Boys’ Basketball: Undefeated Division Champions!

THE LAKELANDS PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Volume 8, Issue 1
On the web in color: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/lakelandsparkms/
Winter 2015-2016
Boys’ Basketball: Undefeated Division Champions!
By JEREMIAH WRIGHT and ASIM MEGHI
With a 6-0 record, we
wanted to interview
Coach Reed about the
Boys’ Basketball team.
In five years, the team
has only lost two games,
so we wanted to see
what are the keys to
their continued success.
* * *
What would you like to
say about your team
this year?
“I was really impressed
with their competitive
spirit.”
What were the high-
lights or proudest moments of the season?
“Going undefeated. I am
proud that they were
more worried about team
success than individual
success.”
What (if any) were
some challenges that
your team faced? How
did they respond?
“Some injuries with key
players, but the other
boys stepped up so there
was no decline in our level of play.
Continued on Page 4
The team poses for a group shot and celebrates their 4th
championship in 5 years and their 3rd undefeated season.
Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Tsai
LPMS Presents “Legally Blonde: The Musical Jr.”
By EMMA LEE FREEMAN
The spring play
“Legally Blonde: The
Musical Jr.” is happening on May 12th, 13th,
and 14th.
Come see your
classmates act onstage
and tell you a captivating story about Elle and
her adventure at Harvard Law. Bring your
family and friends!
For you Lakelands Park Falcons, stu-
dent tickets only cost
$5! Adult tickets are
$10. They can be bought
in advance online or
purchased at the door.
Make sure everyone knows that “Legally
Blonde” The Musical Jr.”
is happening at 7:00 pm
on Thursday and Friday,
and at 2:00pm on Saturday. You are sure to enjoy the show!
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 2
NEWS
Remembering 2015: Events at Lakelands Park!
By DANNA HIRSHBERG
It’s a new year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t remember 2015. Here are some key events from last year.
The Winter Concert and Art Showcase on 12/10/15. Violinists warm up for the concert and art is shown.
Author, Carol Solomon talks about her new book, Imagining Katherine and leads a writer’s workshop.
6th grade students and staff celebrate Greek Day on 12/11/15 with a variety of activities.
The Staff vs. Students Basketball Game on 12/23/15. A crowd watches the big game! The staff beat the
students...again...
And these were just SOME of the great events! There were many field trips, sports games, the school play,
and cooking experiences too. 2015 will always have a place in our heart, but 2016 will be even greater!
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 3
NEWS
“Fractured” Comes Together at LPMS!
By EMMA WEBER
It’s a happy ending for the characters of “Fractured”
Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Tippets
As most people
know, the fall play was
“Fractured” by Eddie
McPherson and took
place on December 3-5
2016. Directed by Miriam Bowden,“Fractured”
was given extremely
high praise for the
amazing cast and crew,
as well as the comedic
plot.
Starring Lindsey
Gispert as the beautiful
princess Esmeralda of
Aluminuminum, a kingdom is stuck in limbo
because no one is reading stories anymore.
Esmeralda defies her
parents, the King
(Jeremiah Wright) and
Queen (Yamini Manikoth), to wriggle out of
an arranged marriage
and be with her true
love, Lance A. Lot (Alex
Roth).
With the help of
her friends, Snow
White, Belle, Cinderella,
and Esmeralda’s fairy
godmother Zelda, Esmeralda escapes to Chicago and finds Lance,
but encounters Ciji, who
is madly in love with
Lance. Later returning
to the Kingdom of Aluminuminum, Lance is
banished and Esmeralda
forced to face her suitors. As she interviews
each prince, Lance
sneaks in disguised as
Prince Hoodwink. The
Queen and King allow
this union, but the
‘Prince’ is revealed to be
a mortal by Ciji, who
snuck into the castle as
Rapanzel. Not Rapunzel. Rapanzel.
Zelda’s wand is
snapped, as she was the
one to teleport Lance
back and therefore
breaking her promise to
never again help connect Esmeralda and her
mortal boo. Lance, who
turns out to work at the
largest publishing company in Chicago, comes
up with a plan to save
the fairy tale world by
sending his manuscript
of a book back home.
Zelda’s broken wand
has enough magic to
send the manuscript
back, and the kingdom
is saved.
As Lance has
saved Aluminuminum,
the King and Queen de-
cide to allow the two
lovebirds to be married and Ciji goes mad
upon hearing this. She
runs off, never to be
seen again. Lance and
Esmeralda live happily
ever after … so the
story says. Worked on
by many staff members, parents, and
over fifty students,
“Fractured” will be remembered for ages as
one of the best plays
Lakelands Park MS
March – April School Calendar
By HANNAH FEDOROV
Spring Break : Thursday, March 24 - Friday, April 1
Spirit Week : Monday, April 4 - Friday, April 8
End of Third Quarter : Friday, April 8
Lakelands Park MS vs. Ridgeview MS - Student /
Staff Basketball Game at Quince Orchard HS:
Friday, April 8 at 7:00 pm
Spring Picture Day : Wednesday, April 13
Variety Show : Thursday, April 14 at 7:00 pm
Book Wars Competition at LPMS Media Center:
Friday, April 22
Primary Election Day: Tuesday, April 26
SMOB Election Day : Wednesday, April 27
Take Your Child to Work Day : Thursday, April 28
6th Grade Outdoor Education
 Session 1 : Monday, March 14 - Wednesday, March 16
 Session 2 : Wednesday, March 16 - Friday,
March 18
 Session 3 : Monday, March 21 - Wednesday, March 23
THE FALCON FLIER— Page 4
FEATURES
What is Mardi Gras?
