suffered through depression, or worse, killed themselves. But there is always hope. Some things that might help, are exercise, spending time with people who love you, or even eating healthy foods such as lots of fruits and vegetables. Here are some basic symptoms of depression (please check all that apply to you. From: Mayoclinic.com

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Feeling sad, or unhappy Frustration, or irritability over nothing Loss of interest in activities you normally enjoy Excessive sleeping Changes in appetite Restlessness- hand shaking, pacing, inability to sit still Slowed thinking, or slow body movement Decreased concentration Fatigue, loss of energy Feeling guilty, blaming yourself, or feeling worthless Trouble remembering things, trouble thinking Thoughts of death, and suicide Unexplained back pain or headache

If you checked yes to most of these questions, then you should see a school counselor, and get help. There is nothing wrong with asking for help, especially if it is something as severe as this. If you are a self injurer, (SI), remember you are not alone. There are tons of other people out there just like you going through similar problems. Depression is tragic, but it is curable.

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Weird World News Compiled by Adam Meehan

The term “What an @$$” got new meaning, when, in Georgia, police say 18-year-old Daniel J. Moore accidentally butt-dialed 911 during a drug deal. He even went on to mention where he was during the conversation.

A United airlines flight from Washington D.C. bound for Ghana held an emergency landing and was escorted by two F-16 fighter jets after a fistfight broke out among two passengers, after one of the passengers reclined his seat.

In Fanning Springs, Florida, a boater's leg was broken by a sturgeon (A jumping fish) The sturgeon was 5-6 feet long and weighed 60-75 pounds. Funnily enough, All boaters there were pre-warned about the danger of the sturgeons.

In Long Island, New York, a man's faith was returned. He had prayed for his mother to win the lottery and the next day she won a million bucks

In southern Florida, a young teen attempted a stunt even "Jackass" cast members wouldn’t touch. He dared his girlfriend to shoot him in the chest with a pellet rifle. The pellet went right through his heart but, due to an anatomical anomaly, his heart was able to pump blood around the bullet.

Britain appears to be the perfect treasure-hunting location. Last year, almost 100,000 archeological items found in the UK were reported to museums. This was a 36% increase from 2009.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, airport customs found the unexpected in a postal package from Bolivia. Using an X-Ray scanner, they discovered two dead bodies and a mummy that dated back to pre-Inca times more than 2,000 years ago.

Now, in some parts of China, if you are a male, you will get an extra half-burger with your meal in McDonalds. Chinese McDonalds are reported to sometimes show preferential treatment.

Off the coast of Terrigal, Australia, three simultaneous waterspouts (tornadoes over water) were seen. They were reported to have been more than 600 meters high (almost seven football fields) rotating at about 70 mph. Fortunately, when the spouts hit close to land, they fizzled out, causing minimal damage.

Vol. III, Issue III

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Q&A with Mr. Spiegelman By Samantha Resnik

You may know Mr. Spiegelman as just another humanities teacher, but to the King faculty he is known as a GOD. Mr. Spiegelman has a heart of gold until he gets his feelings hurt, then he fights dirty. He has been working at King since 1992. Sometimes, he is also known as the "Roaster.” All we can say is when you are near him bring a shield and a therapist. (By the way, though it is not King Cobra policy to let the source dictate what we write, we didn’t want to cross Mr. Spiegelman.) KC: If you could be anything other than a teacher, what would it be? DS: A prison warden....

KC: If you were an animal what would it be? DS: A sloth, because they only come out of the tree to do two things ... KC: Who do you think is hotter, Justin Bieber or Taylor Lautner? DS: My wife!?! KC: What is your favorite thing to teach in history? DS: Crime and Punishment in the Dark Ages. It makes me long for the good old days. KC: What advice do you have for students?

KC: What’s your favorite movie? DS: Taxi Driver because it’s really funny!

DS: Stay away from Ms. Searle, she is hecka mean. KC: What motto do you go by?

KC: If you could change one thing about this school, what would it be? DS: (He giggles...) I would add heated toilet seats and world peace! KC: What’s your favorite place to travel? DS: The empty places in my mind of which there are many.

DS: Sit down, be quiet, and everyone is happy. KC: You have a reputation for "roasting" kids. They even call you the “Roaster.” Is this fair? DS: No, its a misconception. I have a kind heart. KC: How do you feel about the state of public education in the U.S. right now? DS: We are in a crisis and I feel like teachers are being blamed. That hurts my feelings. KC: What's your favorite part about teaching a King?

Mr. Spiegelman requested we place a photo of a unicorn in a karate suit with a rainbow belt, on this page. This is the best we could do.

DS: Roasting kids! But seriously we have the best students and teachers in California.

Mr. Spiegelman: “Life is life a box of Chocolates, but why do I get all the nuts?”

KC: What advice do you have for 8th graders moving on to high school? DS: I hope you enjoyed your final year at King, now have fun being a little fish in a big pond just like you were in 6th grade. KC: You've been teaching at King for a long time....Do you ever feel old? DS: I do until I look at Mr. Dalton; then I feel young again! KC: What is the craziest thing that you have experienced at King? DS: I had to break up a fight in front of King. During the fight, one of the kids threw a bike at the other kid and it hit a cars windshield. KC: Who is you favorite character on Jersey-Shore? DS: Johnetta Tidwell KC: What did you do before you became a teacher? DS: I was fired from every restaurant job I had. KC: Why? DS: This interview is over.

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Eleven Fun Things to do This Summer by Mia Elser 1. Nighttime=Fun-Time! Invite some friends over for a all-nighter. Tell them to bring their favorite books, games and junk food. Don't worry it's okay to take a break from your tight summer schedule. 2. Summer Swim Ask some friends if they want to meet up and go for a swim at a public pool. Cheap, easy, fun! 3. Hello, Friends Have some friends that are on a trip? Write them a nice card or send them a care package to show how much you miss them. Are you on a trip? Do the same! Send a postcard or mail a package, show them that you care! 4. Earn some $$ Need some summer money? Wanting to save up for that new iPod? Let yourself be heard! Babysitting, dog walking, lemonade stand, lawn mowing (and just help your parents out around the house)! It’s all so easy and you still get paid! 5. Shoot and score! Get off of the couch and and get active! It's important to always stay fit even ask some friends if they want to go to the park and play some ball. 6. Head start! Put down the remote and open your books! You always want to be as ahead as you can. I know it may not be how you would want to spend your summer but you might as well if you don't have much to do. Grades count! 7. Picnic Invite Family and friends to have a BBQ and just chill out. Bring some volley and soccer balls and play with everyone. 8. Daily Diary Make a daily Photo Diary and show your friends what you've done everyday for the break. When you are done Put the photos in order like a time line so you can have a memory of your fantastic summer.

9. Chillax Have a lazy day when you just watch movies and eat junk food. Take a break, be as calm as possible. 10. Artistic! Show your inner artistic abilities! Make a cool collage, or a crazy cake. Hold your own art show, and invite your friends and family! 11. Roller Coaster! Hit an amusement park with your friends Here are a few to get your started: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a seaside amusement park that opened in 1915! With classic rides such as the Haunted Castle, The Loggers Revenge, and the timeless Giant Dipper, this park is family friendly, while still providing thrills! Only one and a half hours away from Berkeley, it includes free concerts, good carnival food, beautiful seaside views, and magical memories. Six Flags Located in Vallejo, Six Flags DIscovery Kingdom is a fun-filled experience with record breaking roller coasters, and animal shows that will knock your socks off! For example, after swimming with a few dolphins and meeting a star walrus, you can watch Shouka the famous killer whale doing all kinds of amusing jumps and tricks! Sit in the splash zone for some real live Shouka action! Just remember to bring your umbrellas and rain ponchos! Gilroy Gardens Gilroy Gardens (Bonfante Gardens to some) is a family friendly amusement park. But what you probably don’t know about it is that all of the rides look like food! From the Artichoke Dip to the Banana Split, these rides will be a delight to your appetite! With water playground, Paddle Boats, and the beautiful gardens, Gilroy Gardens is a super fun time! - Mia Elser, Izzi Rothenberg, Samantha Whitty

Vol. III, Issue III

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Help yourself While Helping Others: Shop Responsibly Some clothing companies donate a portion of their proceeds to charity By Dora Beilin How much money do you spend on clothing, shoes and accessories every year? You probably don’t actually know. I personally spend $15-25 for a shirt when I go shopping. I go shopping about three times a month and if I bought one shirt every time, I would be spending about $720 on shirts alone in one year. I didn’t know until recently that some organizations give a percentage of those profits to charities and people in need. Some even donate in the way of sending their own clothes. Whatever way they donate, it does help in some way. If you want to help out, here are some stores that might fit your needs. The World Clothes Line which carries hoodies, sweats and tees will match every item of clothing sold on their website for someone in need, and YOU can choose where in the Rock stunner shades from world you want your matched clothes to be shipped to (www.worldclothesline.com). The Chisomo Idea and the Another company, called the Chisomo Idea, sells amazing bags and stunner shades and proceeds will help African orphans uses their profits to go toward children centers that they have set up to help orphans in Africa (www.chisomoidea.com). TOMS is also a popular shoe company that matches each pair of shoes you buy and sends another pair to a child in need. TOMS explains that “A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause” (www.toms.com) If you just need some cash, one easy way to make it is TOMS matches each pair giving you’re old clothes or the clothes you don’t want to of shoes you buy, by second hand stores like Buffalo Exchange (on Telegraph Ave.) sending another pair to or, Crossroads (Shattuck Ave.). If the clothes are in good those in need condition they will pay you a reasonable amount in When you purchase a hoody exchange. They also sell this clothing at a decent price so you might pick up some from the World Clothes Line, they match your money spent new stuff while you’re there. If you don’t really care about necessarily getting money or clothes for your and donate it to the needy purchases, you can always donate some of the clothes you don't need anymore to the Salvation Army or Goodwill, which then sells your clothes at prices that are pretty cheap. So you add to the circle of reusing while also helping people that can’t always afford the more high-end stores. These ways to help others are super easy. So, next time you go shopping, take into account the people you can be helping while helping yourself look good at the same time.

