Bye-bye Bruder

June brings about many endings: the end of school and the end of homework, tests and grades. It is also the end of a teacher’s time at Sterling. Mr. Mark Bruder is ending his short year and a half career at Sterling and heading to a different district.

                Mr. Bruder is a beloved teacher of CP Physical Science, CP Chemistry, and AP Chemistry. His students know him for his easy-going attitude and relaxed teaching style. He became a teacher for “the same cliché reason everyone says: you want to make a difference.” Mr. Bruder says, “It’s nice when your students appreciate what you do, when they thank you.”

                His biggest contribution to Sterling was exposing students to science and chemistry and, hopefully, inspiring an enthusiasm for learning that matches his own. He teaches in the hope that he may be teaching the next student who cures cancer. He teaches in the hopes he makes a difference through his students.

                When Mr. Bruder isn’t teaching, he dotes on his daughter and exercises. He plays sports and reads.

What’s his least favorite thing about Sterling? “The grading system. I’m not a fan of the categories.” He will miss the delayed openings though.

His future plans are to continue teaching and “keep moving forward, day by day.” Sterling was lucky to have Mr. Bruder, no matter for how short a time, and he will be greatly missed.

Story with a Facelift

There is the age-old argument that the book is always better. It is better than the movie, the TV show, or any other adaptation. Many die-hard fans of the written word argue that movies steal stories from books, and that it is a one-way street. Although movies do rely on the books for ideas and an established fan base, books need movies too.

                This relationship is a two-way street. Movies rely on the books for a plot and lovable characters. But the movie does something in return; it gives the book a facelift. The film adaptation brings the story, and the book, back out into the spotlight.

                This certainly was the case when it came to Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Published in 1925, the book was originally run with 20,000 copies. In modern times, typically 500,000 copies are sold a year. However, since the announcement and release of the film starring DeCaprio, 280,000 copies have already been shipped as of April. Online sales of the book have also skyrocketed. Only about 80,000 online versions of Gatsby were sold last year. As of April, 125,000 copies have already sold.

                Even the cover is getting a facelift. Both the film tie-in cover and the original cover are available. The book has been out for 88 years, and now it is getting attention all over again.

                Even popular stories are given a facelift from film adaptations. For example, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games was initially printed with 200,000 copies. Before film production, about 9.6 million copies were in circulation. After production of the film began, 23.5 million copies were in circulation.

                There is a phenomenon that occurs when an author sells the rights to their book, and a movie is announced. Readers, fans, and new-comers to the story rush out to buy the book because the movie is coming. In order to participate in the excitement of the story, the book must be read first.

                Movies and film adaptations of books not only generate the sale of the books, but they also revitalize the story and get people talking about it. Movies give the written word a facelift. 

Northgate 1: Use the Back Door

Haddon Ave

Filth. Drugs. Violence. Scum: not the first words many associate with the place where they call home. This is, however, how many think of Northgate 1 in Camden, NJ. Located at a very different end of Haddon Avenue sits this brown high-rise littered with balconies. There are some hidden gems within this building; you just need to look close enough.

The entrance is a small, unsuspecting door covered by a blue canopy exclaiming “Northgate 1” in dirty white letters on a navy background. A pair of cloudy glass doors sits beneath the canopy. Beneath the entrance is a memorial. Pictures, stuffed animals, and notes clutter the wall and ground, wet and bearing the stains of time. They are the remnants of the latest victim of the violence.

Main Entrance

At Northgate1, you do not use the front entrance. It leads into a narrow hallway among elevators with men, the kind you turn and run from, crowded around. Many of them are either on drugs or are drug dealers, and some are gang members. If you choose to enter through those cloudy doors, you are up for grabs, especially if you look like you don’t belong. Although this is intimidating, there is a light at the end if you keep exploring.

Residents, guest, and friends use the left elevator. If you use the right elevator, you are a customer. It’s best to avoid the elevators completely if possible. They are loud, gray, smelly boxes with old food wrappers and crushed bottles piled in the corner.

Back Entrance

Use the back entrance. Although it has its own fair share of people around it, they are not expecting the same thing as those salivating at the front. Past the back door entrance is a security station with Joe, the only security guard. He is willing to open the community center whenever he is on duty.

The community center is in a hallway directly between the two entrances. This hallway is painted all white, giving a false sterile appearance. It is dark and poorly lit. At the end is a door with peeling paint and the tiny words “Community Center” in faded black letters. The center screams of neglect. Mismatched ceiling tiles and buzzing lights are overhead. On the dirty glass windows near the door is a painted mural of pink and blue flowers.

The worst are the pink chairs. The fabric is stained with unidentifiable substances. Many prefer to stand than sit in those chairs. Old stained white tables are folded up against the wall. That’s it. Nothing else is found in the community center except Ms. Karen.