By now you’ve
probably heard of the
Mardi Gras celebration
in New Orleans, but
what even is Mardi
Gras?
Well, surprisingly Mardi
Gras started as a festival before Lent, a period
of forty days ending on
Easter, where several
religions prepared for
the resurrection of Jesus
by prayer and penance.
People could spend
days to weeks celebrating and partying before
Lent, but it depended
on the location. Germany’s celebration starts
November 11th at
11am. In Rio De Janeiro,
the festival lasts for four
days. But New Orleans
seems to be, by far, the
most famous Mardi
Gras celebration in the
United States.
The French brought
Mardi Gras to Louisiana
and the earliest celebrations started in 1766
with masquerades and
street processions. It
got so out of control
that in 1806, celebrations were outlawed,
but the law was widely
ignored. The law was
revoked in 1826 after
the celebration grew
more and more popular.
In 1827, teens and
young adults returning
from school in France
took to the streets with
masks.
Krewes are the groups
that plan the celebrations and parades on
Mardi Gras. They started planning originally in
1857. Krewes have a
king, queen, and court
chosen from the prominent families in each
By NAOMI COCKER
krewe. These ‘royalty’
are ranked highly in
krewes and their identities are hidden to outsiders until Mardi Gras
celebrations.
Nowadays, only one
prevalent krewe plans
parades, the Rex krewe,
due to laws passed in
the 1970s. The Rex king
is also king of the carnival and is usually a rich
businessman. The
krewe also passes out
trinkets, such as plastic
beads and brightly colored aluminum coins.
So, I hope you enjoyed
learning about the history of Mardi Gras.
Interview with Coach Reed, Boys’ Basketball Coach (Continued from Page 1)
What will you miss
most about this year’s
departing 8th graders?
“Their leadership.” He
would like to commend
Noah Adnan and Omari
Salvi.
Why do you continue to
coach at LPMS?
Coach Reed said he likes
the challenge. He admitted that he is getting old
now so his playing days
are over. There were a lot
of people who had a posi-
tive impact on him. Now
he wants to be a positive
impact to other kids.
What are you looking
forward to next year?
“7th graders who were on
the team showing good
leadership. The future is
bright for some LPMS
Basketball.”
What would you say to
any students who
would like to be on the
team in the future?
“Be a good student, and
be a good citizen.”
Is there anything else
you’d like to share?
“I would like to thank
Mrs. Higdon for giving me
the opportunity to be the
boys basketball team
coach here at Lakelands.
I would also like to thank
Akiel Russell for volunteering his time to help
the team achieve all the
success we have over the
past five years.”
Lastly, he would like to
thank the students and
the staff for showing
their support. He says
they have no idea how
important their support
was at every home
game.
“We have good kids at
Lakelands- not just the
basketball players, but
also the entire student
body.”
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 5
FEATURES
A Day in the White House
with Chef Morrison!
By JASMINE ECHEONA
What do you think when
you hear the words The White
House, or presidential? Cool,
right!
Well Chef Susan Morrison
has a job that many people think
is very cool. She is the first female
executive pastry chef for the President of the United States. What
is a pastry chef you might ask? It is
someone who focuses on making
desserts like pastries, cakes, cookies, and more.
But before talking about
her job, let's talk about her life.
When Chef Morrison was in high
school she did not want to be a
pastry chef she wanted to be a
nutritionist, it wasn't till the age of
15 when she started to work in
restaurants, and because of that
she was exposed to the culinary
world. Then Junior year she knew
that she wanted to go to school
for being a pastry chef. She went
to the Culinary School of Washington.
Some words of advice
from Chef Morrison were, "Now is
the time you think of possibilities.
Everything is important: school,
grades, working hard at studies,
being nice to your parents, and
making opportunities to talk to
different people in your life."
Many people believe that
an inspiration has to be someone
famous. Well, NO! Chef Morrison’s inspiration was her grandmother--she taught Morrison
some basic pastries and was a big
part of her culinary world.
Now to the really interesting part of Chef Morrison's
life. Back in 1995 a person who
was working at the White House
as a pastry contractor recommended her to the executive pastry chef at that time, Roland
Meshier. She started as a pastry
contractor in May of 1995, then
became full time assistant pastry
chef in July of 2002. Then was
promoted to executive pastry
chef in October of 2013.
“Amazing, an honor, a
dedicated service, a privilege,
and a wonderful place to work
at” are just some of the words
Chef Morrison said about what it
is like to work for the President.
