Berner Beacon

by Abigail Matheis

English teachers shared two truths and one lie about themselves. Can you tell which one is the lie? The answers are at the end of the issue!

Answers are at the end of the issue!

by Vincent Apap

Are you stressed out with not being able to find an effective studying strategy? Well I have the answer for you, there are 3 strategies that I use:

Traffic Light Method

Print out your study guide or syllabus and take a red, yellow and a green highlighter and mark up the study guide by highlighting what you don't understand in red. Whatever you are not so confident in highlight it in yellow. Now whatever you are sure you know and can ace on the test highlight in green. After doing that you are going to select the amount of time that you want to study. For example: 1 hour, this is also the best time to study for tests since they are worth much more percent of a grade then a quiz. You are going to review whatever you highlighted in red for 30 minutes of the duration. Then based on how confident you are on the green section, split the time up. If you are super confident in the green section, You are going to want to study the yellow section for 20-25 minutes. Then use the rest of the time to study your green section. Then repeat this for 3 days. On your last day try and study 15 minutes extra just to get all concerns about the test gone.

Card Game Method

This method requires 2 people. This means you will need someone who is willing to read the flash cards. This strategy is also mainly for vocab or a language. Shuffle up your flash cards and have one person read them out. The person your with will read out a definition and you will say the word that matches with it. If you get the question correct place the card to the right, but if you get the wrong answer place the card to the left. Do this for the whole pile of cards. Now take the pile of cards that you got wrong and play with that deck if you get the wrong answer again the person will reveal the answer and put it to the left of them. Once you are all done playing just review the cards that you got wrong for the second time because that is what you need to work on.

Gimkit, Booklet, and Quizizz

These strategies are mainly for people who have a hard time focusing on studying. Gimkit, Blooklet and Quizizz are something that needs to be provided by your teacher. They are great to keep you entertained during your studying. There are various different game modes to play. I firmly believe that Fishtopia mode is the best for studying since it can be played alone and to move along in the game you must answer questions.

Booklet is another game that is also great for studying. I also think that the fishing game mode on Blooklet is the best for studying since to cast your rod you must answer a question. Blooklet is also very entertaining. And for all teachers reading this both of these games that I have written about so far is great for you to use on study days and your students will very much enjoy them. Capture the flag is a great game mode for studying in school with a lot of people.

I think we all know what Quizizz is. It is great to play in school because there are a lot of students who can compete to see who gets first place. Also, teachers can put group mode on Quizizz and see which of your class can get the highest score.

All of these methods are great ways to study for finals. Good Luck!