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Opinion Cutting Education: Always a Bad Idea By Cleo Osheroff Most people know that America is in deep financial trouble. In fact, the U.S. is facing it's biggest debt in history, an astronomical 14 trillion dollars. California is in a similar situation, and it's no joke. To help solve the budget crisis, the government will likely be cutting back on school funding, and the details are horrible. We should definitely not be cutting education, especially when schools are already getting less attention then they should. Right now California is figuring out what will have to be cut. A lot of different cuts are being proposed -- even in more well-off districts like Berkeley -like shorter school years, larger class size, less staff, less counseling, and less music and arts classes. While nothing is set in stone, Governor Jerry Brown is also considering shortening the 180-day school year by five weeks (one seventh of the year) this coming school year. Are we insane? Taking away precious school days, making the teachers have to cram more work into less time? Students might see these furlough days as vacations, but they are really just staff days off with no pay. Also, with less time to learn the curriculum, students won't understand the material as well. Then there is the problem of day-care. Not all parents can afford to take off work and look after their children. In addition, some schools might cut more days than others. Soon some districts will have completely different school years than others. Is that fair? Also, possibly cutting the music and arts department? That seems like one of the worst ideas. For many students, the arts are the fun part of school; they are interesting and bring out people’s creativity. Imagine if zero-period music was cut. Gone? That's what gets people up in the morning, plus it's a great way to make friends. You all share a common interest and you see each other everyday. What better place to meet people? One of the main reasons for this huge national deficit, in general, is the military. The proposed federal military budget for 2012 is more than $700 billion dollars, or $1.92 billion a day. If someone could just cut all military spending for just three days, it would give enough money to schools to cover the suggested $5 billion in cuts to education being proposed by the federal government. Also, who wants more war? Our namesake, Martin Luther King has always advocated for less war. He believed war makes more war, and it's true. America is

better off salvaging their money and taking the troops home. Another result of education cuts, and usually one of the first things to change at schools, is class size. At King, some classes have gotten bigger by three or five students. Some students might be happy to see more of their friends, but really, their education is suffering. Ms. Collins, a seventh and eighth grade math teacher at King thinks it is much harder to teach well to bigger classes. “With smaller classes, I am best able to support my students. As a department, we have experimented with different text books, different curriculum, different teaching methods, different seating arrangements, and different support systems,” said Ms. Collins, “I find that I can be most successful with my kids if I am simply dealing with fewer kids during the course of a single period.” With smaller class sizes, each student gets more attention. If there are too many students, the class gets rowdy and the more people in the class, the more likely there will be different level of learning. Then everyone will have to go at the pace of the slowest student, and kids would probably get really bored. Think about it. Bored students aren't motivated, and unmotivated students rarely go to college. The less people who go to college, means we’ll miss out on those who may have become better candidates to fill vital positions like doctors, teachers, and nurses. Also, school is a great place to have fun, see friends and develop good habits. If all we do is cram test prep into the days we do have at school, and we don't have enough money for fun classes and art materials, what would be interesting and enjoyable about school? Well, how can we solve this? If we don't cut education, what do we cut. Ms. Searle, a seventh grade humanities teacher at King has a simple idea to help this budget crisis. In fact, many people agree with her. “One thing that would help education funding in California is a 15% tax on oil companies that extract oil from California. Other states already have oil extraction taxes. This tax would go directly to education funding,” said Ms. Searle. Taxing the rich is also an option. The important thing to remember is that, if we don't resolve this debt soon, education will continue to suffer. Mr. Dalton, a PE and journalism teacher at King agrees that taking money from schools will not help anything. “Cutting education is only contributing to the dumbing down of America. We should be doing everything we can to help produce bright motivated people that make this world a better place.”

Vol. III, Issue III

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America’s Reaction to Bin Laden’s Death Sympathy for Terror Leader is Ridiculous

Some Celebrations Were Just Too Much

by Juzo Greenwood

by Emily Wert

A

T

he death of Osama Bin Laden spurred different fter I was told that Osama Bin Laden had reactions all over the world: relief, patriotism, joy, sadness, been killed I was quite happy. Not “let’s go and anger, and even fear. In New York, crowds took to the celebrate” happy, just glad that the terrorist is now gone. streets chanting, “USA! USA!” And then there were the Yes, it seems barbaric that we Americans are celebrating signs at sporting events everywhere saying “US: someone’s death, however his mass murderer of Winning.” I feel, however, that this celebration of death is thousands isn’t exactly getting my sympathy. barbaric, inappropriate, and marks and invitation to I feel that Bin Laden’s death is, if not a political retaliation from the jihadists. victory, a “psychological” victory, Bin Laden’s death may be viewed as NBC put it. Even if there is no HeadToHead differently even by those whom it real difference, now that he is dead affected the most. People who have people now feel safer, and those lost loved ones on September 11 have who lost loved ones in the 9/11 expressed their feelings on his killing. attacks will be happier believing that Some agreed with President no one else will suffer the way they Obama, stating “Justice is served.” did at the hands of Bin Laden. others have remarked that although Frankly I find some of the they are relieved he will do no more reactions to Bin Laden’s death, on harm, his death cannot ease their pain, both the triumphant side and the nor bring back those who were lost. sympathetic side appalling. People I do not wan to seem like I’m who jubilantly bear red, white, and pardoning his actions. I’m not. I just blue and shout “America won!” just don’t think that this is a time for make themselves look violent and celebration. Osama Bin Laden was a terrorist leader, not ignorant. Bin Laden’s death doesn’t just eliminate all of the terrorist leader. And he had many supporters. He was America’s problems. their leader, and I think it will upset them to see I find it equally ridiculous that sympathy for the Al Americans cheering and celebrating his death. I am Qaeda terror leader’s dying has arisen. I’ve heard words worried that our response will cause them to retaliate along the lines of “we shouldn’t be happy about his against us. Although the death of Bin Laden is supposedly death,” and “he shouldn’t have been killed.” There is a giant step in fighting terrorism, I don’t think that our nothing wrong with being glad the man who actions afterward were appropriate, even though I’m sure orchestrated a killing of 3,000 people is now gone. I our hearts were in the right place. certainly feel absolutely no sadness that SEAL Team 6 killed him. It isn’t like the he walked out with his hands BOFFO CART on his head. He wasn’t cooperating and they deemed him a threat so they killed him. Fresh, Grilled Panini & Calzones Saying they shouldn’t have killed him is just as Sundays 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Kensington ridiculous as the people who protested the shooting of Farmer’s Market near the Colusa Circle the Oakland man who gunned down four police officers, on the same day in 2009 that he robbed, and raped two Wednesdays 3 - 7 p.m. at the new Farmer’s Market on Solano Ave. just below San Pablo women at gunpoint. The thing I was most impressed with was the work of the U.S. military. The technological work they did is truly brilliant. It is amazing that they were able to map out the area and practiced the attack. I was also happy that the SEALS suffered no casualties and executed President Obama’s orders with much efficiency. I find it very insulting when I hear people degrading the soldiers and their work only on the basis that they were “cruel” to Bin Laden. This affects me very strongly because of my family’s connections to acquaintances who served in the war in the Middle East Find us on Facebook and Twitter! and experienced insulting prejudices from people.

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Good or Bad, King Provided a lot of Memories by Elena Wiedlin Eighth graders, we’re making a jail break. We’re busting out of Middle School. After counting down the days until we leave we’re finally getting ready to go to High School. We’ve spent three years in Junior High and you can feel summer in the hallways. It’s finally the time of the year where teachers try to kill you with homework just before you leave; girls have an excuse to debate on the phone for hours over dresses for graduation; and for all of us to get excited that we’re officially becoming grownups, technically,. But when I look at King, I realize how many memories this place has made for me, good and bad. Everywhere I go in this school, each place has a memory. I’ve grown up with these people. Middle School is truly a place where we find ourselves as a person, growing and maturing. We’ve made friends we hope will stay by our side forever, seen and experienced unforgettable things, and survived all our embarrassing moments we thought we’d never pull through. And now we are truly leaving childhood. Next year we’ll be learning how to survive in the jungle called High School; then we’ll be learning to drive; next we’ll be thinking about our future; debating college, our jobs, our life. And then we’ll be here again, getting ready to graduate, this time from high school. Even though we want to leave King, let’s just remember everything that happened in this school. But for now let’s just say goodbye suckers see you around!

ROVING REPORTER What’s your favorite place to visit during the summer?

“I like going to Disneyland because I love the characters!” - Desiree Bailey, 7th

“The skate park because it’s a nice place to skate at.”

“Dance camp. I LOVE to dance!

-- Marco Bloom, 8th

- Kaylah Grigsby, 6th

I enjoy going to Hawaii, where the weather is warm.” - Will Booth, 7th

“The beach because I love the sun and playing in the waves” - Simone Howard, 8th

“Paris, because of the good food and wine.” -Mr. Martin,

- Compiled by Sofia Jacob

Vol. III, Issue III

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State Testing Getting in the Way

Choosing Elective Can be Tough By Emily Hearst

Every year that you get older, a bit more responsibility is stacked onto your shoulders. It might just be more household chores, like With the end of the year close at hand there feeding the cat, or washing the dishes, or it might be something that in the long run really could affect your future. It’s that time when every are lots of tests for middle schoolers at King to take. Along with the annual CST and other tests, sixth and seventh grader at King picks his or her elective for the students are assigned with many final projects as following year, and it is simply nerve wracking! King Middle School has a variety of elective classes to choose well. from, including: French, Spanish, Spanish for native speakers, These things, added with the homework that Publishing, Avid, Digital arts, Leadership, Drama, Art, and students have, can put stressful pressures on Composition and Media. All of these classes have their ups and students. The eighth graders, especially, are downs, but when you’re sitting in the audience listening to teachers dealing with the iSearch and talk about how much you might love there class, it almost feels like preparing for their soon-to-be there trying to sell you on something that you really haven’t got a clue about yet. graduation. This year as I sat in the audience filled with all eager sixth graders Personally, I don’t feel waiting to hear about the different classes, I couldn’t help but think that having state testing at the back to when I had to make the decision of what class I should choose. same time we have other I remember very clearly not having any idea what class I would like work is helping us with our the best. If I had chosen a language like French or Spanish I could education as much as it have gotten some of my high school language credit out of the way, on could. I feel that we should the other hand all the other electives seemed so interesting! stagger our state testing. We, as students, would There were quiet discussion of class possibilities as the sixth be less stressed and have more time to study and graders filed out of the auditorium. It’s their first year picking a class, do homework. Having the tests all at once so naturally they had questions, or so I thought, but as I asked them all involves a lot of last minute cramming and this what classes they wanted for the following year they all seemed quite confident in something that they had only heard about minutes before. usually isn’t effective. Mr. Santangelo thinks that there could be an I asked plenty of the future seventh graders and every single one of alternative way to gauge learning, besides testing. them, with a few exceptions blurted out a class right away. This seemed so odd to me, it had taken me days to mull over just a “Project based learning where students take few classes, but these kids, within seconds, seemed determined, of an idea or question they’re excited about, and present to the class what they’ve learned, would what they thought would be best for them. What seemed even stranger to me was that one class -- Spanish with Mr. Gieken or Ms. Shurtz -be much more effective,” said the counselor. seemed to be far more popular than the others. While yes, this class I agree with Mr. Santangelo, because having did seem appealing, I had not realized that it was going to be the most a break from testing every once in a while and popular class choice for the sixth graders this year. With so many doing alternative projects would make the school applications sent in for Spanish, I wonder how the classes for next experience more fun. year will turn out. I guess we will have to wait and see. For the school, getting good scores means benefits like more funding. For the students, the Sixth-Graders’ Elective Choices scores on the state tests are on there permanent record and could effect their high school lives. Tests aren’t completely a bad thing though. They prepare us for future tests, like the SAT’s and help us to learn the vital information. A sixth grader, Eliot Jobe, agrees and thinks that tests can be a positive thing. “I think they tell us different kinds of pressure that we’ll have in real life while reviewing the material,” said Jobe. Jobe has a good point. Tests do put a lot of stress on kids, good and bad, especially when different ones from different subjects come at the same time. The tests themselves may actually be at a good level, review the subject and provide a healthy challenge. But not when they’re on the same day That gets frustrating and tiring, making students bleary-eyed from all the hard work. Students first choice (by percent)

By Margaret Reager

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Embrace Your Differences Who’s the Fairest of them All? You By Kelly Taylor When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Someone who is confident in themselves, or someone who is struggling; someone who is happy the way they are, or someone who would do anything to be 10 pounds lighter. Everyone struggles with the way they look, or who they are; from eating disorders, to wanting to look like someone else. Your identity is what defines you from everyone else, each one of us is different from the other, and yet we all try to look the same. When you walk through the halls, do you tend to look at other people and wish that was you? So many girls struggle with the way they look. They think they are too fat, not pretty enough or not athletic enough. What people don’t realize is that they are unique, and someone somewhere wishes that they could look like they do. The consequences from thinking these things can be quite serious. While some people turn to healthy alternatives such as going to the gym, and eating better; others turn to extremely dangerous alternatives, like eating disorders such as anorexia, and bulimia, which are extremely unhealthy for you and your body. With not being pretty enough, we do everything we can do to look like someone else we know. Looking like someone else takes away from your characteristics, and makes it so you are no longer you. No matter what you look like, someone loves you for you, and looks past what you think are faults. We need to be more unique and stop trying to all look so alike. If you think your ugly, turn it around and say your beautiful. Go ahead and say you’re fat. Say perfect. Say not athletic enough. Find something you are good at and compare it to that; if you believe you are beautiful then don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In the end, it only matters what you think about yourself; not what someone else thinks. Identity is an issue in every ones life. Everyone struggles with it and tries to blend in, when you should be standing out. Be you, not someone else. Everyone has something they wish they can change, when they should be happy with they way they look. So next time you look into the mirror, take a step back.