Her favorite thing about
her job is all the people she gets
to work with, the ability to be a
part of a team who everyday
strive to do whatever it takes to
help the President, first family,
and administration. " I wouldn't
be successful in the job that I
have without the team I work
Chef Morrison working on recreating the
White House: just one of her baked creations while working for the President.
Associated Press
with."
Each year is a very busy
time for Chef Morrison, but all
the events she does depends on
the scheduling that comes from
the social office. Her busiest season is Christmas! Planning starts
as early as SEPTEMBER.
Some of her favorite pastries to make are pies, cookies,
tarts, and of course, ice cream.
An easy recipe that Chef Morrison said to make for a beginner
pastry chef are cookies because
they are something everyone
likes, and it's for all ages. "Also
cookies are such a fun part of
family time," said Chef Morrison.
I had a great time interviewing Chef Susie and enjoyed
getting to tour one of the kitchens of the White House. If you
enjoy baking, be inspired by this
story, and maybe one day you
could become a pastry chef like
her!
THE FALCON FLIER— Page 6
FEATURES
READ UP ON SGA! By CLAIRE SULLIVAN
Catch up with the
SGA! Our student government has organized
many great activities this
school year like the Valentine's Day dance, selling lollipops, “Teacher
for a day,” canned food
drive, Pennies for Patients, and many more.
Here is a quick update
for what's coming up in
the next couple months.
The SGA is
hosting the annual spirit
week through the week
of April 4th. Get prepared for a Twinning
Tuesday, Pajama Day,
and more fun themes!
It's almost time
for the SMOB elections.
Our current SMOB, Eric
Guerci, came to talk to
us about what they are
planning for the rest of
the year. Eric and the
MCPS system are working on the parcc tests,
phone use, and final exams. Election day is
coming up on April 27th,
and classes will be
voting during the day.
Also, May 27th
will be our Ty Williams
Fundraiser and honoring
Matthew Bittner. Each
grade level will make
their own flag football
teams and there will be
a tournament on the
turf field, so get ready!
The week of the
27th we will also be selling our lollipops for one
dollar.
The Valentine’s Dance
I know, I know.
The SGA Valentine’s
Dance was forever ago,
but let’s just remember
the awesomeness of that
one afternoon.
If you were busting out your cool moves
or sipping a soda, and
talking to your friends,
we all had one memorable experience. There
Photos Courtesy of Mrs. Tsai
Yummy Valentine’s Day snacks!
By DANNA HIRSHBERG
were yummy Valentine’s
snacks to purchase, fun
balloon games, dancing,
and great music. You
have a picture of that
moment in your head
Dancing!
That is the SGA update
for the upcoming
Spring. If you have any
questions, feel free to
ask an SGA member or
Mrs. Azizirad, who is
filling in for Mrs. Donnellan.
Only a couple
months left of school,
and it's going to be
great!
and we have a few pictures here! Let’s take a
look. I can’t wait until
Valentine’s Day next
year. Can you?
Hanging out with friends!
Student Receives President’s Volunteer Service Award!
Congratulations to Alexia Antonio, who was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Her letter from the White House and President Obama
congratulated her on receiving the award and thanked her for “helping to
address the most pressing needs” in her community and her country. The
letter also said, “Thank you for your devotion to service and for doing all you
can to shape a better tomorrow for our great nation.” Photo Courtesy of Mr. Lubin
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 7
Overcasting Shadows
By JACK ALLNUTT
FEATURES
Delectable Rosogollas
By SABRINA CHOWDHURY
Autism is defined as, “a mental condition, present
from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in
communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language.”
Autism feels like an overcasting shadow that came
and betrayed the light within me. Most people do
not believe autistics are smart and can do oddly
special acts others may see as strange and different; but we are very smart.
A normal day for autistics starts casting shadows
and is quite challenging. Any stimulation can cause
my body control severe distractions passing on autistic behavior. Keeping eye contact is very hard for
me. Being loud can cause a lot of distractions.
Certain comfort of sound helps me concentrate so I
may hit or bang certain items for the sound they
give back to me. Each person is different in casting
their own shadows pursuing an endless escape
from going back into a prison of the body.
I say let sincere beings do acts of kindness as a favor to all autistics. Many lack empathy and don’t
show an understanding of autism’s true sacrifices.
In the future, you can say hello, smile, ask students
to join your group, and not stare at students with
autism.
Artwork by
Josh Acapulco
Artist’s Note:
The symbols
floating represent
thoughts swirling.
Many of the
symbols represent
historical figures
who had autism,
but were able to
change the world.
Have you ever tasted a scrumptious rosogolla? A rosogolla is a Bengali/ Indian sweetmeat. It is
healthy and yummy at the same time. This treat
takes about 1-1 ½ hours to make. I recommend this
for lunch, dessert and for special occasions.
The ingredients and kitchenware to make a
rosogolla are...whole milk, white vinegar or lemon
juice, cold water, flour, semolina ,butter, sugar and
water. Two kitchen tools you will need are a big pot,
a strainer, and a metal spoon.
First, boil one gallon of whole milk for 20
minutes. Then, cascade juice from four lemons and
water or discharge half a cup of white vinegar into
the milk. Then pour 1 pitcher of cold water into the
sanaa. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes. Next, cascade all of
the sanaa over the strainer. Put 1 teaspoon of selfrising flour into the sanaa.