by Chloe Symington

With the end of the school year coming up, it’s good to start preparing for next year. Therefore, I like to go by the saying that I came up with one day, “new school year, new slideshows!” So, it’s time to find out what might make my new slideshows appealing, and pleasing to the eyes, yet also practical. As a quick reminder, there’s a few guides to making a good slideshow on the BMS Library Schoology page. First off, I start with the background. I often go onto a website called “Coolors,” and I chose a palette from there. After that, I go into the “Gradient” tab, and enter the colors that I found into the custom option. If your palette has more than two colors, don’t worry! Just press “add” and move around the little box anywhere you’d like. You can do this multiple times and move them around as much as you need. Next, the font. The font is pretty simple. The fonts that Google gives you at first might not be your favorite. So, go into “Fonts,” and press “More Fonts.” From there, it’s pretty easy to choose fonts. The fonts with the check mark next to them are already in your regular font library. After you choose a font, press “Add,” and look for the font. The fonts are in alphabetical order, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the font you want. I usually go with the handwriting fonts. Some of my favorites are “Indie Flower,” “Bad Script,” “Caveat,” “Architect’s Daughter,” “Arizona,” and “Dawning of a New Day.” The font color is pretty straight forward. You can add custom colors from “Coolors” to make a nice, colorful font. A darker slideshow might look better with a lighter font, and a lighter slideshow might look better with a darker font. After that, add some text! I like to add shapes, change their colors to look like the background, and the text. I also enjoy, when I’m not doing shapes, to add different borders. The larger the text, the larger the border. The smaller the text, the smaller the border. Also, pictures! The worst mistake you could make is to search up your image on you Google Slide. You have a better chance of just copying and pasting the picture from a different tab. If you’re in sixth grade FACS, like me, you’ll probably need this website. In a new tab, type in “Remove.bg” Copy and paste the picture you found into this wonderful website, and ta-daa! You have a transparent picture! Copy the picture from “Remove.bg,” and paste it on to your slide. Lastly, to add some pizzazz to your slideshow, animation! It would take a while to fully explain animation. To be honest, I don’t even know everything about animation on Google Slides! But, I know the basics, and I know enough to give someone else the gift of animation on Google Slides, too! So, first, click off of text boxes and pictures. Press “Transitions”, and you can add transitions to your slides! My favorites are “Dissolve” and “Fade”. You can choose how long the transition lasts, too! Now, we can add transitions to pictures. It’s pretty much the same that you just did with the slide transition. But now, you just have a little more freedom. If you want, you can follow all of these steps but with text boxes. One thing that is different, however, is the time you want the transition to come in. You can only do the “On Click” option for the first object transition, but for the rest, you can mix it up. If you press “With Previous”, the object transition will come in with only one click! Or, you can press “After Previous”, which allows the transition to trigger a little after one click. If you want though, you can choose “On Click” for all of them, but that just means you’ll have to click a few times if you choose that option for all of the objects. Anyways, I hope this helped you create an amazing slideshow. I also hope it helped you realize that slideshows and Powerpoints aren’t always boring. Have a great summer!

by Kevin Kern

Mr. Pollock

Mr. Pollock enjoys spending his free time surfing, skateboarding, and ocean swimming. He has been an Ocean Lifeguard for 30 years now and is still going.

Advice for students who may be interested in joining/becoming a part of your activity: You can become a pool lifeguard starting at age 16! It is a great summer job and looks pretty good on a resume.

In any way are you still involved in this extracurricular activity: Still surfing, skating, swimming, and lifeguarding at age 61.

Your experience being a part of the club/sport: I wish I would have joined the high school swimming team- I played baseball, football, and wrestled until injuries forced to stop team sports in 11th grade.

Mrs. Walsh

All throughout Middle and HS and into my college years Mrs. Walsh played travel soccer with the Hicksville Americans Women's Soccer Club. Mrs. Walsh wasn't the fastest, but she was strong, she played left fullback. She attended St. John's University where she co-founded the Campus Environmental Club with another student. One of the club's biggest highlights was creating an Earth Day anniversary event that was well-attended by students, faculty and many local politicians. It was a huge success. She is still very proud of that day. Mrs. Walsh has always been (and still is) a huge proponent of volunteerism. It is Mrs. Walsh’s faith belief to be kind and charitable to all, without exception. She has been a catechist with her parish for over 20 years. Over the past few summers she has dedicated her time to an environmental organization called CEEDLI. She is still in the process of developing their learning, lending and research libraries as well as establishing a local repository for future generations to learn about the natural history of Long Island.

Advice for students who may be interested in joining/becoming a part of your activity: Whether you enjoy sports, clubs, extra-curricular activities or volunteering, it is important to stay involved. Being a part of an organization will help you grow and help you develop a broader view of the world and people around you.

In any way are you still involved in this extracurricular activity: Yes, I still volunteer many hours to my parish's faith formation program, in soup kitchens around Long Island, and the CEEDLI Library.

Your experience being a part of the club/sport: I have made many friends, assisted many people and have gained an intrinsic worth that defines my strength and character.

Mr. Hoffman

While in high school Mr. Hoffman participated in basketball, baseball and track. In college he participated on the basketball team for one year. Currently he participates in beach volleyball and pickleball. At Berner he supervises the Fitness Center after school. Mr. Hoffman currently volunteers and serves as the Nassau County Coordinator for the Challenger Athletic League which provides students of all abilities to participate in a school based athletic team.