Mr. or Ms. Right Don’t Exist By Mia Rain Torres Do guys want the same thing as girls when it comes down to what makes the perfect guy or girl? Many students said that the perfect guy or girl would have to be "hot"," funny", and "knows how to treat me with respect.” Many guys said they want a girl that's fun and exciting. Girls on the other hand want a sweet, romantic guy, that respects them. Why do guys and girls feel they have to look a certain way to be cute or pretty? Everyone's different so, why would you try being something your not? Everyone is different and unique. Just because you might not look like a model or someone famous doesn't make you ugly, or fat, or too skinny. There is only one of you, and thats what makes you so special. You are the way you look for a reason. Just like you can’t make yourself look like someone else, nobody can look like you because you are different. Everyone is different and there's nothing wrong with that. As long as you love yourself and you be yourself, you don't have to worry about how you look or the way people look at you. All people may be different but that doesn't mean you won’t find someone to be with. You should want people to like you for who you really are not for what you think you

should be. If you want to go and listen to some rock music go and do it. If you want to dance with a broom while your cleaning the house, go ahead and do it.

Who cares if people think your weird? You’re just being yourself so, why should it matter to them what you do? Nobody's normal. I don't even think normal exists and if it does, well, that’s a little weird. Like Lady Gaga said: "You have to be unique, and different, and shine in your own way." There isn't a perfect guy or a perfect girl. Nobody is perfect but, everyone is special in different ways. Everyone has flaws and you shouldn't judge them for that. As long as you're not mean, you're respectful, you have good hygiene (taking showers, brushing your teeth daily), you can find your close-to-perfect person, and they will love you just the way you are. So, be nice and be yourself,so, you can find your special somebody.

Vol. III, Issue III

Page 19

Why are we so Obsessed with Celebs? By Danielle Walton and Amanda Melgar You’re in line at a supermarket waiting to pay. You look around and see the magazine rack. You pick up a magazine. But which one do you pick up? There are many to choose from, but most people pick up a gossip magazine, like, “People,” or “The National Enquirer,” because they are so curious about what happens in celebrities lives. “Yeah, I see people pick up a few (gossip) magazines and end up buying them.” said seventh grader Claire Inman. They’re probably looking for some juicy secret about a celebrity or they see their favorite celebrity on the cover and want to read more about it. Magazines are only a small part. You can find so much about celebrities on TV shows like Entertainment Tonight, TMZ, MTV, and Access Hollywood, just to name a few. And then of course there’s the gossip websites. Is there really enough that celebrities are doing that deserve this much daily attention? Apparently so. People are simply obsessed with celebrities. “I love to read about all the gossip around celebrities and the pictures of what they wore to what event.” says Rosa Felipe, a former King student. People follow celebrities for all kinds of reasons. There might just be looking for pictures of what a celeb wore at some party last weekend in the “Who Wore it Best?” section. Or they might be looking for the latest celeb breakups; or they might be looking for a celeb that does something bad, or is going to rehab. People see celebrities in a magazine doing wrong, but they still think that these people are perfect and have nothing to worry about. They think since they're famous they can get away with it, but they get the same penalty just like we would. Famous people can have low self esteem just like regular people. Celebs might think that they look fat, or they're not pretty, just like some of us might think. Lots of people think that celebrities are so lucky. However, if those people did get famous, most of them would probably want their regular life back. It would be hard to go outside and always get caught by paparazzi and fans. Imagine wanting to go to the movies, but you can’t because every time you go outside everyone is always around you. It might sound like fun having so many fans and having everyone take your picture. But really would you want to have that happen everyday? So, next time you’re at the supermarket, ask yourself...do you really need to see what Brittany Spears had for lunch, or what she had on that day?

Admit it Girls, You Love to Gossip By Elena Wiedlin Though not many may want to admit it, every girl has a part of them that loves to gossip. Whether you're the biggest big mouth in the school or the quiet shy girl, you crave a juicy morsel of gossip. But gossip is basically the key to starting the evil around groups of friends. It can turn your best friend against you, and people thinking you’re something that you aren’t. Gossip leads to rumors, and rumors get bigger and bigger. It’s like a balloon. You blow it up with more and more air until -- POP -- all the air let’s out. The air in that balloon is teenage drama. Every clique has their own experiences with a dramatic mishap. The worst part is that we can never get away from it in Middle School. So why can’t we just stop the gossip, the rumors, and the drama? All of it is basically a package deal for more trouble, less friends, and outrageous lies. But girls don’t Time is RUNNING OUT! Only a few Yearbooks Remain. Find Mr. Dalton to purchase one

just do it because we’re mean spirited and such. We do it because it’s a sort of bonding experience. Girls like to talk big. We don’t enjoy the small talk. We’d rather talk about the interesting stuff. Girls become closer in this way. But sometimes we don’t know it will go so far. What was a good time becomes a huge problem and usually people who gossip don’t mean for anyone to get hurt, yet it still happens a lot. Even though gossip will never stop, girls should be more careful who they tell secrets and rumors. If you absolutely have to tell someone, choose a really close friend who you can trust and won’t tell anyone. Even better, choose someone who’s not influenced by the problem so they can’t get in trouble. Maybe you have a great friend but if she’s a big mouth don’t do it or you’ll regret it no matter how much you love her. Rumors hurt.

Louis Mendoza D.D.S. Kensington Dental Care 296 Arlington Ave. Kensington, CA 94707 (510) 526-8311 www.smilesbymendoza.com

Personalized & Comfortable

King Cobra

Page 20

Food Small Strip on University Ave Offers Variety of Food Options By Juzo Greenwood

would only go if you are an Walking down the block of University, between Bonita adventurous eater and have a good and Milvia, you probably will notice the bright colors of a amount of money. small strip of buildings that provide a variety of choices for a New Amsterdam Coffee Shop, snack or meal. Whether you’re looking for a hearty sandwich however, is a nice, casual place or just a little sweet, your can decorated with many murals, and find it there. certainly serves more than coffee. A great place to eat in that My favorites are the tender Sandwich, salad, and raspberry lemonade area is Slow, a unique and beef sandwich, and the pesto, from Slow high quality lunch and turkey, cheese, and tomato dinner restaurant. Slow sandwich. Unlike Slow, however, stands out among the others, these sandwiches are bigger are more filling. This restaurant with its bright yellow is well priced, with meals usually costing under $10 interior and unusual seating, If a small snack is something you are looking for, then I in the form of small wooden highly recommend OctoberFeast, just next door to the coffee tables attached to the walls. shop. For $2 you can buy a delicious chewy pretzel, or a University Ave., just below pretzel croissant, which is essentially a croissant, made from Milvia, is worth checking out You can also eat outside, in the beautiful courtyard, pretzel dough. A sweet alternative is the chocolate croissant. which is available to OctoberFeast also sells at Berkeley Farmer’s Markets. customers to all five restaurants. The last place to get a bite to eat in that area is The food at Slow is excellent, particularly if you are Chocolatier Blue, a high-end chocolate store. It offers a looking for something substantial, but not filling. Some variety of chocolate from classic flavors such as, caramel, delicious lunch options include a tender pork and a wonderful hazelnut, and peanut butter, and unusual flavors like s’mores, braised beef sandwich.. ants on a log (peanut butter, raisins, hint of celery), and chili. Some tasty options for dinner are the buttery All of the chocolates are works of art, vibrantly puff pastries, the chicken confit and the falling-offcolored and shiny to the point that they reflect light. the-bone tender oxtail meat. I would recommend Many of the classic flavors are delicious. Caramels are these over the shellfish on the menu, which are less sticky and creamy, and any fruit flavored ones taste flavorful and occasionally a little gritty. exactly like what they are named. A drink that I would recommend is the Some flavors are interesting but less enjoyable, such lemonade, preferably with raspberries. Contrary to its as the chili, which has a delayed kick to it, and some name Slow’s cooks work extremely fast and you flavors have a bit too much salt in them. But overall, Chocolatier Blue receive your lunch within ten minutes. The prices are takes chocolate eating chocolate from there is an enjoyable and very reasonable; a full meal will probably cost under to another level adventurous experience. The downside is the chocolate $15. is quite expensive ($1.50 a piece), so be willing to The two other sit down restaurants near Slow are eVe and spend a good amount of money, for not a lot of food. New Amsterdam Coffee Shop. eVe is less accessible to None of these restaurants are not very big, so I middle-school students as it expensive and quite fancy. It also recommend only bringing a few friends or family. These serves unusual food, such as pork cheeks and lamb belly, so I places would appeal to anyone because of the wide range of delicious food they serve.

R ic e P u d d in g

Recipe o f t h e M o n t h

Looking for something to do this summer, why not try to make The ESY kitchen’s delicio us rice puddin • • • • • • • • • •

In a heavy bottomed pot combine 4 cups cooked rice, 3 1/2 cups milk, 1 g. teaspoon cinnamon, 4 cardamon pods, 2/3 cups sugar and 1 teaspo Ingredients: on salt. Cook over medium hea 4 cups cooked rice t,stirring con sta ntl y, for 15 minutes. In a small 4 cups milk bowl combine the rem 1 teaspoon cinnamon aining 1/2 cup mi lk and the 2 beaten egg 4 cardamon pods s. Add milk/ egg mixture to the pot 2/3 cup sugar along with 1/2 cup rai sin s and 1/2 teaspoon salt cook 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Re 2 eggs- beaten move the pot fro m the heat and stir in the 1/2 cup raisins 2 tablespoons of butter 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon of van illa ext rac 1 teaspoon vanilla ext t. Serve warm. ract Variations: Top pud ding with lemon or orange zest, dried apricots or fresh mango!

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Vol. III, Issue III

Sushi Ko -- Now You Know By Mia Rain Torres If you like sushi, bento boxes, miso soup, and a good salad, I recommend going to Sushi Ko Japanese Restaurant.

Sushi Ko 64 Shattuck Sq., Berkeley. (510)-845-6601

★★★ Located near the downtown Berkeley Bart Station, this restaurant has nice waitresses and fast service. There is a wide variety of food choices on the menu, from appetizers, nigiri, sashimi, specialty sushi rolls, party trays, dinner combos and bento boxes. The appetizers go from $3.95-$7.95, their nigiri goes from $2.50-$8.95. Some of the entrees can reach $20. They also cater events, and provide party trays.