Later on, we include 1 teaspoon of semolina.
Soon after, throw in 1 teaspoon or 2 teaspoons of
unsalted butter or use salted butter and add the
same amount. Afterwards, rub it for 2-3 minutes and
then form medium sized meatballs.
In order to cook them, you have to boil sugar
and water for 5 minutes. Afterwards, take four cardamom pieces and rose water. Soon after, put rosogollas into the sugar syrup pot carefully. Then boil
sugar and water and put them into the sugar syrup.
Boil the rosogollas for 20 minutes in medium
heat until they are double their size. Next, remove
from heat and set it out to cool for two hours. Finally
they are ready to serve!
Making rosogollas for the first time may be
hard, but if you keep on making them, it will get easier. At first, it might taste awful, but as you gain experience your rosogollas will be terrific. Enjoy your delicious Rosogollas!
THE FALCON FLIER— Page 8
FEATURES
SUPER BOWL 50!
2016 :Year of the Monkey
By LIAM LAMPHIER
By VIOLETA SALCEWICZ-GOMEZ
PRE SUPER BOWL 50:
SUPER BOWL 50. The
50th anniversary of the
Super Bowl. And this is
big for Cam Newton and
the almost unbeaten
Carolina Panthers, but
also for Peyton Manning
and the Denver Broncos.
If you were deciding
who to root for, let me
tell you about them.
CAROLINA PANTHERS:
If they win, this will not
only be Cam Newton's
1st Super Bowl, but also
the Carolina Panthers
1st Super Bowl. This will
be huge for them, and
for Cam Newton being
the quarterback behind
it. And the odds are in
their favor. They were
only beaten once, and
have decimated most of
their other opponents.
These guys truly deserve it.
DENVER BRONCOS:
If they win, Peyton
Manning will have a
great retirement gift,
along with a squeakyclean, giant forehead.
The Broncos do not deserve it as much as the
Panthers, and the last
Super Bowl they were in
was Super Bowl 48,
which was a huge blowout.
POST SUPER BOWL
50:
In a horrid game, the
Panthers were not up to
the task to defeat the
Broncos. The Broncos
won 24-10 as Denver
takes back the Lombardi Trophy. Happy retirement, Peyton Manning!
Were you born
in the Year of the Monkey? Did you ever wonder what it means to be
born in the Year of the
Monkey? Well, now you
will figure it out! According to the Chinese
Calendar, if you were
born in the year of 2004
after February 8th then
you are a monkey! This
year happens to be the
year of the fire monkey
and in 2004 it was the
year of the wood monkey, but our personalities are still the same.
Well now let's get on
with what is lucky and
what is not-so-lucky for
monkeys.
Lucky Numbers: 1, 7, 8
Not-So-Lucky Numbers: 2, 5, 9
Lucky Flowers: Chrysanthemums
Lucky Colors: White,
Gold, Blue
Not-So-Lucky Colors:
Red, Black, Grey, Dark
Brown
PERSONALITY
If you are a monkey you
are most likely lively,
flexible, quick-witted,
gentle, and honest. Although you may have
many good personalities you probably also
have some downsides.
Manning celebrates a Super bowl win. AP Images
For instance, you may
be jealous, suspicious,
selfish, arrogant, and at
times have a temper or
a tendency to look
down upon others.
PERFECT MATCH
Now this is where this
topic might not apply to
you so feel free to like
whoever you like, but if
you want to know who
you may possibly like,
then keep reading. If
you are a monkey, your
perfect match will most
likely be an Ox or a Rabbit. Now stop for just a
moment: I am not talking about the actual ox
and the actual rabbit. I
mean the person that
was born in the year of
the ox or rabbit.
HOROSCOPE
During this year you will
have exciting ideas and
passionate confrontations. Expect surprising
turns of fortune come
October. Teamwork
supports your interests.
Displaying confidence
and humility gets you
noticed.
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 9
SPORTS CORNER
SPORTS / OPINIONS
By LIAM LAMPHIER
BEST SUPERBOWL
COMMERCIALS!
Predictions
Super Bowl 50. The Carolina Panthers versus
the Denver Broncos. Many like the game, but
some watch just to see the commercials. In
case you didn’t see the Super Bowl, or its
commercials, let me tell you about some of
the commercials that were shown during Super Bowl 50.
(As of March 1, 2016)
NBA
Division Leaders:
 Toronto Raptors
 Cleveland Cavaliers
 Atlanta Hawks
 Oklahoma City Thunder
 Golden State Warriors
 San Antonio Spurs
Lamphier Prediction:
I say that the Golden State Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs will become the best in the NBA. Both
teams are very good, are unbeaten at home, and
have little losses. The Spurs are tough, but the Warriors have a better record...
NHL
Best Two From Each Division:
 Florida Panthers
 Detroit Red Wings
 Washington Capitals
 New York Rangers
 Dallas Stars
 Chicago Blackhawks
 Los Angeles Kings
 Arizona Coyotes
Lamphier Prediction:
I say that the Washington Capitals or the Chicago
Blackhawks will come out on top of the NHL. The
Blackhawks are on a eight game winning streak,
while having a worse record than the Capitals. The
Capitals, however, have the best record, and are on
a four game winning streak.