Advice for students who may be interested in joining/becoming a part of your activity: Being part of a team of any kind can be a very worthwhile and meaningful experience. Participating in a sport or fitness based activity can create friendships, and improve a person's physical fitness and mental health. Also, many volunteer and fundraising opportunities exist within athletics which allow people to assist others in need. I strongly suggest that all students make an attempt to take part in any form of an athletic and/or fitness based activity both at Berner and outside of school. For 6th grade students, intramurals are offered at Berner. For 7th & 8th graders both intramurals and school teams are offered at Berner. If you have any questions about athletic or fitness opportunities, speak with your P.E. teacher or log on to the Berner Athletics & Intramurals Schoology group.

In any way are you still involved in this extracurricular activity: I am still actively participating in beach volleyball, surfing and pickleball.

Your experience being a part of the club/sport: Many of my friendships over the years are a result of participating in athletics and fitness based activities. In addition to forming friendships, sports have given me a great outlet to reduce my stress levels and maintain my overall health and wellness.

Ms. Clemente

Ms. Clemente participated in tennis in both high school and college.

Advice for students who may be interested in joining/becoming a part of your activity: Playing tennis in high school and in college made me become a more organized person. You have to prioritize your schoolwork and do your best to manage your time between the team and school.

In any way are you still involved in this extracurricular activity: I still play tennis with friends and family on the weekends.

Your experience being a part of the club/sport: I made a lot of lifelong friends being on the tennis team in college and in high school. Being part of a sports team is a great way to be part of your school community. I also got the opportunity to travel around New York State with my college tennis team.

Mrs. Kenny

In high school Mrs. Kenny was captain of the cheerleading team and she took a lot of dance classes.

Advice for students who may be interested in joining/becoming a part of your activity: Have fun with it. Work hard and be a good teammate.

In any way are you still involved in this extracurricular activity: I am an advisor for 6th grade cheer and still take dance classes for fun with my friends.

Your experience being a part of the club/sport: I loved being a cheerleader and dancing outside of school. I learned so much about working with other people, hard work and to love what you do.

Mrs. Happe

Mrs. Happe was a part of many clubs and activities, but the most surprising activity that she was a part of was the Ecology Club. She was more at home on the streets of NYC than in natural surroundings. Her friends convinced her to join, and she was really glad she did. They went on nature walks, did trail riding, and went hiking. Mrs. Happe learned about protecting the environment and helped clean our parks and beaches. It was a lot of fun and very worthwhile. In addition Mrs. Happe participated in gymnastics, horseback riding, musical theater, chorus, and Business Law Club.

Advice for students who may be interested in joining/becoming a part of your activity: My advice for students is to open yourself up to new experiences by trying a variety of different clubs and activities to see what you truly like. You never know. You may find yourself really enjoying something unexpected.

In any way are you still involved in this extracurricular activity: For me, the experience of the Ecology Club is still a part of my life. I still enjoy outdoor activities, taking an active role in keeping our beaches and parks clean, and enjoy spending time with people who make it fun to help our community.

Your experience being a part of the club/sport: Being involved in a club, sport, or activity is a great way to get involved, make new friends, and work towards making our corner of the world a better place. Personally, it helped me to step out of my comfort zone and take some risks which helped me to develop confidence.

Mr. White

Mr. White is the 7th grade boys lacrosse coach here at Berner.

Advice for students who may be interested in joining/becoming a part of your activity: Give it a try! A lot of students are interested in playing lacrosse but think it is too late because they have never played before. It is a difficult sport but if you have the motivation and determination, the stick skills and knowledge of the game will come along with it. It is easy to work on your stick skills but you will never get the opportunity to do it if you don't try.

In any way are you still involved in this extracurricular activity: Yes, I coach two club teams outside of school.

Your experience being a part of the club/sport: I played lacrosse in high school as well as Division I in college.

Mr. LaBella

Mr. LaBella played football, basketball, wrestling, and lacrosse at Berner and then he played football, wrestling, and lacrosse at Massapequa High School. Mr. Labella then wrestled division one at Edinboro University.