I recommend the the bento boxes, spicy tuna rolls, dragon rolls, salad, and the miso soup. With the bento, you have a choice of what you want in it, but, the chicken teriyaki and gyoza are really good. The spicy tuna roll has a very mild spice and the dragon roll, a tempura roll filled with unagi, avocado and tobiko is very tasty. Although the sushi is good, it’s not the best I’ve ever had. Some words of advice to the poor middle-school student: Use your money wisely when you go there. Don’t buy a whole bunch of things at once because you will get full and if you waste all your money you will be poor. You can always come back and try something new the next time. I highly recommend going here for good food

1220 San Pablo Ave. Berkeley, CA 94706 (510) 524-7243 Closed Sundays

Two Gourmet Ice Cream Parlors in North Berkeley Provide Perfect Summer Treat iScream a Welcomed addition to Upper Solano Ave. By Elias Joseph Recently, on upper Solano Avenue in Berkeley, a new ice cream store appeared by the name of iScream iScream. On one rainy night, they had a line almost out the door. So what makes this ice cream parlor so 1819 Solano Ave, Berkeley (510) 527-4787 successful? ★★★★ One of the things that defines ice cream is the quality of its ingredients. iScream serves freshly made, organic ice cream and cones. The ice cream is delicious and lures customers to buy it even on the coldest, dreariest days. The great quality and flavor of the ice cream is definitely iScream’s strongest point. iScream doesn’t always have the largest selection, but that may not be such a bad thing. It can be hard keeping lots of flavors fresh while ten or so will be easier to keep without preservatives. Plus, they have new flavors every week, so you will never get tired of them. For example, in addition to the usual favorites (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry), you might see blackberry, creamsicle, caramel, mint chip, raspberry, and cookies and cream. While they may not have a large selection of flavors compared to other stores, there is always something new on the menu. iScream also offers toppings for their ice cream, like crumbled cookies, chocolate fudge, and whipped cream. The ice cream at iScream definitely costs more than what you might typically see at a run-of-the-mill store. A single scoop of ice cream on a cone costs $3.75, so it’s more than your average scoop. But it is worth it because the quality and taste of the ice cream is so good. Overall, iScream is a really great ice cream store. The quality is excellent, and they always have a new flavor to try.

Not all Gelato is Created Equal By Samantha Resnik

Looking for a tasty treat after school? Well, Lush Gelato Lush Gelato located in Epicurious 1511 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley. 510-547-1299 Gardens, across from the Cheese Board in ★★★★ Lush perfects gelato, the North Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto, is the denser, creamier, Italian cousin of ice cream. perfect place for you. With their homemade gelato and cones, Lush Gelato can’t be beat. They have flavors for everyone; from Black Peppercorn to Coffee Chocolate Chip, Lush is the perfect place to go after a long day of nagging teachers and teenage drama. You can hang out in the beautiful enchanted garden while eating your chill, and delicious gelato. The staff is very accommodating, so you shouldn’t be afraid to try as many flavors as you like. The prices are not your $1 John’s scoop (downtown Berkeley), I can tell you that, but in the end, you definitely get your moneys worth. Lush’s gelato is dense, fresh, creamy, and true to Italian gelato. Trust me, when I say that you will always be left with wanting more.

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King Cobra

Entertainment Thor is not a Bore

★★★

By Adam Meehan There were varied expectations for the recently released Thor, but it is certainly worth seeing. Directed by Kenneth Brannagh, it tells the story of the Asgardian God Thor. In theaters now, the film was produced by Paramount Pictures and came from Marvel Studios, which also made Iron Man. Thor takes place in two places: Asgard, a fictional realm not of this Earth, and modern-day New Mexico. The main character is Thor (Chris Hemsworth), an arrogant young man who is also the heir to the throne of Asgard. Unfortunately, Thor’s father Odin, (Anthony Hopkins), is reluctant to give up the throne because he knows of Thor’s war-like tendencies. When Odin finally allows Thor to ascend to the throne, the ceremony is interrupted upon word that frost giants from Jotunheim (Asgardian enemies) tried to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters, originally the source of Asgardian power. The indestructible Destroyer foils their attempt, and Odin takes no notice of it. Thor does not have the same diplomatic tendencies

his father does and travels to Jotunheim, intending to teach the frost giants a lesson. The attack breaks the truce that was painstakingly achieved centuries ago, and Odin banishes Thor to Earth, taking away his hammer, Mjolnir. Odin places a spell on Mjolnir so that only someone who is worthy can use its full potential. On Earth, Thor meets Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and begins to fall in love with her. Thor finds the hammer but when he tries to lift it, he finds himself unable to. Meanwhile, back on Asgard, the traitorous Loki becomes king and then organizes the murder of Odin, while Thor is stuck on Earth, helpless to stop him. There was a funny scene where Thor was hospitalized after he landed on Earth. He would say to the doctors “How dare you touch Thor, god of-” The doctors would then use anesthesia on him and he would fall instantly to the ground. This happened a couple times. The most recent marvel movies (Iron Man 1&2, Thor, The Incredible

Hulk, and the upcoming Captain America) have had members of S.H.I.E.L.D, an organization that is assembling the Avenger team. A new Spiderman movie is being made and S.H.I.E.L.D. will probably be in it. Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. mentions the “Avenger Initiative.” Because of this, an Avenger Movie starring all the characters is anticipated. Teens and adults will enjoy Thor. It had a nice balance of humor and action was entertaining throughout. (P.S. Cobra Rating Stay after s the credits Excelle ★ ★ n ★ ★ no hug t, for a e movie f laws sneak ★★★ Pretty Good, peek.) but

Adjustment Bureau Needs Little Fixing By Samantha Whitty ★★★ The Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, is the story of New York senator David Norris (Damon), and his path on finding the woman he loves. On the night of one of the biggest elections of his career, David realizes he is probably not going to win. He goes into the men’s bathroom to practice his speech, and while there, meets the enchanting Elise (Blunt). They hit it off, but before David can get her name, she runs away. David is intrigued by this mysterious woman and thinks about her nonstop. While boarding the bus sometime after the election, he sees Elise and they strike up a conversation, not knowing that they have created something almost catastrophic. Unbeknownst to them, there is a special force trying very hard to keep them apart. It is called the Adjustment Bureau, which represents a secret group which ‘carries out plans’. For whom? We don’t know. All we know is that they all wear some nice fedoras, and all

f lawed

★★ ★

So-so, t oo incons istent Not wo r time or th money

have books with almost magical looking symbols moving across them. And they will stop at nothing to keep David and Elise apart. David wants to take a stand against the Adjustment Bureau but knows that it will be dangerous. But he doesn’t care. He’ll do anything to be with the woman he loves. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt had great chemistry, which will make the audience root for them the entire way through the film. There were some great chase scenes (who doesn’t love a good chase scene?). Also, the mysterious Bureau will intrigue movie goers and make for heavy post-movie discussions (Are they Government? Angels? Wizards?). Anyone who likes a good love story will enjoy this movie. Also, people who like action, adventure, or just a plain interesting story will like this film. Go see it!

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Vol. III, Issue III

Coming Soon to DVD A Sci-Fi Film With a Fresh Concept By Samantha Resnik

★★★

as

If your looking for a movie that is fresh, and has a plot that you have never seen before, Limitless is for you. Directed by Neil Burger, (The Illusionist, The Lucky Ones), the film is about a struggling writer from New york named Eddie Morras. He lives in a run-down apartment, with no real job, while trying to finish his novel. When Eddie reunites with his ex-brother in-law Vernon, the brother gives him a drug called NZT, which allows you touse 100% of your brain. When the drug takes affect, Eddie is able to finish his book in less than four hours and make billions of dollars within two weeks. He also has some help from from Carl Van Loon (Robert DeNiro), a powerful broker. After a month or so, Eddie’s body starts to adjust to the pills, and now he must he must take NZT three times a day or else he’ll die. Tensions rise when Eddie’s brain isn’t functioning like it should. He is very lethargic, not

smart, and very weak. Van Loon realizes that he can’t make the money he was because of Eddie’s dramatic behavior change, and soon starts to lose lots of money and potential business clients. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for a good action/science fiction film, or just looking for something new and fresh. All of the actors were casted perfectly and they didn’t miss a beat.

Five Summer Movies to Get Excited About By Samantha Whitty Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 This Movie is very special because (oh no!) it's the last Harry Potter movie! In this final installment about the famous wizard boy, Harry and his friends will have to face Voldemort to save the world as we know it. For those hard core Harry Potter fans out there, it's no secret that you're dying to see the final battle on the big screen. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, this magical movie comes out July 15th (PG-13). Winnie The Pooh. For those of you who grew up with the classic Disney Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger, prepare to get excited. Disney is going back to the old days to deep in the Hundred Acre Wood. The trailer for what will surely be the cutest film of the Summer will make you reminisce about those days long ago, when a boy and a bear were best friends. It’s filmed in classic Disney animation, and comes out July 15th (G). Transformers 3:Dark of the Moon . On a more explosive note, this new installment of the cartoon and childrens' toy, turned war movie is bound to blow some socks off (literally). When the Autobots find out there may be a Cybertron spacecraft on the moon, a storm blows between them and the Decepticons. Although these movies sometimes lack, let’s just say, “Oscar,” quality, they are one of the best entertainment options you’ll find.

Surprisingy, watching robots tear each other apart is REALLY fun. Starring Shia LeBeouf and Rosie HuntigtonWhiteley, this fast paced flick debuts July 1st (PG-13). Super 8. Now, heres a movie you probably haven't heard about. Directed and written by J.J.Abrams (Lost, Fringe, Star Trek), this movie promise to be a spectacle. If you don't think that this sounds cool yet, just go online and watch the trailer (It's reeeeally cool). It's about a group of kids who live in a small town in 1979, who witness a strange train crash. Then, weird things start happening around town, which leads to them investigating the crazy phenomena. Starring Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler, Super 8 comes out June 10th, (PG-13). X Men: First Class. If you’ve seen the X Men movies, you’ll already know that they are action packed and fun, but this movie takes place before the famous Xavier opened his school. This new film has new mutants as well as old, such as Mystique, Beast, and Magneto. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender, this movie comes out June 3rd, (PG-13). Three other movies (already out) which look good are Bridesmaids (“female equivalent of the Hangover?”), Thor (the Marvel story of a god/hero), and Win Win (A funny, unheard of movie about a lawyer/ wrestling coach and a 16 year old boy).