MOUNTAIN DEW: PUPPY MONKEY BABY
In this commercial, Mountain Dew takes off
the cap on weirdness. As three guys are
hanging out, a puppy-monkey-baby comes
into the room and gives them each a Mountain Dew bottle. As the creature goes out of
the room, chanting over and over, “Puppy
Monkey Baby,” the three guys join him, in
this very weird Mountain Dew commercial.
T-MOBILE: STEVE HARVEY
Mocking his own mistake, Steve Harvey is
hired by T-Mobile to put together this hilarious ad, telling Verizon that they were wrong
in their counts, and that T-Mobile doubled its
coverage, making the other commercial
wrong. And Steve Harvey might have said
that it wasn’t his fault…
POKEMON: 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING
As the Super Bowl celebrates its making, so
does Pokemon. They are now 20 years old,
and have a inspiring commercial too. It’s
about several people seeing common people
doing great things, and then they excel at
doing another thing. And it ends with a dad
telling his son that he can do great at
Pokemon too.
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 10
OPINIONS
Go See “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
By NAOMI COCKER
Okay, let’s be real for a
moment, “The Force Awakens”
was a great movie, and if you
haven’t seen it yet, I don’t know
where you’ve been. But if you
haven’t seen it yet, this review is
spoiler free.
Can we start off this review
with the cast? For the first time in
maybe movie history, a beloved
movie series, one that everyone
has have at least heard of, has
cast a woman, a black man and a
latino man in leading roles. The
amount of movies with only white
men as leading roles is huge, and
having such a beloved movies series casting these actors was such
a huge and amazing step in the
movie industry.
Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn
Davis, Ex Machina) is a superb actor, and he fit the role of the char-
ismatic and suave pilot Poe
Dameron. John Boyega (Imperial
Dreams, Junkhearts) played the
stormtrooper turned rebel fighter, Finn, wonderfully. Daisy Ridley (Scrawl, The Inbetweeners 2)
played Rey, an introverted scavenger, dreaming of adventure,
but steadfastly holding onto the
belief that her parents will finally
come home after all these years.
Adam Driver (Girls, This Is Where
I Leave You) played the impulsive
and petulant villain Kylo Ren like
a champ.
But, the great acting was
not great because of the casting,
but because of the great directors and writers. J.J Abrams (Star
Trek, Star Trek:Into Darkness,
Lost) was the director and head
writer of The Force Awakens, and
wrote a beautiful script that had
us laughing and then sighing in
nostalgia.
The plot was well spreadout and set at a nice pace. Everything was well explained and
ART COMIC submitted by Mrs. Hoover
Comic
by
Dylan
Bucy,
8th
grade
there were no major plot holes.
The characters were wellwritten and reacted to events the
way they were expected to. Kylo
Ren had tantrums when things
didn’t go his way, and that is expected. Kylo was swayed to the
dark side at an early age and had
no Jedi training, (at least not in
controlling emotions). Finn wanted to do the right thing but his
fear of The First Order almost
barred him from helping Rey, but
with the quiet strength we likened to Leia, he overcame his
fears and saved Rey. Rey was
awkward and independent from
her isolation in Jakku, and shared
her intelligence and wits with
Luke. Poe, a confident and funny
pilot reminded us of Han Solo, but
brought a refreshing spin on the
character.
So all in all, this movie was
a great movie that likened to the
original, but also brought new life
to a beloved series, without being
a total clone. If you haven’t gone
and seen the movie, you must see
it! It's a great movie and is worth
every penny.
Selected by Editors JACK ALLNUTT and MIKE KELLER
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 11
OPINIONS
Unforgettable Superbowl Halftime Show By JOSH ACAPULCO
On Super Bowl Sunday,
February 7, 2016, the halftime performance featuring Beyoncé, Coldplay, and
Bruno Mars was a performance that was
envisioned to, “honor the past, present, and future at
the Super Bowl.” The show started off with Chris Martin of Coldplay jumping into a colorful stage surrounded by an orchestra of children. Chris began with singing the classic “Yellow,” followed by the upbeat, yet
sorrowful, “Viva la Vida.” Martin ran around the stage
before jumping in the middle of the swirling stage of
lights, and shortly began to hum “Paradise.” Marching
bands surrounded the stage playing along with the
tune. The whole performance seemed to depict an
army of peace and love, as many held colorful flags,
and giant flowers, up high.
All of a sudden, Bruno Mars jumped in, with his
crew, all wearing black leather. They danced to the
beat of “Uptown Funk.” Sparks began to fly, as Beyoncé jumped in the middle of the field, with her performers, while fire and smoke spewed behind of
them. They began to assemble together, as Beyoncé
sang her new single Formation, which came out a day
before the Super Bowl. Beyoncé’s “Formation,” is a
song about black pride, as well as a way for her to address all of the rumors that have been swirling around
her.