Advice for students who may be interested in joining/becoming a part of your activity: Sports is a great way to learn, lifelong lessons.

In any way are you still involved in this extracurricular activity: I am still involved by coaching football, basketball, wrestling, and lacrosse here at Berner Middle School.

Your experience being a part of the club/sport: I had a wonderful experience of playing these sports as a kid, and I still carry many of the lessons with me today in my everyday life.

by Mia Cespites

Summer is so fun, you can do so many different activities and go to so many new places! You can go to the beach, pools, waterparks, go away for vacation, and so much more. But today I will be telling you all about vacation spots and some other exciting places that I hope will interest you in going out and enjoying these activities with family and friends.

Lake George

One vacation spot that is very fun is Lake George. Lake George is a local and a great place to spend some time at. Lake George is a town in New York’s range Lake George has many family friendly activities to enjoy with close ones. You can go on the Minnie Ha-Ha which is one of the last steam paddle wheel ships in America, The Mohican, the oldest continuously operated tour boat in America. The 190 foot long Lac du Saint Sacrement is the largest cruise ship on the inland waters of New York State.

Jones Beach

You can also go to Jones Beach. Jones Beach is a local place for us Long Islanders. According to the website, Planetware, Jones Beach is the #1 beach on Long Island, NY. Jones Beach is a very fun place to go to. You can go on the boardwalk, beach, in the ocean, and much more! They also do a bunch of concerts and events that you can go to.

Adventureland

My last spot that the school recently went to is Adventureland. Adventureland is an amusement park filled with so many rides and so much more. You can go on some rides, get lunch, snacks, slushies, and play some games. The best part is if you get a season pass you go whenever you want. It’s a perfect last minute plan.

All of my information was found by Wikipedia, Planetware, and lakegeorgesteamboat.com

by Mia Cespites

1. Who wrote and recorded the hit song “Watermelon Sugar”?

2.The Fourth of July is the biggest event of the summer. But in which year did the United States gain independence from Britain?

3. True or false: Between May and September, Americans consume five billion hot dogs.

4.Which state hosts a mashed potato wrestling contest every August? (a) Arkansas (b) South Dakota (c) North Carolina.

5.True or false: Watermelons are actually a member of the vegetable family.

6.Which classic summer game was inspired by an empty pie tin?

7. In which state can you celebrate Christmas in July?

8. Which vitamin do you get from sunshine?

9. How many hotdogs are consumed on the Fourth of July?

10. Pro competitive eater Joey Chestnut holds the world record for the most hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes. How many hot dogs did he eat during his record-breaking attempt in 2021?

11. Kevin Strahle from New Jersey, USA, holds the world record for the most ice pops eaten in a minute. How many did he eat?

12.How much did the world’s largest scoop of ice cream weigh?

13. Which is the most popular ice pop flavor in the U.S.?

Source: Twinl USA

Answers at the bottom of the issue.

Use this guide to have the best summer ever!

1. Go to a Concert!!

There are many great concerts coming up including “The Eras Tour” by Taylor Swift and more!

2. Grow an Herb Garden :)

Gardening can be a lot of fun and growing your own herbs is a great way to promote a healthy lifestyle and have fun at the same time. You will definitely have a blast digging in the soil and planting seeds, growing seedlings and watering them. You don’t need a lot of space and the space can be anything from a wooden crate to a mason jar to an old tire.

3. Go to the Beach

Going to the beach is my favorite thing to do during summer because of how relaxing it is!

4. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon

Take yourself to new heights and see what the world looks like from a birds-eye view. If you are too afraid of the flight, then watch from the ground at a Hot Air Balloon Festival.

5. Make Some Amazing Desserts

I have given myself the challenge to make the perfect milkshake by the end of this summer and it’s been really fun (and delicious too!) What I'm trying to say is that making desserts could be a fun activity for this summer!