Ms. Karen is the superwoman of Northgate 1. She fixes everything for the tenants and is found trying to raise the spirits of the adults and keep the children occupied. When someone needs something, they go to Ms. Karen. She always has an answer, a smile, a prayer.

Sunny D is the mascot of Northgate 1. He is seven, and he is already scamming people for money and hitting on pretty girls. He wants to be a “gangsta” when he grows up, and, like Ms. Karen, is a permanent fixture in North Gate 1.

The Community Center

Children of all ages run around the center, filling it with giggles and shouts. If the front entrance is the dark of Northgate 1, than this is the light.

Outside, objects fall from the sky. Many residents throw things out their windows and off their balconies. All manner of baby toys, blocks, pillows, trash, and any item the children can get their hands on are thrown out the window. If this is questioned, the residents shrug it off. It happens all the time.

Even with the hidden gems like Ms. Karen and her community center, Northgate 1 is often thought of as a center for scum and violence; often, this is true. Northgate 1 can be an imposing building reeking of danger. But it can also be a home for those like Sunny D and Ms. Karen.

That's How the Cupcake Crumbles

In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Krispy Kreme Donuts was all the rage. It was not uncommon to see people lined up for the delicious glazed donuts. However, the company rapidly expanded making the hard to find treat seem like an everyday item. Stock plummeted, and Krispy Kreme Donuts was considered ‘out.’

                Something had to replace the Krispy Kreme. In 2003, the women from the HBO series “Sex and the City” ate cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery. This is the unofficial debut of the cupcake craze. Following this episode, cupcakes exploded. They were definitely ‘in.’

Crumbs Bakery
Credit: Crumbs

                Cupcakes were the new trendy, stylish dessert from 2003 up until today. Even with an economic upset, they were cute and affordable. Americans may skip a fancy meal out, but a $4 cupcake was still a nice treat. TV shows such as “Cupcake Wars” and “DC Cupcakes” furthered the trend.

                Gone were Wedding Cakes and in came the cupcakes. Birthday cakes were replaced with cupcakes, and popularity of the dessert soared.

                Cupcake shops began sprouting up all over. Crumbs opened their doors in 2003, a ‘mom and pop’ style shop. Today, Crumbs has 67 locations in 10 states. Their cupcakes seem to be everywhere, and that’s the problem.  The cupcake was no longer a rare treat when you could find a shop on every corner.

At its peak, stock was selling for $13. Then the cupcake bubble burst, according to the Wall Street Journal. In April, Crumbs stock plummeted. Stock was selling for $1.70, less than a cupcake is worth. Many suspect that this is an indication of the cupcake crash.

At the LA Times, they believe the cupcake is on the way out, and the novelty has worn off. Cupcakes are a trend, and the market is saturated with product. Demand is low, and cupcake shops are seen everywhere. Besides, people can bake cupcakes.

Even with the numbers, many feel as though cupcakes will never truly go out. Liz Martens, manager of a local Crumbs, says, “Cupcakes aren’t popular now, but I think they’re here to stay.”

Lollipies
credit: Seattle Bride Magazine

If the cupcake is truly ‘out,’ what will replace it? Many have the answer of pie. The newest craze is to forgo the cake or cupcakes and serve pie at weddings. When Amber Karl, a bride who opted for pie, said, “Pie has a homey feel. It’s comforting.”

Are you worried a slice of pie is too much? Try a LolliPie instead. They are a newer trend of mini pies on a stick.  The Lollipie is the newest dessert craze. It’s small, compact, and on a stick!

Mini-pies, tarts, and macaroons are all waiting and ready for the cupcake to officially head on out so they can finally be ‘in.’

AP Exams: 80% of Us Are Doing It

The Worldwide Advanced Placement exams, commonly referred to as AP exams, began on May 6th covering subjects such as Calculus, English, Foreign Languages, and the Sciences. In 2012, more than 2 million students worldwide took 3.7 million AP Exams. 80% of students who qualify opt to take the exams, no matter how challenging. However, these exams aren’t like your typical tests with a passing or failing grade. It is impossible to fail this test.

When students take the exams, they can receive a score of one to five, which indicates poor comprehension of the subject or an excellent grasp of the subject. For many colleges, a score of four or five on an exam allows students to be exempt from the corresponding college course. Some schools will even accept a three for credit. The $89 exam in high school could save up to $1200 in college credits. For many students, the challenge of the exam is worth the possible college credit.

 73.4% of New Jersey exam takers passed the exam with a score of three or higher, the highest percentage in the nation in 2012. Although Sterling’s 55 AP students pulled an overall average score of 2.56, slightly less than the international average of 3.18, students were able to achieve an average score of 2.85 on the English Literature exam and 3.6 on the Biology Exam, both above the international averages last year.