Bruno Mars started to sing along with the
Queen Bey, as she and her crew of dancers, marched
towards the stage with Bruno. Once they reached the
stage, the crowd became wild. Knowles and Mars
both began to try to outdo each other’s dance moves
with a mashup of the songs “Uptown Funk,” and
from Beyoncé Knowles’s earlier days, “Crazy in Love.”
Few have noticed, but Beyoncé almost fell when
bouncing on her heels, but being the great professional that she is, she just went with it and made it seem
like it was a part of her intended dance move.
Eventually, Beyoncé, Chris Martin, and Bruno
Mars came together and joined forces. They continued by singing the rhythmic Uptown Funk. The singers then retired from singing, and Chris ran to the piano to play the purely gripping, and hopeful, melody
of Clocks. Flashes of previous iconic halftime perfor-
mances, of artists such as Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, and Paul McCartney. began to play, that
created an inspiring feel. Knowles and Mars joined
back with Chris Martin to sing the loving and optimistic song “Up & Up.” All of the dancers, performers, and instrumentalists, all came together
to join in unison. The whole show ended with Beyoncé’s and Chris’s high yet strong vocals. Behind
the stage a huge colorful sign appeared and read,
‘BELIEVE IN LOVE!’ Which is also the last phrase in
the last song of Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams
album.
The Super Bowl 50 halftime show was definitely a memorable experience and will be remembered for the generations to come. Every detail
was perfect; I especially loved how the singers and
performers all worked together to make something so grand and legendary. I can’t see how the
next Super Bowl halftime show will be able to
compete with this one.
The Do’s and Don’ts of
Spring Break
Do: Have Fun, Don’t: Forget Everything
By DANNA HIRSHBERG
Nobody’s thinking about studying and tests during Spring Break while zooming down the slip n’
slide. Why would we? Were having fun and no algebra is messing with that.
A do? Having fun. But in the long run, not thinking
about schoolwork for a week in a half won’t help
your GPA. A little studying here and there won’t
hurt your grade, even if it's just doing multiplication in the car.
A Don’t? Forgetting everything. So please, please,
please, don’t flush your grade down the toilet during Spring Break.
Review your classwork. But the most important
thing is to have fun. Have a great Spring Break!
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 12
OPINIONS
Listening to Twenty Øne
PilØts for the First Time
By Josh Acapulco
To be quite honest, at first I thought that
Twenty Øne PilØts was just a depressing emo band,
and it is, but it is more than that. I finally gave the
band a chance after several demands from friend.
After I heard their amazing song, “Stressed Out,” I
thought it was a very relatable song about the simpler old days of childhood.
Twenty Øne PilØts is a band that has blurred
the lines of genres such as ukulele screamo, hardcore piano, pop, rock, and even rap. Twenty Øne
PilØts is a band that consists of two members who
can play many different instruments. According to a
local emo with cool hair, Tyler Joseph plays the vocals, ukulele, piano, keytar, bass guitar, accordion,
and keyboard while Josh Dun plays the drums.
Tyler Joseph’s rhythmic poetry (which almost sounds like rap) is like the thoughts of a mad
genius reminiscing on old times. At first their songs
sound upbeat and cheerful, but if you listen to the
lyrics, you’ll be crying in no time. It’s great.
I definitely recommend everyone to listen to
them. But if your soul is weak, you will not survive.
The Know It Alls
We are a group of three 8th grade students who help
others decide what to do when stuck in a conflict.
From arguments with others to trouble with homework, we have solved problems by giving advice!
Dear Know it Alls,
I am a student at LPMS. Lately, my best
friend has been acting like she's mad at me ... and I
don't know why! She has been rolling her eyes, ignoring me, and giving me the silent treatment. I
don't know how to talk to her without her storming
off. Could you give me advice on getting her to tell
me what she is mad about?
-Confused Friend
Dear Confused Friend,
We totally understand! It's hard to understand what
went wrong when someone is not talking to you.
Take a couple steps back and think if there was any
miscommunication between you two. Approach her,
making sure you two are alone. A crowded hallway is
not the place. Explain to her how you feel and how
you don’t understand what’s going on. Start with
“Hey, I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way. Can you
please explain to me why you are mad at me?” Making sure she realizes that you are upset too, and it
will help her realize that you care.
From, The Know it Alls :)
Dear Know it Alls,
I am struggling in school. This year was a lot harder
than my past year here at LPMS, and I need much
more help with my school work. I am not sure who
to go to for extra help. What should I do to improve
my grades?
-Lost In School
Dear Lost In School,
There are many ways you can improve your grades,
inside of school and outside. For example, if you are
not understanding the things you are being taught
you can talk to your teachers about seeing them during Fly Time or Lunch. Also, you have to make sure
you are doing your responsibilities at home too.
Make sure you are making time to fully finish your
homework and review your notes. A good tip we
know many people use is setting a timer for 20
minutes to concentrate on your work, and then when
the timer goes off, set a new timer for 5 minutes of
free time. Then, repeat until you are done!
I hope this helps and don't forget to study and work
hard!