6. Go for a Hike

7. Try a New Watermelon Recipe

Sweet and refreshing, it's no wonder watermelon is considered by many to be the official fruit of summer! In my opinion watermelon.

by Ashley Justino

Are you ever bored during summer break? Looking to get out of the house? Something to do besides being a couch potato. Well then you are in luck because it just so happens that I wrote an article just for you!

Places to Visit

⛱️Greenport

Greenport is a fun place to go over the summer. You can do so many things there. The drive is about 1 1/2 hours depending on where you go. I love going to the beach there because the water is so nice. It is very rocky so it is a good place to practice skipping rocks. The hotels there can be very nice and the food there is just amazing.

Italy is such a beautiful place to be in. Even though the flight is a bit long it is so worth going to. There are so many cool sites to see! The food there is so good and you can even make your own fresh pasta. One thing to do is go and see all the artifacts and statues that are there. You can also explore on your own on the beautiful landscape.

I went to Portugal when I was 6 but I still remember it. It is so amazing to go there. When I went we took a tour to go see the famous caves. They were so cool. The activities to do there are unlimited. I like Lisbon and Porto. I am sure your camera roll would be filled with breathtaking pictures. Their food and culture is amazing. I am not a fan of anything bubbly but if you are you should try their Sumol. It's Portuguese soda. I LOVE their chorizo. It is so good. I hope you enjoy exploring!!

These are just a few of the many places to visit over the summer.

Activities

Crafts

Crafts are a fun way to be creative. You can do so many things with them. You can make decorations for your room, for useful things around your house. I encourage you to freestyle first, but here are some ideas if you need to get your creative juices flowing. Fortune tellers, paper fans, paper flowers, message cards, and there are so many more!

Sleepover

Sleepovers are one of the best ways to have fun with your friend Here are some tips on how to make it the best sleepover ever. 1. If your parents say no, don't beg. This way you might have a better chance of them saying yes next time. 2. Don't plan everything out. Chances are you might not do everything you plan to do. The best thing is to just have fun. 3. Don't stay up too late or you will be SUPER tired the next morning. 4. Have a lot of fun and be yourself!

Camping

I love camping! Depending on where you are camping there are so many things to do. I went camping up state and that was a lot of fun. It is a fun way to learn about the outdoors. (If you do go bring bug spray!)

Sports

Sports are a fun way to stay active and be with your friends over the summer. I encourage summer camps. They offer camps for 1 week and in other nearby places they offer sleep away camps. It doesn't matter if you throw a volleyball in your backyard with your sibling or kick a ball with your neighbor.

Lemonade Stand

I am a big fan of lemonade stands. It is a great way to learn about business. Or if you just want to do it for fun that is fine too. You can make your own lemonade and make the stand look nice. You can also make different flavors or add ice. Maybe you want to also sell cookies with it or do it with your friends. The best thing to do is to either split the money or give it to the person who bought the lemonade. Make sure to find a good place to sell. I suggest a corner of a big neighborhood. Try to stay off of main roads and in front of your house might not get too many buyers. Enjoy!!!

Rainy Days

We all know about the rainy days of summer. What do you do?

Movie Night/ Game Night

I love movie or game nights. They are such a fun way to spend time with your family or friends. Movies are great if you are looking for a chill quiet afternoon. If you can't choose a movie, pick the top 3 choices and vote on that. I also recommend a good movie snack. Game nights are fun if you want a competition. There are so many games. When you are choosing a game try to choose one that is not too long so you can play other games. I like to have rounds and count who won the most games.

Blanket Forts

Who doesn't like a fort. You can do a lot of things in them! I like to read or watch movies. To build the best fort you need to have support and it needs to be super comfortable. Put all your softest and biggest blankets and pillows in a pile. You might find the most success by using a strong column to hold the blankets like a small chair or a high table. Be sure to get creative with it and feel free to decorate!

Arcade

Arcades are a fun way to play some games. I personally love skeeball, the basketball games and the claw machines that you can actually win prizes. You can go with your friends or fly solo. You can also win prizes by playing games and getting tickets. Arcade games are awesome.