Why take the exam? Besides a chance at college credits, 82% of students say that the class is more worthwhile than regular level classes. Our students agreed. AP student Michelle Tang agreed, “AP classes are much more challenging than a regular level class. They require independent study which some kids can’t handle.” Other students steered clear of the classes. Kellyn Lowden, a non-AP student remarked, “Honors and AP are hard. They’re way too intense for me.”

Although AP exams and classes are a great commitment, Sterling students are up for the challenge. Emily Strauser, an AP student at Sterling, says, “The tests are hard, but they can be worth it. It’d be nice to skip that class in college.” 

Hard Article, Politics and Such

Jeremy Peters', New York Times, article "House Votes Again to Repeal Health Laws" discusses the vote to repeal the new health laws in a fairly balanced way. Peters reports that "the law had passed 229 to 195. No Republicans voted against the repeal and two Democrats voted for it."

Peters' article discusses the repeal and those who commented on it. His primary focus is the comments made by those pushing for the repeal. Michele Bachmann, head of the push for repeal, is a main point for him.

However, Peters also quotes other representatives who spoke such as "Representative Luke Messer, a freshman from Indiana, said that he could not possibly sum up in the minute allotted all that was wrong with such a wretched law."

Peters is also careful with his facts. For example, when one representative said " the law was making medical students anxious about what awaits them upon graduation. Some undergraduates, he said, do not want to even go to medical school because of the law," Peters followed with " (The Association of American Medical Colleges, however, has reported a steady increase in medical school enrollment every year since 2008.) " He also linked this statement to the report to back himself up.

Peters ended the article with the simple statement of "But the bill, which has no chance in the Senate, will go no further." This is the entire point of the article. The repeal passed, and the bill will not move forward. Even a reader who swims to the end will see this.

Overall, Peters does a fairly decent job of reporting a political event without taking a side. He is able to remain unbiased, and that makes it a good article.

You Can Find the Article Here!

Soft Article, short and to the point

Nick Bilton's, the New York Times, article "Yahoo to Buy Tumblr for $1.1 Billion" discusses the rumor of Yahoo, a large web-search organization, and their possible acquisition of Tumblr, the online blogging site. Yahoo is due to make a formal announcement on the sale on Monday, May 20th.

However, this article sites a source "who was not authorized to speak ahead of the announcement" and thus, remains nameless. Yahoo declined to comment, and "a representative from Tumblr was not immediately available."

The article is designed to get the information about this deal out there as soon as possible, even with nameless sources. It does not contain any comments from either company. Bilton gives background on both online sensations such as "Facebook, Microsoft and Google all showed interest previously in purchasing Tumblr, an employee of Tumblr said, but those talks never culminated in final offers."

He ends with the question of "It is unclear if all of the company’s 175 employees would become Yahoo employees, too," as well as gives credit to the origins of the story: "The deal was first reported by the technology news site AllThingsD. "

Bilton also discusses Marissa Mayer's, head of Yahoo, career and her decision to buy Tumblr to catch up with the social media. He does not, however, have a comment from her or her people.

Bilton effectively reports the information in a short, one-page article. Because of a lack of details, a longer article would have been pointless.

The Article can be found  Here!

Cookies, Camp, and Crafts

                 When people hear the words “Girl Scouts,” they think of cookies, camp, and crafts. GSUSA is trying to change that. Girl Scouts is where “today’s girls become tomorrow’s leaders.” 
                 This is their mission, and it is reality. GSUSA reports that 53% of all business women are former Girl Scouts, and 60% of the women in the House of Representatives were Scouts. Even with these great statistics, the first thing that comes to mind is “Thin Mints!” How does GSUSA fix this?

                 In 2010 there was a major rebranding of Girl Scouts. The logo was updated, it now features a more vibrant shade of green, and a new campaign, “What Did You Do Today?”, was launched to appeal to the perspective of girls. The campaign was designed to target middle school girls, especially those who have dropped out of scouting around the 6^th grade.  

                In 2011, the Girl Scout Badges were completely redesigned for the first time since 1987. The new badges were presented in 2012 along with the new Girl Guides and the Leadership Journey Series.  Gone is the Fitness, Makeup, and Fashion badge from the 80’s. In its place is the Science of Style Badge that focuses on nanotechnology and the science behind fabrics. In 2013, the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles began testing out a new Video Gamer patch in an effort to appeal to modern girls, who are way more interested in technology than they are crafts, while partnering with WIGI to help girls design and program their own video games.

                Local councils, including our own GSCSNJ, are making the push to recruit and retain today’s modern girls. GSCSNJ offers STEM programs, Lego Robotics patches, and the Leadership Journey. According to a representative from our local council, “GSUSA has led the strategic movement for developing a leadership journey modern girls want to see, but GSCSNJ has fully supported these changes to keep Girl Scouts alive.”