From, The Know it Alls :)
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 13
JUST FOR FUN
2016 Movie
Releases
By JULIE KASAYAN
Here is a list of a few upcoming movies to look
forward to in 2016.

Zootopia (PG) - Friday, March 4, 2016

The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) Friday, March 18, 2016

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG13) - Friday, March 25, 2016

Collide (PG-13) - Friday, April 1,2016

The Jungle Book (PG) - Friday, April 15,
2016
Nerdy Pickup Lines
by JXW
Do you have a lovely person you want to
impress? Well these aren’t the lines for you,
but this is a little thing just for laughs.

Captain America: Civil War (PG-13) Friday, May 6, 2016

The Angry Birds Movie (Not yet rated) Friday May 20, 2016
“Girl, they call me Wolverine; once you’re
with me, you’ll forget about your other Xmen.”

Alice Through the Looking Glass (PG) - Friday, May 27, 2016
“My love for you is like dividing by zero; it
cannot be defined.”

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Not yet rated) - Friday, June 3, 2016
“Are you a tower? Because eiffel for you.”



Finding Dory (Not yet rated) - Friday, June
27, 2016
The Secret Life of Pets (Not yet rated) Friday, July 8, 2016
Ice Age: Collision Course (Not yet rated) Friday, July 22, 2016
“You must be a star, I can’t stop orbiting
around you.”
“You are the Renaissance to my Dark Ages;
you light up my world.”
“This must be the eighth castle because I
just found my princess.”
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 14
CREATIVE WRITING
...THE BAY’S DARK SECRET...
By HAYDEN ANDERSON
Every summer, Hal and I
go to his beach house to stay the
summer. In his backyard you can
see the Chesapeake Bay, smell
the distinct aroma of the brackish
water and the strong scent of
crab. I will never forget the summer of 2013, and never again will I
enter the inviting waters of the
bay again. This was the year I encountered the creature I call Frogman.
Hal’s dog was loyal and an
excellent swimmer who loved to
wade around in the bay. She was
also a crafty dog and often found
a way out of the house through
the back door (which was always
locked), usually for the purpose of
swimming. Some mornings we
could find her on the porch,
soaked and whining to come in
the house. Some days we could
even hear the splash as the dog
jumped into the water. Hal’s dog
was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever,
a breed of dog that was bred for
swimming in the bay.
Suddenly on the day of
June 20th, she mysteriously disappeared without a trace. We
thought at first that she was just
taking a stroll around the neighborhood as she always enjoyed
taking walks without a leash, and
she knew the town well. The day
had passed and Hal started get-
ting worried that someone had
stolen her. The next day we put
up missing posters on all the telephone poles. A week went by a
still there was no sign of Hal’s
dog.
A month had passed and
we decided to go swimming for a
while in the bay. The water was
warm in the summer sun, I noticed it was the warmest day of
the season, and at the time I didn’t think it was a big deal. We
played in the bay for at least 5
hours until it got dark. We came
inside for hamburgers and
hotdogs.
During that night I heard
the familiar croaking of frogs, but
there was something off. The
croaking was much,much louder,
as if they were parading through
the streets. I went outside to
check what was creating all the
ruckus. As soon as I stepped outside, everything went quiet.
Dead silent. No more croaking,
no wind to move the wind
chimes, no distant sounds of
cars; nothing. I stood outside admiring the silence for a minute or
two. Then I heard it.
The sound of what
seemed to be a giant frog echoed
throughout the bay. And just like
magic the entire bay quaked with
the croaks of hundreds of thou-
sands of bullfrogs. It was the eeriest sound I had ever heard. I
never was a brave kid, but my
curiosity got the best of me. I
stepped outside and followed the
noise. It led me right towards the
bay. The noise grew and grew
until all I could hear was the endless wails of bullfrogs. I kept
walking across the bay until I was
led into a dense patch of trees on
the beach. Just like before, all
noise stopped as I entered the
overgrowth. I stood there holding my breath for what seemed
like hours. A cold sweat began to
seep into my clothes. My heart
skipped beats and my adrenaline
pumped.
I turned around to expect
something to be looming just behind me. Nothing except the bay.
I took a step forward into the eerie silence of the miniature forest. Out of the corner of my eye I
saw it. A sleek tall figure with
ragged torn clothes, it was horribly disfigured, having one legknee pointing the wrong way like
an ostrich. Its hands and feet
were webbed and its back was
arched upwards like a hunchback. A giant fin ripped through
his back making the surrounding
skin bruised, red with irritation.
Its head was atrocious. It was
stained green, full of blisters and
Continued on Page 15
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 15
CREATIVE WRITING
Here We Go Again!
By ALEX QUIGLEY
Submitted by Mrs. Textoris. In 8th grade science, students had
the challenge option of writing a creative story to describe what it
might be like to be a water droplet going through the water cycle.
Falling. That’s what I was doing just a couple
of days ago. The wind was so fast that I was actually
moving diagonally, and I was terrified. Crack! A bolt
of lightning flashed in the dark night sky. I’d been
through this process time and time again, but I never got over the fear of plummeting into the unknown. Luck shined upon me on this cloudy day,
though, and I landed on the slope of a mountain.