Bake/Cook

I don't bake very often but when I do I really enjoy it. You can pretty much bake whatever you want as long as you have the ingredients and follow the recipe. When it comes to decorating you can do whatever you want. Cooking you can be more free with it. My mom is a great cook and she has all these cool recipes. She loves to make pastas or steak. There are so many ways to enjoy the same ingredients. Feel free to try something new and add some new spices. Have fun in the kitchen!

These are just a few of the many things that you can do over summer break. I hope this list helps you when you don't know what to do. See you next year! Happy Summer!

by Sophia LaBella

Go Ziplining

Over the summer a great thing to try is to go ziplining. There’s a zipline at Jones Beach by the water at the Aerial Park. It’s so pretty ziplining there because even though it’s not over the ocean you can still feel the ocean breeze.

Go to an Inflatable Water Park

Inflatable water parks are super fun to do over the summer. It’s a nice place to visit on a hot summer day to cool off. You could go with friends and there’s inflatable water slides and obstacles.

Have a Neon Pool Party

If you have a pool or jacuzzi in your backyard something super fun would be to have a neon party. You could get neon glow sticks and throw them in the water and make sure to host it at night so it’s more vibrant. It doesn't have to be for a birthday but it could just be a fun hangout idea.

Bake With Your Friends

There’s tons of great summer recipes that you and your friends could try over this summer. On hot summer days it might not be the best idea to run the oven but there are tons of other recipes that don’t require heat. You could make homemade ice cream, jello, chocolate covered fruit, and homemade ice pops.

Go Sunset Swimming with Your Friends

Over the summer going to the beach is on almost everyone's to do list since we live on an island. Going to the beach is great to get a tan and go swimming on a hot day but have you ever gone sunset swimming? If you haven’t it’s a great thing to try out because the sunset is so pretty and it’s not as hot later in the day.

Go on Vacation with Your Friends

Going on vacation with your friends could be such a fun thing to do over the summer. It doesn’t have to be a big trip like Hawaii, it could be somewhere local like Montauk. Going to Montauk for a weekend with your friends can be a great getaway. You could go shopping, go to the beaches, and go to restaurants for dinner.

Go Jet Skiing

Going jet skiing is so fun and entertaining. If you don’t live on the water then you could rent jet skis. You could go with your friends or family on a hot day to catch a breeze. Going jet skiing at sunset is so fun and you can see the horizon.

Go to a Concert

There have been lots of good artists concerts lately like Taylor Swift and The Weekend. It would be so fun to go to a big concert like that over the summer when they’re on tour. Listening to music is already very popular, but going to concerts and seeing the performances live are even better.

by Eleni Diakomakis, Vincent Apap, and Chloe Symington

Are you wondering what ice breakers are? Well, they are things you use to get to know someone. Have you ever thought to yourself: This is awkward! We barely know anything about each other? Well, we have the solution for you! Try some of our icebreakers, and you’ll know someone that you just met in no time!

1. Have you lived here (in Massapequa) all your life?

2. What’s your zodiac sign?

3. What are your nationalities?

4. What’s your favorite song?

5. Who’s your favorite music artist(s)?

6. What school are you from?

7. What’s your dream vacation?

8. What is your favorite movie

9. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

10. Are you a Stranger Things fan? If so, who do you ship?

11. What is your favorite clothing brand?

12. What is your favorite chip brand?

13. What are your favorite pizza toppings?

14. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor and topping?

15. Are you messy or neat?

16. Beach or mountains?

17. Tech, health, FACS or MS101?

18. What is your go-to outfit?

19. What’s your favorite hairstyle?

We hope that this article really helped you get to know someone you are unfamiliar with! We hope you make several friends this summer! Tune in next year!

by Joseph Rutwheeler

Want some fun summer trivia? Then you came to right place...

1. What do elephants use instead of sunblock?

Answer: Dust and mud

2. What is the most common butterfly in the United States?

Answer: The Cabbage White

3. Which country holds the world record for the hottest temperature ever recorded?

Answer: Death Valley, CA in the United States

4. Where was the ice pop invented?

Answer: San Francisco, USA.