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King Cobra

21 Movies from Before 2000 that You Should See By Juzo Greenwood, Samantha Whitty and Adam Meehan

With all the flashy new 3-D action movies coming out, it’s easy to forget the classics. Instead of spending $12 to see an action film, go on Netflix and watch some of these pre-2000 classics. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): A tale about a man (James Stewart) who is slowly losing hope for his life, until an angel (Henry Travers) shows him how valuable his life is. Rear Window (1954): An injured, immobile man (James Stewart) entertains himself by spying on his neighbors but ends up learning more than he wanted to know, in this classic Alfred Hitchcock film. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961): The quirky story of a New York socialite (Audrey Hepburn) and her writer neighbor (George Peppard). West Side Story (1961): The musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” set on the dangerous streets of New York. Lawrence of Arabia (1962): The true story of T.E. Lawrence’s (Peter O’Toole) life during World War I including his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus and his involvement with the Arab National Council. Sound of Music (1965): A nun (Julie Andrews) becomes the singing governess for the children of the strict Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), in this classic musical. Jaws (1975): the scary tale of a huge shark that starts attacking beachgoers at Amity Beach, and three brave men (Roy Sheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss) go to catch the beast. TRON (1982): The story of young Kevin Flynn, (Jeff Bridges) a computer programer who is blasted into a virtual world controlled by The Master Control Program (David Warner). Blade Runner-The Director’s Cut (1982): In the dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, Blade Runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) goes after human replicant androids that are seemingly “more human than human.” The Terminator (1984): In the first installment of the hit series, an assassin robot from the future (Arnold Schwarzenegger) comes back to kill Sarah Connor, (Linda Hamilton) whose unborn son eventually will grow up to lead the rebellion against the machines. One of James

Cameron’s (Aliens, Titanic, Avatar) earliest films. This Is Spinal Tap (1984): Filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) directs a hilarious documentary following the failed rock band Spinal Tap (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer). Back to the Future (1985): Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is friends with an eccentric scientist (Christopher Lloyd) who is dabbling with the power of time travel. Marty is accidentally launched back in time, meeting his teenage parents (Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson). Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986): The hilarious, but heartfelt story of three Chicago high school students (Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, and Mia Sara) who take the day off school and spend the day in the Windy City. Midnight Run (1988): A bounty hunter (Robert De Niro) attempts to take Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas (Charles Grodin) into custody. This escalates into a hilarious crosscountry caper. The Hunt For Red October (1990): Analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) investigates the apparent defection of Russian submarine captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery), in this thriller based on Tom Clancy’s novel. Groundhog Day (1993): Weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) finds himself reliving his least favorite holiday: Groundhog Day. Forrest Gump (1994): Tom Hanks plays a very special man, who, while not being incredibly smart, has one of the most interesting lives ever. The Parent Trap (1998): Twins Hallie and Annie (both Lindsay Lohan) meet for the first time at a summer camp and decide to switch places. The Iron Giant (1999): A child (voiced by Eli Marienthal) has the challenge of hiding a giant extra-terrestrial robot (voiced by Vin Diesel). The Sixth Sense (1999): A young boy (Haley Joel Osment) is cursed with a startling ability. He enlists the help of a psychologist (Bruce Willis) to cure him. The Matrix (1999): A computer hacker called Neo (Keanu Reeves) is pulled out of the world he knows and learns that he has been living a lie his whole life. In fact, everyone has…

Vol. III, Issue III

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Theatre “Cats” Still Purring after Nearly 30 Years By Kyra Traynor For the past 30 years “Cats” has been playing in theaters around the world. The musical, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” premiered in London and then hit Broadway in 1982. It was a huge hit, and many of the songs became famous. Cats made musical history as the second longest running show on Broadway, behind “Phantom of the Opera.” Cats starts off with a huge show of lights, as you see many cat eyes staring at you. Many of the cats slowly start coming on the stage, some even come through the audience onto the stage. Then they start to explain the Jellicle Cats tribe in song and dance. When they are finished with the explanation of of what Jellicle Cats means they will sing the song (Naming of cats) and Old Deuteronomy will tell about the night when they choose a cat to be reborn. Then they will start to introduce they some of the cats. In Act One, they introduce Jennyannydots, an old cat who sits around all day, and the Rum Tum Tugger, a very spunky tom cat that many of the females like. Also introduced in act one is Grizabella the Glamour Cat, and Bustopher Jones, a fat cat.

Then a loud crash occurs, causing all the cats run of stage screaming “Macavity.” The last song before intermission has a huge light show and beautiful dancing. The last time in San Francisco to see cats was May 15t, but it will come back Dec. 27 and stay until Jan. 1, 2012. If you want to see it sooner than that you can look Cats the musical on YouTube or rent it. The light shows, dancing, and singing are the most amazing parts of this musical. Since Cats was made in the 80’s it has a big 80’s feeling to it. The costumes are unique and inspire the feeling of cats in them. Cats is not for people who can have seizures because of all the bright lights and loud music. It is also not for people who don’t like musicals because it is a pure musical, with the entire show in song and dancing. If you want to see a classic, see Cats The Musical.

Television Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution Takes on America’s Bad Eating Habits By Sofia Jacob Britain’s Jamie Oliver, a.k.a., “ The Naked Chef,” is known for his work on food-related television shows. His latest show, The Food Revolution, airs on Friday nights, on ABC, at 9/8c. The show features Oliver in various unhealthy states around the U.S., trying to bring awareness to the public about obesity, and more specifically, the unhealthy food children consume everyday in their school lunch programs, as well as outside of school He is currently working in Los Angeles, trying to fix the school lunch program, but was denied from any access in their schools by the superintendent, who likely doesn’t want his school district being exposed. Without access to he schools, Oliver results to drastic measures to get the district’s, and the public’s attention. In one episode, to drive a point, he goes to any empty L.A. school parking lot and fills a

school bus with 57 tons of sugar, which represents the amount of sugar in flavored milk that kids in L.A. schools consume every week. British chef Jaime Oliver stands in front The healthy of a bus overflowing with 57 tons of food program sugar, the same amount kids in L.A. in Berkeley is school consume in one week from flavored milk alone. already way ahead of most of America, but Oliver is slowly starting to make a difference in other parts of the country. He has already changed the school lunch program in a small part of West Virginia, one of the most obese states in the U.S. If you want to support Jamie Oliver you can take his pledge on abc.com or find out ways to make a difference in our community.

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King Cobra

Video Games Mortal Kombat is Back, as Good (and Gory) as Ever By Michael Contreras

★★★★

The history of Mortal Kombat goes way back to 1992 when it was one of the very first fighting games ever made. The series has always been fun but, “Mortal Kombat 9,” the latest edition, is even better than “Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe,” which got great reviews when it came out last year. Mortal Kombat, produced by Midway games, was supposedly trying to keep things clean in the previous edition, which meant there wasn’t a lot of gore. This Mortal Kombat will bring back a lot of stuff they had in past games, like the blood and guts; settings and stages, and some of the old classic characters that haven’t appears in recent games. And the vivid graphic really make it come to life. It also will have a new character, “Kratos,” from the game series "God of War.” Also, every character will

Sports Gamers Await Release of Madden 12 By DeShawn Boyd Madden all started 23 years ago with its first game being created in 1989. It’s still going strong today with the creation of Madden 12, which will be coming out in the beginning of August. All of this time EA sports has made millions of dollars. You will be able to play this game online for both Xbox 360 and PS3. It’s going to be rated E for everyone. Many people will love this game because it let’s them have some friendly competition. The game is not difficult at all. It might be difficult if you are a little kid. A sneak peek at the eye-popping graphics look like they’re better than ever. The game will stay exciting every time you play it. There are more than six new features. If you are a fan of Madden, you’ll probably want to pick up this game in August.

have their own unique moves. There will also be new fatalities, a new thing called the “X-Ray move,” and other new game modes to play in. The game comes on Xbox 360 and playstation 3, and it’s really meant for online play.. You can make online lobbies and play in a new mode they call “King of The Hill.” This game is M (for mature) rated for its gore. When your playing M.K. it seems to never get boring because of the almost endless amount of game modes.

Internet

King Kids Pick Favorite YouTube Videos By Sofia Jacob

As you all know, YouTube is one of the most used websites of all time. You can find just about any type of video, so many of which are well known. Here are the results of a survey at King of the most popular videos on YouTube.

Music 1. The Bed Intruder Song: The video features the now famous Antoine Dodson and his sister Kelly being interviewed by a local TV news station about an “intruder” climbing into apartments in the projects. It was turned into a song, and the video became a hit overnight. 2. Double Rainbow: This music video is just about two rainbows in the sky. It was turned into a stupid, yet funny song. You’re sure to get a good laugh out of this one.

Animal 1. Funny Cats: Watch various amounts of cats do insane stunts, flips, jumps, etc... 2. The Sneezing Panda: The title basically speaks for itself. Watch a fat panda sneeze loudly on her young one.

Music Parody 1. Rebecca Black “ Friday” ( Brocks Dub): Everybody knows Rebecca Black’s one-hit-wonder song, “ Friday.” It’s probably one of the worst songs ever created! The video has a guy speaking out the lyrics of the song, playing a part of the actual video. Then at the end a car falls of a cliff. This will surely make you laugh. 2. The Snooki Song ( Tik Tok Remake): Watch A Snooki look-alike sing her own version of Kesha’s son Tik Tok, Jersey Shore style.

Comedy 1.Charlie Bit Me: This video features a toddler and his baby brother, Charlie. The toddler basically gives Charlie his finger. Then says his famous line, “Charlie bit me.” If you’ve never seen this video you should check it out. 2. Say Fire Truck!: Watch a little toddler being egged on by his parents to substitute the word truck for f***. What are parents teaching their kids nowadays? Such great role models. Not!

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Books Troubled Teens Lean on Each Other, in Impulse By Sarah Edgar

In the novel Impulse, Ellen Hopkins, the author of the award winning semi autobiography Crank, tells the story of three troubled teens that cross paths at Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital, after attempting suicide. Connor, Tony, and Vanessa all have troubles that are pulling them under and they use each other to help resist the temptation to try it again. Connor's overbearing family, only concerned about his GPA, making the varsity football team, and getting into an Ivy League college, offer no comfort during his time of need. Feeling that suicide is the only answer after an emotional love affair ends, he takes a gun, points it to his chest and pulls the trigger. Miraculously he survives. Tony, after years in a juvenile home for a crime that still haunts him, decides to ease his feelings of despair by swallowing a handful of pills, only to vomit them up and be found by the police lying on the sidewalk unconscious. Vanessa is a cutter. In order to ease her mind in any time of stress she slices her skin with anything sharp enough. One day, when she was drowning in her ocean of sadness, she cuts too deep. She feels herself slipping into

Tina Fey’s New Book Will Crack You Up By Emily Hearst You’ve seen her as Sarah Palin, You’ve seen her as Liz Lemon, but have you ever seen her cross dressing as an old hairy man? Tina Fey’s new, wildly popular, best-selling memoir, Bossy Pants, is an amusing and fantastic read. I read this book with much gusto partly because I was really quite bored, partly because I had heard a million good things about it, and lastly and most importantly because Tina’s self -loathing comedy is so overwhelmingly funny and relatable. By putting herself down she is able to create a memorable, funny and truthful book of her life. You learn within the first few pages that to be successful, you have to embrace yourself (or look uncannily like Sarah Palin.). By embracing what she doesn’t like about herself, she is able to have one of the most popular shows on TV. Tina Fey is strangely enough even a good role model, although it might not seem to be obvious at first if you only read the back cover of her book (which you’ll just have to do yourself). Tina Fey is a good writer and a great comedian. Her book is witty and great for most ages. If you liked her in any of her shows, than you will definitely like Bossypants. And if your just curious to learn more about her than this is also the book for you. But, if you just want to literally LOL, then this is the perfect book for you!

the abyss until her younger brother, Bryan, walks in and finds her. When he calls for help, Vanessa is able to hold off death. After arriving at Aspen Springs, Connor, Tony, and Vanessa are introduced to a life under constant surveillance, strict routines, and hours and hours of counseling. Immediately the three form a bond. Together, they navigate the rules of the hospital and make progress toward healing as they tell each other their deepest, darkest secrets; the things they won't even tell their counselors. Hopkins uses her wonderful, free-verse style to weave together the story of the three troubled teens as they attempt to heal the terrible scars left by their lives. The consistency the author uses when alternating the points of view makes the story easy to follow. Hopkins gives away just enough information that the reader feels a part of the story while still saving a big bang for the end. Impulse is a great story that reveals the importance of family and friends during the healing process, and tackles a lot of current issues that teens deal with. This is a thick book, but the free verse makes for a fast read. By book's end, you may well feel the effects of each characters final choice.