“Jimmy, is that you?” said a familiar voice.
I grinned as a much larger group of water
engulfed me. Right in the middle of the huddled
group was Aidan, my best friend. “I haven’t seen
you since that hurricane in Florida!” I yelled over the
thunder.
“I know, right? It’s been way too long. How’s
your fa...”
Splash! We made it to our first destination.
We collided with a bunch of other water droplets in
a flooded stream, but they didn't mind. Aidan and I
continued to talk until the storm finally calmed, and
I fell asleep just late enough to experience the second crash that brought us to an even larger river.
I woke to a deafening scream. “Mommy!”
someone cried.
I looked up, and caught a glimpse of a rather
large droplet floating through the air. I was feeling
a little light-headed by the time I found Aidan, and
he gave me a quick goodbye. We had been through
this before, and it was always too hard for him to
watch me go, so I had grown accustomed to this
type of goodbye. My whole body began to feel
lighter, and before I knew it, I was rising up into the
atmosphere. I looked out and saw the glorious
mountain that I had fallen down to the other night,
and was awed by the glistening river that Aidan and
I had been caught in.
The heat really did its job, because I rose
quicker than usual, and found myself in a stadium
of other water droplets. A few days later, after I was
done exploring, I noticed a significant drop in temperature. I was also having trouble seeing, and
wished I had someone to talk to. Everyone around
me was complaining about the cold, but I kind of
liked it. I looked down at my body, and realized that
I was turning white. My arms and legs became
points on a star, and my whole body shined in the
moonlight.
I felt myself begin to drop, and relaxed as I
glided through the sky. This was so much nicer than
my previous experience, which was horribly scary
and loud. However, I really wished I could see Aidan
again. As if on cue, a smirking snowflake flew right
beside me. I grinned and greeted my old friend.
“Here we go again!” he said.
The Bay’s Dark Secret Continued…
scars, and it wore a twisted grin as if it loved the
sight of my terrified appearance. Its cheeks were
stretched apart into the shape of a frog's head. The
creature stared right into my soul.
I ran like the devil. As soon as I stepped out
of the overgrowth I heard the distorted and bellowing sound of a croak, followed by the overflowing
tsunami of other croaks. The sounds followed me
all the way home as if they were in pursuit and I
was the one who got away. As I ran into the house I
turned to look at the bay one more time. In the water I could see the coal black eyes of the Frogman
staring right back at me, the rest of his body was
submerged. It was just his lifeless eyes, looking
right at me. I slammed on the back door, but like
always, it was locked. Hal walked over to the door
and let me, terrified and sobbing into the house.
Hal then locked the back door. He had no idea
what I had just witnessed.
There is something in that bay. Something
waiting. Watching. Hunting. Next time you jump
into the inviting waters of the Chesapeake Bay, just
remember that you may not be alone.
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 16
JUST FUN AND GAMES
Would You Rather…
Artwork by
by JXW
Meili Soriano
Ask your friends these question and
see what they select!
Always have to say everything on
your mind OR Never speak again?
Be able to change your age OR
Your gender whenever you want?
See into the future OR
Change the past?
Live like a royal but have no friends
and family OR Be homeless with
your friends and family?
BY DANNA HIRSHBERG
R
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APRIL
BLOOM
BUNNY
BUTTERFLY
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CLOUDS
DAISIES
FLOWERS
GREEN
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PASTEL
PUDDLES
RAIN
SHOWERS
Have vinegar eye drops OR
Sandpaper toilet paper?
Be super fast OR Super strong?
Have a rewind button OR
A fast-forward button in your life?
Be without internet OR
Your phone for a week?
End world hunger OR
War and violence?
Know your future spouse OR
Your great-great-great
grandparents?
Surf in the ocean OR
Surf the internet?
THE FALCON FLIER—Page 17
By Hadleigh Locraft, 8th Grade
By Olivia D’Antona, 8th grade
ART COMICS submitted by Mrs. Hoover
COMICS
Selected by Editors JACK ALLNUTT and MIKE KELLER
STICKMANIA! comic by BRADY WALES
Lakelands Park Middle School
1200 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Falcon Newspaper Staff:
Josh Acapulco
Jack Allnutt*
Hayden Anderson
Naomi Cocker
Sabrina Chowdhury**
Johanna Depaz
Jasmine Echeona
Hannah Fedorov***
Emma Lee Freeman
Clarise Halton
Danna Hirshberg
Hanne Kaplan
Julie Kasayan
Mike Keller*
Liam Lamphier
Priyanka Madhavan
Malcolm Martin
Asim Meghi
Lauren Portis
Violeta Salcewicz-Gomez
Audrey Soriano
Meili Soriano
Claire Sullivan
Brady Wales
Emma Weber**
Jeremiah Wright
*Art Editors
**Copy Editors
***Editor-in-Chief
Sponsor and Layout:
Mrs. Kirsten Tippets
The Newspaper Club meets on
Wednesdays in Room 168 for
snacks and then works in Lab
157. Come join us to have fun
and see your work published in
the next issue! You can also join
our Google Classroom to submit
your work for publication.