5. Which two cities both claim to have invented the ice cream sandwich?

Answer: Pittsburgh and New York

6. Which Canadian city is known as the “Slurpee Capital of the World”?

Answer: Winnipeg, Manitoba

7. Complete the following movie quote: “Where we’re going, we don’t need ______.”

Answer: Roads

8. True or false: Between May and September, Americans consume five billion hot dogs. Answer: False - it’s actually seven billion!

9. True or false: Watermelons are actually a member of the vegetable family.

Answer: True - they’re closely related to cucumbers.

10. True or false: The Eiffel Tower gets smaller in the summer.

Answer: False - the heat causes the tower to expand, which adds an extra six inches to its overall height.

11. True or false: There are 500 known varieties of watermelon.

Answer: False - there are actually more than 1000!

12.What do the letters SPF mean?

Answer: Sun protection factor

13.What is the nation’s favorite hot dog topping? (a) Ketchup (b) Onions (c) Mustard.

Answer: Mustard

14.What are the United States’ three hottest states?

Answer: Florida, Hawaii, and Louisiana

15.How much did the world’s largest scoop of ice cream weigh?

Answer: 3,000 pounds

by Sophia Hannon

So, having outfit troubles? Have no idea where to shop for your new summer wardrobe? Well you are reading the right article! This article will tell you where to shop according to any style.

Preppy/Basic

Preppy is very easy to shop for considering it's the most popular style at the moment! I recommend shopping at Lululemon, Shein, GOAT USA, Urban Outfitters, and Princess Poppy. Some preppy/basic essentials are: white Air Forces, Nike blazers, Nirvana shirts from Urban Outfitters, leggings in any color from Lululemon, and anything neon!

Grunge

As a person who used to be grunge this is VERY hard to shop for. Luckily, you have me to help you! Places to shop at are: Shein, Emmiol, H&M, Amazon, your local thrift store, Brandy Melville, and Aeropostale. Some grunge essentials are: black converse, a green and blue sweater, band t-shirts, Doctor Martens, and anything black, green, gray, or brown.

Coquette

Hello fellow Coquettes! (Well, at least trying to be coquettes) This style is fairly easy to shop for especially in the springtime. Places I recommend to shop at are: H&M, Brandy Melville, LoveShackFancy and Shein! Some coquette essentials are: heart shaped sunglasses, anything floral, lace tank tops, heart patterned socks, and black, white, or pink Mary Janes!

Y2K

Y2K is a style that is based on the early 2000s. Places to shop at are: Cider, Etsy, Urban Outfitters, Depop, and Shein. Some Y2K essentials are low rise jeans, velvet tracksuits, baby tees, and graphic tees!

Downtown Girl/Downtown Boy

Downtown Girl and Boy are pretty much the same style, just depending on your gender. Places to shop at are: H&M, Brandy Melville, Shein, GAP, Zara, and Emmiol. Some downtown girl/boy essentials are: converse, flared jeans, grandpa sweaters, and anything gray, green, or brown.

by Eleni Diakoumakis

Welcome back to another edition of “Seasonal Outfit Ideas!” The upcoming season is summer, so I have a summer edition for you!! This time I have more ideas for you, my fellow readers. Once we are let out of school for summer vacation, we have more time to get dressed and accessorize in the morning. Good shopping apps that I recommend are Shein, LoveShackFancy, Kendra Scott, Lululemon and Target! Now without further ado, let's dive in!

Early Morning/Lazy Day Outfits

Picture it... You wake up on a nice, warm summer morning and decide, “I’m going to do absolutely nothing today.” Well, I have just the outfit suggestions for you!! First, Aviator Nation. Save up your money and buy it. It has the softest material, and is just freaking perfect for lounging. I recommend Aviator sweats, and a Lululemon aligned tank top. This is a good combo because the sweats are baggy and the Lululemon top is form-fitted. If you want to add something on top, wear a Lululemon scuba hoodie! I will show a picture below. Another option, this time a bit cheaper, is All In Motion. You can easily find this brand at your local Target store. This brand is known for their athletic wear, but I have this pair of All In Motion sweats and they are as soft as a cloud! Obviously, there are thousands of other brands that are great for lounging around in the AM hours, but those were the brands I recommend to you that I have worn and have tested out.