A Petite Treat the Takes the Cake By Izzi Rothenberg What’s cuter than a cupcake and sweeter than a sundae? A cake pop of course! Adored by cooking idol Martha Stewart, these sweets are a perfect change of pace for the everyday baker, and definitely more than a passing fad. You’d better look out, because cake pops are taking the world of desserts by a cakey, chocolate-covered storm. You can learn how to make these treats yourself, with “Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats,” by baker Angie Dudley. The book has already reached the New York Times bestseller list. Cake pops, meanwhile are being sold around the country. Already, you can see these delicious creations in small bakeries around the country. Even Starbucks Coffee sells these delectable confections! But what better way to satisfy your taste buds then to create them yourself. Department stores like Target and Walmart sell the book, as well as many other stores all over the country. Now, the task of actually making cake pops may seem daunting, but the book helps you through every step with easy-to-understand instructions, and even some pictures. Basically, to make a cake pop, first you have to bake a cake, crumble it up, mix in some frosting, dip it in chocolate, decorate it and voila! You have got yourself a delicious and fabulous new trend that is sure to break you away from your old milk and cookies routine. If you can’t pick up the book, Bakerella.com is a great website to get you started on making cake pops.

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Mysterious Benedict Society a Delightful Read By Coulson Fry When a mysterious add appears in the newspaper, 11-year-old Reynard Muldoon arrives to take a series of mind bending tests that will take all of his skill to pass. In the end only four kids succeed: Reynard, Kate, Sticky and Constance. The tests are set up by Mr. Benedict, who wants to acquire a group of kids to go on a mission to stop his evil twin, Mr. Curtain, who plans to take over the world by brainwashing people. Reynard, also referred to Reynie, is very good at solving riddles and is quite smart. Sticky Washington is also very smart. Kate Wetherall is not as smart as sticky and Reynie but makes up for it in athletic ability and her ability to judge distances, which comes in handy on some of their missions. Last is Constance Contrair, who is very stubborn and annoying but will be very helpful come the end of the story if they’re able to defeat Mr. Curtain.

When Mr Curtain, tries to take over the world by wiping the minds of people, the four children enroll in the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, and begin their quest to stop Mr. Curtain from the inside. This is a very good book about friendship and psychotic people who try and take over the world. Through its interesting characters, the book also tackles personal concerns: abandonment, family, loyalty, and facing one's fears. I would recommend this to anyone ten or older unless you’re younger than that and want a challenge. The novel is long -- more than 400 pages, so it might keep you busy for a while. Still it can be read fast because it’s so good you never want to put it down. This book is also the first in a series, which also features: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoners Dilemma. There is

also a fourth book in the series that is set to come out in 2012: The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict.

Catcher in the Rye Still a Must-Read for Teens By Margaret Reager J.D. Salinger’s classic novel, The Catcher in the Rye, at first seems like an ordinary adventure, but turns into a fantastic tale. Holden Caufield is a prep-school student that doesn't care too much for his classes. Instead he focuses on the people around him, and his judgmental attitude toward them is rarely favorable. The story starts with Holden's new attempt at school. Just like all of his other schools, he thinks of his fellow students, which range from jocks to the anti-social, as

phonies. He doesn't feel that he should have to stay at a place in which he doesn't like the people around him. So when he flunks out, he is neither surprised, nor does he care. The only class that he liked was English, because he had a helpful and supportive teacher. When he leaves the campus of his school -- in grand fashion, by the way -- it leads him to the first of many stops, his English teacher's house. The rest of the story continues with Holden going to different places and meeting different girls from his past. He goes from bus stations, to hotels with his saved up

money. Throughout the story he continues to call everyone he meets fake because he finds something to be wrong with their personality. The only exception is his sister, Phoebe, who he thinks is far beyond mature for a ten-year-old. This book is very entertaining. Even though it was written in 1951, it's still relatable now. Today, Holden Caufield serves as somewhat of a poster child for teenage tension and rebellion. The author creates a clear picture of Holden as being a critical , yet reasonable guy. The setting for most of the book is New York during a period of two days, which is also very easy to imagine. This book is an amazing read and I highly recommend it.

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Being Normal? A Piece of Cake By Maya Wong Margot Button wants to be “more normal” for the new school year. The only problems are that her best friend is being sent to a Catholic school; she had her new clothes money taken away; she tweezed off her eyebrows; she has new bangs; she has a new nickname, and she has to baby-sit her triplet half-sisters unpaid. The book “Mission (un)Popular,” by Anna Humphrey, explains the mishaps of Margot Button. That is, until the new girl, Em Warner, who has the coolest clothes, the sharpest comebacks, and who is a model from New York, comes around. Margot finds out that they are both starting seventh grade at Manning Middle School. Popular girl Sarah J. and her posse have constantly bullied Margot. However, when Em shows up at school, she won’t take any of Sarah J.’s bullying. But, Em doesn’t just stop at standing up to Sarah J. She builds herself up to take over the school, and takes Margot along with her. Meanwhile, Margot’s best friend, Erika, who has been sent to private school, is mad at Margot because she ditched her at their meeting place at the local cemetery. Plus, her hippie tarot reading mom is making their family eat all vegan dinners, and Margot feels as if she isn’t part of her mom’s new family due to a trying step dad and badly behaved triplet half-sisters. Soon, Em and Margot are spinning out of

control, and Margot finds out that Em isn’t really who she seems to be. One of my favorite characters was Andrew, who has a crush on Margot, and he seemed really sweet. He was a really good friend to her throughout book. The whole story, I found myself hating and pitying Em. I could tell that she was hiding something, but I felt bad for her because it seemed like she was desperate for attention and friends. If I could change one thing in the story, I would probably put a better ending that wasn’t so abrupt, or an epilogue. I also think that the author was trying to make it different than the typical teenage book, but I think it would have been a nice little twist if it had included some romance. Also, I would’ve liked to have Em explain herself more, or at least find out what she was thinking and why she did what she did. Still, this was a pretty good book. At first I though that it was going to be another one of those cheesy books that try to appeal to teens -- and it still was a little -- but I enjoyed it more. In most of those types of books, you can predict what is going to happen next, but this one definitely surprised me in a good way. There was a certain spark that made it more lovable. I would recommend this book for kids, mostly girls from about fifth-seventh grade.

WHERE WE STAND on pop culture Name

Gavin Williams, 7th Cassie Gonzalez, 8th Amelia Huster, 6th Stewie Homans, 6th Raul Morales, 8th

Song that keeps getting stuck in my head

Worldʼs best smell is definitely...

Favorite thing about the summer

Friday, by Rebecca Black

Strawberries

Swimming

Super Bass, by Nikki Minaj

Chocolate

The sun

A teacher Iʼll miss from this year is ... Ms. Searle

Specializing in All-natural and Meats Freedom Popcorn

Never Say Organic Never, The Beibs

1576 Hopkins St. CA 94707 Strawberry

Bring it Back, Berkeley, by Travis Porter

Parties

perfume

I act

Ms. Edwards

Rolling in the heated clothes Tuolumne Camp, it’s awesomely Deep, by MAGNANI’S Adele POULTRY in the dryer amazing

Run fast

Mr. Jokela Mr. Jokela None of them

My friends would be shocked to know that I ...

I couldn’t ride a bike ‘til I was 7 I can fit my fist in my mouth I sing, rap, dance, & used to be a gymnast

510-528-6370

Rowan Bow Chicka510-528-6508 Wow Burgers Curry, 7th Wow, by Mike Posner

Gabi Love, 8th

Rolling in the Deep, by Adele

Vanilla Bean

Swimming Gym competitions

Ms. Searle

Ms. Edwards

Sing loudly in the shower I like to dance - Compiled by Dora Beilin

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Music A New British Pop Invasion By Kiana Jardin & Sicily Masuret

★★★★ Europe is bursting with new singers and fantastic performers. In particular, two female British artists have become popular all around the world: The bold and crazy Jessie J and the impressive, strong vocalist, Adele, both have unique voices that are new to the music industry. Both of their recent albums are true to their hearts and highly entertaining. In Adele’s album ‘21’ she certainly hits the nail on the head. It’s incredible to think that Adele has such a controlled and vivid voice at only 21 (hence the name of the album, which was named at the age she wrote it.) From Tottenham, a town not far from London, England, Adele was sure she wanted to be a singer at age 14. Her first single, released in 2007, was called “Hometown Glory.” Soon after, she came out with her first album ‘19’ (also the age she was at the time), which featured the huge hit “Chasing Pavements.” Four years later, Adele gives us her album 21. This almost automatically hit the top of the charts. The song “Rolling in the Deep” became a major single on the album because of it’s in-your-face message and addicting beat. In “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele states mysteriously, Finally, I can see you crystal clear, Go ahead and sell me out and I’ll lay your ship bare, See how I’ll leave with every piece of you, don’t underestimate the things that I will do. She manages to say such insane things and make it beautiful and have people relate to it. Meanwhile, Jessie J, is easily one of the most talented singer/artists of 2011. The album, ‘Who You Are,” is Jessie J’s first album, and has 13 unforgettable

tracks, with three popular singles; “Do It Like A Dude,” “Price Tag,” and “Nobody’s Perfect,” Her voice is striking, and very emotional in each song. Most of her songs stick to very basic concepts, about love and mistakes, like “Stand Up” about embracing your inner child. “Nobody’s Perfect” was upbeat and one of Jessie J’s greater successes. The song is filled with emotion and is thrilling to listen to. But then she proves that she’s not just a cheesy new Hannah Montana, with her songs: “Price Tag” which has a soulful vibe and an important message, with a Katy Perry style. The lyrics in this song are moving, and really stick with you: Its like this man, you can't put a price on the life. We do this for the love so we fight and sacrifice every night. Jesse J also sings about lost love on “Nobody’s Perfect:” I guess karma comes back around cause now I'm the one that's hurting yeah / And I hate that I made you think that the trust we had is broken / So don't tell me you can't forgive me. “Do It Like A Dude” a twisted, exotic, intelligent, and catchy song, shows her tough, “Don’t mess with me,” intimidating style. The complete opposite of the rest of her songs, it's shocking when you realize it’s the same girl. Jessie J is extremely talented, and a delight to listen to. She is a fantastic singer, and her lyrics are catchy and meaningful. Adele has an amazing voice, that’s irresistible and beautiful, and her lyrics are poetic and unforgettable. I highly recommend both Adele and Jessie J to everyone. I’m sure everyone can find something enjoyable about both of them.

Don’t Forget to Buy Your Yearbook Preserve Your Memories Only a Few Remain

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Going GooGoo For Gaga The star continues to innovate in new album, “Born This Way” By Kiana Jardin

★★★★

Outrageous, unique, psycho, spectacular, dramatic. Who am I describing? Lady Gaga, of course! There’s never been a star quite like her. This woman may seem totally crazy but she’s a musical genius. Gaga is constantly changing her looks as well as her music. It’s almost as if she’s a new person everyday. She is an inspiration to people all around the world for her self confidence and encouraging words to everyone, especially the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQQ) community. Her new album “Born This Way,” released Tuesday, May 24th, sold over one million albums in the first week alone, which was the most of any artist in the past six years. Gaga has never been one to stay simple. Every album she puts out is different in it’s own way. This album features some great songs such as “Born This Way,” “Judas,” and “Marry The Night.” In her hit single, Born This Way, she sings: I'm beautiful in my way. 'Cause God makes no mistakes I'm on the right track, baby. I was born this way.” This song can speak to everyone who has felt insecure, or like they don’t belong. Along with the

single, came an intense, mesmerizing music video all about the rebirth of people. A video with this much power and such a strong message doesn’t come around very often. In a recent interview with the Pop Music Website, The Skorpion Show, Gaga said she “Born this Way” was inspired by her audience. “The inspiration behind the song and the visuals for the video was the birth of a new race,” she said,” because when I looked out every night to the fans in the audience I thought about how I feel so much that they are a race within the race of humanity. A race that bears no prejudice, that bears no evil, that is blind to hatred and discrimination.” This album is funky and totally Gaga. Honestly, she knows how to make a good album and keep her fans wanting more each time.

Black Friday

Rebecca Black’s song may go down as one of the worst ever By Evan Cragin Were your ears vomiting after you heard the song, was it stuck in your head for a while? Rebecca Black’s song “Friday” became a viral hit, with over 150 million views, but not necessarily because it was good. In fact, It was “disliked” by so many people on YouTube that it became popular. People were watching it just because of how bad they thought it was. Over 2.9 million people “disliked” the video or gave it the thumbs down, while while only a little above 400k have “liked” it on the feedback. On March 29th it became the “most disliked video on YouTube, with more dislikes then Justin Beiber’s “Baby”. Due to all this negative feedback, several parody songs have been made, like making the song with different days of the week, or Dubbed versions, and bleeped version. Some people have even been threatening her via cyber-bulling. Rebecca Black, was produced by Ark Music Factory, a company, based in L.A., which will generally produce anyone for a price. It usually produces kids, whose parents are willing to fork over the cash. Black's mother, Georgina Kelly, paid Ark Music $4,000 for a song and accompanying video that included a choice of two pre-written songs. The video was posted on February 10, 2011 and received 4,000 views in a week. Then, a Tosh.0 blog ripped the song posting: "Song-writing Isn’t for Everyone.” Here is an example of some of the genius lyrics in her song: Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday

Today i-is Friday, Friday We-we-we so excited We so excited We gonna have a ball today ... Rebecca Black has gone on record with the media, saying: “People didn't like the song, didn't like the music video, they thought it was really cheesy. But that was the whole point, to create something that was really simple but something that sticks in people's head. To have people say 'I hate this song, but I'm still singing it.’ ” Although many people don’t like the song, some celebrities actually do like the song including Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, and even Simon Cowell. Chris Brown told a D.C. radio station: "Honest opinion? It was great. I'll be jammin' to it on Friday, Friday.” Simon Cowell praised Black in Entertainment Weekly, saying "I love her [and] the fact that she's gotten so much publicity. People are so upset about the song, but I think it's hysterical. Anyone who can create this much controversy within a week, I want to meet. I love people like that." For a comedy bit on April Fools Day, "Friday" was performed by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Taylor Hicks and The Roots on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”.

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Advice: Ask Cobra Jo Dear Cobra Jo, There is a friend of mine who is very kind-hearted and yet she is very annoying. She sometimes ask too many questions so I feel irritated but I don’t say anything because I don’t want to hurt her feelings. also she confuses me a lot because I will talk about something and then she asks the most stupid question, like I say something and then she ask a question that I have like just answered. I want to know if I should stop being her friend, try telling her or not tell her. - Irritated Dear Irritated, She probably doesn’t even realize she’s being so annoying and acting dumb. don’t stop being her friend since you said she’s a good person. And it would be cruel not to tell her what’s going on as you give her the cold shoulder. Tell her to her face (not over text or facebook) why she’s being annoying. she may be offended or not understand. but she’ll at least know what’s going on. Dear Cobra Jo, My little brother breaks into my room and messes around on my computer. I want to spank him, but then he will run downstairs crying and my parents will be mad. I also want to put a lock on my door and want to put a password on my computer but what if I lock my self out. please help. - Computer hacked Dear Hacked, Have you tried telling your parents? Try to explain your situation. Maybe they’ll try and help you. If they don’t, get a lock, or password protect your computer. Remember make it something easy like your home address or first digits of your phone number You can write it on a post-it and stick it somewhere (say under your bed) and look at it when you need it.

My parents have gotten divorced and it is hard on my sister and I. I don’t have anything to fill my time so I often think about it. I can never see my parents together and I can only spend time with them one at a time. What can I do to get or help me with this. -Family Troubles Dear Troubles, One of the best things to do is be with friends during a tough period of time. Choose a close friend whom you trust, and can talk about it with. If not, find fun friends who can get your mind off the subject. Also, it might help to talk to a counselor at King. They see these types of situations a lot, and may be able to help you. Dear Cobra Jo, I believe my friend has stolen my PSP when he visited my house. I want to beat his @$$, but I’m not really sure he did. What should I do? - Suspecting Friend Dear Suspecting Friend First of all, make sure you didn’t misplace it before you beat your friend. Second of all, don’t jump to conclusions. If you can’t trust your friends why are you friends with them? With all that said, why don’t you just ask them if they have your PSP? Dear Cobra Jo, I’ve had this friend for a few years and he’s starting to get really annoying. I’ve tried to slowly back out of our friendship, but he keeps coming back at me. I can’t tell him I don’t want to be friends because he gets upset easily. I’m at a loss for ideas, so please help me. - Annoyed in Alameda County

Dear Cobra Jo, My older brother is always teasing me and it really hurts my feelings. He is very mean. I need some advice on how to make him stop. -Don’t feel the brotherly love

Dear Annoyed, Unfortunately, there is no easy way around this situation. If telling this person you don’t want to be friends hasn’t worked, then you may have to result to more drastic measures. It’s not often you have to “break up” with a friend, but, in this case, it may be necessary. You may have to start ignoring your friend at all costs, ‘til they get the message.

Dear D.F.T.B.L, It’s natural for siblings to fight. But if its getting out of hand you should tell him, especially if he doesn’t understand he is hurting you. If he does know he’s hurting you that much he’s bullying you. And if he seems like excuse is he’s in a bad mood, just let him be.

Dear Cobra Jo, My entire family was abducted by ninjas, what should I do? should I wait for the authorities? or should I try and save them myself and get killed in the process? What equipment do I need? -Home alone Dear Home Alone, Time to get your ninja stars. if you have the power of the ninja gods with you, there’s nothing you can’t do. Or just get the $.99 Fruit Ninja app.

Dear Cobra Jo,

Horoscopes Gemini (May. 21-Jun. 20): Your imagination is working more than normal; it can be used to your advantage. Though you may fantasize some worst case scenario, don’t worry, everything works out eventually. Cancer (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): You may have really great ideas this month, share them with friends that are willing to listen. Leo (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): Your braveness may help you sometime soon, and can help some with fears you might have. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): Your sense of adventure may be very strong right now. It can be a good idea to explore some of the things that have interested you for some time. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You may start to become more agreeable and it can be a good thing, less arguments can mean more friends. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You may be full of all sorts of good ideas that can please others and those you know.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You may notice that with most of the projects or work you do in your school life, you make them seem exiting and fun. You can use this amazing ability to your advantage. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Now can be a good time to make new friendships and strengthen old ones. You may find something new about your friends you may not have known before. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The time may be good to look for the old things you may have lost over the years, the nostalgia may benefit you greatly. Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): It can be a good time to get out of your comfort zone and do the things you may not have done in a long time. Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): As the school year ends, some things in your school life will start to get easier, for you and your friends. Taurus (Apr. 20-May. 20): Try to walk outside your comfort zone. Try something new that interests you greatly.

Vol. III, Issue III

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Comics & Puzzles Cat & Mouse

Zeb

It’s Not Too Late to Purchase Your Yearbook, but Soon it Will Be

By Julia Ceia

By Emily Wert

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King Cobra

Cobra Crossword Across 4. Family sitcom from the 70s 9. Giants "Freak" pitcher 12. Fifty-yard _____ 14. Laughing animal 16. Type 18. Giant Tidal Wave 19. Pony-tailed King English Teacher 20. Cola 21. Spring holiday 23. Mexican "Goat Sucking" beast 27. Where you ___ 30. Wager 31. Floor Cleaning tool 32. Hawaiian greeting 34. Good luck plant 38. End of school-year ceremony 39. River in Egypt 40. Rabbit 41. Monkey 42. Slippery sea creature 43. Wrist wear 44. Blood sucker 45. Be in debt 48. Digital music player 51. Iron Man's alter ego 57. Center or Earth 58. Garden Tool 59. Moon in Spanish 60. "Billy Jean" singer 62. Yellow fruit 63. Rebecca Black's favorite day 68. Ball of gas and fire 69. Long-running TV trivia show 72. Friend, in London 73. Hunchbacked Frankenstein character 75. Snow or Corn _____ 76. World's most popular sport 78. Japanese style of drawing 80. Soft football 81. Wine bottle stopper 82. County just above United States 83. 30 Rock creator and star 85. Either ___ 86. B-ball whistle blower 90. Largest river in United States Down 92. Garden or Fire ____ 1. Shrek's friend 94. Marshmallow sandwich 2. Come out on top 95. Not under 3. Yes! in Church 97. Apple's rival 5. Person in charge 99. Napoleon Dynamite's uncle 6. ____ Nowitzki 101. Marsh plant 102. Homer's neighbor on Simpsons 7. Opposite of pro 8. Automobiles, or shoes 103. ____ & Needles 10. "To do" _____ 104. School backpack item 11. Star of "Easy A" 105. Charlie the _____ 13. Six-sided polygon 14. Symbol of love 15. Amazement 17. Physician 22. Measuring stick 23. Study at the last minute 24. Cain and _____ 25. French hat 26. High-rent Monopoly property 27. Typical 8th-grade math 28. Not happy

29. Slug with a shell 33. Obama's birthplace 34. Enemy 35. Applaud 36. Salad dressing ingredient 37. Our school's previous name 44. Animal MD 46. Small Hawaiian guitar 47. Armenian sisters on TV 49. Flower part 50. Warning sound 52. Swoosh brand 53. Detective dog 54. 2,000 pounds 55. Caboose 56. Foil material 60. "April showers" bring these 61. South Park antagonist 64. Major 8th-grade project at King 65. Tart candy 66. Cylindrical Mexican food

Don’t Be Left Wondering “What if?” Get your yearbook before it’s too late

67. Naked 69. Star of Tron Legacy and True Grit 70. Holds up your head 71. Not Odd 74. Social Network 76. Neck warmer 77. Type of word puzzle 79. Reflective glass 84. For sure 87. Earth, Wind & _____ 88. Italian Island 89. Pearl holder 90. Country just below us 91. Coin of lowest value 92. Opposite of she 93. Sideways moving critter 96. Iowa's number one crop 98. Price for goods or service 100. Family

Page35

Vol. III, Issue III

Eggs on Track

Easier

Sudoku

By Amara Cohen

King Cobra

Challenging Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad, Book 1

Directions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. There is only one solution to each puzzle which will be revealed

Sudoku #1

2 9 2

7

9

7 1

Harder

3 6 6 4 8 6 2

4 9

1 2 7

9

Our Staff Henry Bazakas, Dora Beilin, DeShawn Boyd, Michael Contreras, Evan Cragin, Sarah Edgar, Mia Elser, Coulson Fry, Eduardo Gonzalez, Juzo Greenwood, Emily Hearst, Claire Inman, Sofia Jacob, Kiana Jardin, Elias Joseph, Sicily Masuret, Adam Meehan, Amanda Melgar, Cleo Osheroff, Vanessa Pozos, Margaret Reager, Samantha Resnik, Izzi Rothenberg, Mia Rain Torres, Kyra Traynor, Danielle Walton, Emily Wert, Samantha Whitty, Elena Wiedlin, Maya Wong, Maddy Wren A Smith and Wesson beats four aces.

2

4 8

8

The Cobra is a newspaper published by a class of seventh and eighth-graders at Martin Luther King Middle School 1781 Rose St, Berkeley, CA 94703

Have Something to share? Put it in Mr. Dalton‛s mailbox in the front office or email: [email protected]

© 2 0 1 1 Kra zyD a d.com

F ill in the bla nk squa re s so tha t e a ch row, e a ch colum n a nd e a ch 3 -by-3 block conta in a ll of the digits 1 thru 9 . If you use logic you ca n solve the puzzle without gue sswork. N e e d a little he lp? T he hints pa ge shows a logica l orde r to solve the puzzle . U se it to ide ntify the ne xt squa re you should solve . O r use the a nswe rs pa ge if you re a lly ge t stuck.

“Gioia Pizzeria would like to thank the King students and staff for all of your patronage. Go Cobras!”

1586 Hopkins St Berkeley, CA 94707

Page 36

King Cobra

Fire

The Hated Scarf

By Annika Helmer

Answers to Previous Edition’s Puzzles

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Down 1. Male turkey or cat [TOM]

Popular snack from a flower [SUNFLOWERSEEDS] Feline [CAT] Attention students: If 3.4.5.you love to draw, and think you’ve Primate [APE] 6. Mouth Part [LIP] 7. Square root of 169 [THIRTEEN] got the wit, why not contribute a comic to next years 8. Door opener [KEY] 9. Baby's neckwear [BIB] Chocolate Chip, for example [COOKIE] King Cobras. If you’re 10.interested, please find Mr. Dalton

Vol. III, Issue III

Your Own Worst Enemy

Page 37 By Mia Rain Torres

Page 38

King Cobra

Teddy

By Katie Bailie

On Behalf of King

La Note Restaurant

Middle School, The King Cobra Staff would like to

Authentic French Provencal Food in Downtown Berkeley 2377 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA 9470 510-843-1535 www.lanoterestaurant.com

thank Vice Principal Doreen Sing for all of her efforts to help make King the school it is today. Thanks for all of your hard work, compassion, and care. You will be greatly missed. Good luck!

Two Major Soccer Tourneys Going Down this Summer By Eduardo Gonzalez

Group A Costa Rica El Salvador Cuba Mexico

Group B Grenada Guatemala Honduras Jamaica

Group C Canada Panama Guadeloupe USA

This summer from June 5-25, cities all across the U.S. will be treated to a huge soccer tournament, held every two years, called the Gold Cup. The first game will be Costa Rica vs. Cuba in Cowboy’s Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The defending champion for this cup is Mexico. In the last tournament two years ago, Mexico Mexico beat The United States, 5-0, in New York. Farther South, in Argentina, and happening most of July, will be another tournament called The Copa America. There is something different about this tournament, because its only for players that are 23 years of age or younger. Its opening game will feature Argentina vs. Bolivia and its championship game will be July 24th. The defending champion in this cup is world soccer power Brazil, which beat Argentina 3-0.

Players to Watch

Javier Hernandez, Mexico, is the star forward for Man. U. & is a rare striker who always can get open for a cross or a pass. Keylor Navas, Costa Rica, is a goalie that plays for Albacete Balompie; he is one of the most secure, quick and young goalies in the CONCACAF. London Donovan, USA is a veteran striker for the L.A Galaxy, and the all-time scorer and assist maker in US international soccer history

Luis Ernesto Michel, Mexico, is the experienced goalie for Chivas Guadalajara, will take the responsibility for leading Mexico in the Copa America. Lionel Messi is the best player in the world; he can play all three forward positions, and almost always finds a way to score. Diego Forlan, Uruguay is a striker for Atletico Madrid, in his history with his national squad he’s scored 25 goals and is looking for more.

Group A Aregentina Colombia Costa Rica Bolivia

Group C Uruguay Chile Mexico Peru

Group B Brazil Paraguay Ecuador Venezuela

Vol. III, Issue III

Page 39

Baseball Field to Get Much-Needed Face Lift By Elias Joseph King Middle School is becoming well known for it’s athletics program. It has many sports, including but not limited to soccer, track, ultimate, and baseball. But currently, the school is taking a little hit because the baseball field is in such horrible condition. There are thick weeds all over it and after it rains, its covered in mud for weeks, and even months afterward. In fact, right field is on its way to becoming a full-fledged swamp. However, the problem will soon be fixed. Over the summer, the field will be renovated to turn it into a nicer playing environment, with real dugouts and a better playing field. “It’s duly needed,” said girls softball coach Loshanda Roquemore, “It enhances our sports program here at King. Right now, we didn’t even have benches in our home dugout.” Roquemore also said that it was getting very difficult to play outfield There are a lot of holes, so you get bad hops in the field,” It is a hazard

Students have joked about Egrets coming to right field, to wade in the marshy grass

because you could get a bad hop and a black eye, or a hurt ankle.” The field is also being improved to increase the amount it is used. “The field doesn’t get much use as it could get because there are problems with it,” said Principal Jason Lustig. “I imagine once it’s fixed, it will be used more at lunch, and the PE department will be able to make better use of it. The renovation of the field represents represents something very close to Athletic Director Skyler Barton’s heart. “In my perspective, baseball and softball are two of the most important sports that we offer at King,” said sports director Skylar Barton. “With baseball, our program is one of the very few middle school baseball programs offered in the Bay area as well as Northern California. For example, while we had close to 15 schools compete in our boys basketball league this year, only three of those schools had baseball teams. “Our Berkeley Schools have vowed to keep baseball going, and King has played an instrumental role in this movement. Recently, we have recruited Head Royce School and Montera Middle School, both located in Oakland, to participate in what is now known as the "East Bay Middle School Baseball League." We plan on expanding the league to 6 teams next year.” So how bad is our field really? Our outfield grass is filled with many potholes and patches of uneven surface, from the many years of wear

Sixth-grader Kaili Meier managed to field the ball cleanly here, but the shoddy field usually gives a bad hop

and tear from baseball, softball, and soccer players digging up the turf with their cleats,” said Barton. “While we feel extremely blessed and fortunate to have a field to call our own, there is much room for improvement.” “Also, as the kids would point out, our third base dugout is without a bench, leaving our baseball and softball players with no place to sit during games. As a coach, I don't mind, because this forces students to stand, stay alert, and support their teammates. However, it would be nice to have a place for the students to take a quick rest during long games.” But thankfully, this won’t be a problem for long. “Fortunately, our field will be worked on this summer, and we are all very excited about the potential upgrades,” said Barton. “For starters, we will get a brand new bench in the third base dugout. We should also have some work done on the outfield grass, and hopefully this will level out some areas and allow our students to have an improved surface to roam, increasing comfort and safety.”

King Kids Perform National Anthem at Giants Game By Emily Wert On Thursday, May 12, the Giants had yet another victory, 3 to 2, over the Diamondbacks. For some, however, the highlights came before the game. King’s sixth-grade band, along with musicians from Longfellow, Willard, and Berkeley High, had the opportunity to play the national anthem preceding the game. This was the second year BUSD participated in this event, and despite pre-game jitters, the song went off without a hitch. “I was really nervous,”said Adriano Di Costanzo, “There were millions of people Berkeley School musicians took to the field to perform the Star Spangled watching us...It was intense.” It was after the anthem when some found reason to complain. Isobel Woodfin, Banner at a recent Giants game who plays clarinet, said that their seats weren’t very good. “They had to get cheap seats, and we were all the way at the top,” she said. All in all, the sixth graders had a great performance, and the national anthem never sounded so good. “I liked playing there,” said flute player Kian Broder Wang, “it was fun to see the players; they said hi to me.”

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King Cobra

Sports Baseball Team Upbeat Despite Losing Season By Henry Bazakas King baseball wasn’t as successful as previous years, as the team finished with a 2-8 record after finishing the regular season with a blowout win against Longfellow. Nevertheless, the season was not a failure, as the team played strongly in the playoffs. The Cobras beat Longfellow again in the first game of the playoffs, advancing them to another game against Willard. King was 0-2 this year against The Phoenixes going onto the game, but they outplayed them for 6 ½ innings. King led the entire game until the last inning, bolstered by strong pitching from Jesse Barber and key RBIs from Shail SierraKoncar. Then in the final inning, Jesse Barber pitches Willard loaded the bases. On a against Willard controversial play at the plate, The Phoenixes won on a walk off stolen base, ending King’s season. Many King players, including 8th grader Jake Price, thought that the Cobras could have won that game. “We outplayed Willard and we deserved that win,” he said. “There were just a couple breaks that didn’t go our way.” Despite the loss, King was proud to have played as well as they did. King athletic Director and Coach Skyler Barton said he was sad about the loss, but glad the team played so well. “It was bittersweet. I was extremely proud of all the players for the amount of heart and focus that everybody displayed,” said Barton. “It would have been nice to see (King) end the season on a win, but at the same time, its always nice to know that you gave it your all.” King also got progressively better as the season went on. It started out slow, but ended the r season with a win, and they won their first playoff game before losing to Willard. Sierra-Koncar said the team grew over the course of the season. “I thought we had a bad start,” he said. “But we learned from our mistakes and became a productive team.” The Cobra’s losses weren’t due to lack of talent though. The team is a younger, less experienced group of players, with mostly 7th-graders, several 6th-graders and only a few 8th-graders. The team lost several of its strongest players from last year, including Noah Brehmer and Reed ThomasMcLean. The success of 7th-Graders Will Booth, Grady Camps and Julian Dunn, among others, shows promise for next year. The team has potential to be very good in the near future, says Barton. “It won’t be much of a rebuilding year,” he said, referring to next season. “We have so many returning players, we should come into the season strong.”

Softball Takes Third Place in Tourney King Softball had another successful season, going 7-3 in the regular season and taking 3rd place in the conference tournament. Still, they came close to doing even better. Their final loss that eliminated them from the tournament came after a huge comeback in the last inning, only to lose by one. Even with their success, eighth-grader Julia Rosenberg said that their biggest Sara accomplishment may not even have been on the8th-grader Cerami hopes to field. She was more proud of the team’s sense play softball in high school of community. “It was really good,” said the 3rd year King softball player. “We were like a little family.” -Henry Bazakas

Ultimate Frisbee All About the Team King’s Frisbee team finished their second season with a record of 4-6. Although they won nearly half their games, eighth-grader Nathan Frankel admitted he was a little disappointed by their results, but still enjoyed the experience. “I though we were gonna be better,” he confessed. “But it was fun.” The team went 1-5 in the playoffs. Even though they didn’t always win, they had fun. And they did manage to beat crosstown rival, and Ultimate frisbee power, Willard. Frankel said that they had a great team 7th-grader Nikhil Bhatia-Lin snags a atmosphere that made him love to play Frisbee. pass “Everybody on the team contributed to a pleasant, winning environment.” - Henry Bazakas

Track Program Rolling Along Track season is almost over, with only two more meets left to go. The sixth grade championships were last week, and King placed third overall, an amazing feat considering how small the team is. In the The eighth grade championships have yet to be determined when and were they will take place. In the seventh grade championships last week, King fared very well considering it too, Coach Rick jokes has a very small roster. with two 6th graders “We only had five girls competing in the finals and we finished in third place among eight teams,” said AD Skyler Barton, who cited Claire Inman’s first place mile (5:47), Annie Booth’s first place 800m (2:33 -- a time which the Berkeley High Coach said would second-best on varsity today), and Rachel Barclay’s third-place 400m (1:12). Everybody who ran Cross Country in the fall has significantly improved in their events. The final meet, the Berkeley City Championships will take place in two weeks. -Claire Inman