Going Out for Lunch/Dinner

This is me when my mom says we are going out for a meal. “WHAT DO I WEAR?” “WHAT IF I SEE SOMEONE I KNOW?” “WHAT IF MY CRUSH JUST HAPPENS TO BE THERE?” All of these ridiculous thoughts run through my head as I sort through my mound of clothes in my dresser. Then, I finally find some brain cells in my head and grab my go to summer outfit, jean shorts and a gray blouse. Both items happen to be found at Target!! The shorts are Cat & Jack (cringy right!?) and the blouse is from Art Class. As I said, both brands are found in your local Target!! This outfit suggestion is always my go to, but I have some other ideas too. Are you feeling fancy? Well I have a great suggestion for you! Amazon is a lifesaver for me!! I get so many adorable dresses there (on the bottom of the article I have pictures of the dresses!)! That's all I’ve got for y’all for going out to eat outfit inspo. I hope these helped!!

Beachwear/Vacation Outfit Inspo!

Is anyone going somewhere awesome this summer? I know I am! I am really happy that I’m writing this article because it is giving me outfit inspo for myself! If you're wondering where I’m going, I’m going to Greece for the fourth time!! I am going to the islands Crete and Athens!! Now enough about my summer plans and back to outfit ideas for YOU. If you are going somewhere hot and sunny, I have some suggestions for you!! I recommend getting dark colored bathing suits from SHEIN because their swimsuits are a teensy bit see through. Target, Abercrombie and Fitch, ZARA and so many other brands sell bathing suits of all kinds including one pieces, tankinis, mid-kinis and bikinis. For cover ups, you can honestly get them anywhere. I get mine from Amazon and Target! That's what I’ve got for you all in this section of Summer Outfit Ideas!

Summer Wishes From Me 😀

Thank you ever so much my fellow reader for reading this article! I wish you all the best of luck on finding your perfect outfits and I hope everyone reading has a great summer and can rock the beach with your killer ‘fits. See ya next year!!! Look below for the pictures!

by Vincent Apap

您好你叫什么名字. Do you know what that means? If not, you probably don't take Mandarin. You may not even be in Berner Middle school yet, but I am here to tell you all about Chinese. To start off with teachers, there's Mrs. Fan and Mrs. Montana. These are both amazing teachers that are also very alike. Mandarin is also not as hard as it looks. During your first week you will learn what I opened the article with. During the year you will do competitions. This is where your will choose 3 or 2 people to do a sort of game-like thing based on your lesson. Some of my favorite competition games is for the animal unit. My teacher, Mrs. Fan will say an animal in Mandarin and you will learn a hand- sign that corresponds to a certain animal you learned. This is a really fun activity for learning. You will also do 10- 15 minutes of Gimkit to either close or open up the class. My personal favorite of the games is Mafia she will use a deck of cards and you will get a role and she will say different words in Mandarin and if your a k1ller and you get a question right your team of 4 people will get to eliminate a player. There are 3 other roles doctor which is where you can save someone. And police where you arrest who you think all the k1llers are. Then there are town people who can tell the police who to arrest. Once everyone knows their role she will tell everyone to go to sleep and you put your head in your hands and remain there until she calls your role to wake up. If you are thinking “the tests are going to be to hard” Well you get 5 attempts on your tests & quiz. This makes stuff so much easier. Mandarin is overall a really fun class and if you have a friend in 5th definitely show tell them everything you know about Mandarin so they don't miss out on the fun. 再见，祝你有美好的一天.

by John Thomas

Have you ever been fishing? Whether you’re fishing out of your backyard, onto a stream bank, on a big river or even offshore on the Atlantic Ocean, fishing is a very popular sport. There are about 74.0 million angler fishermen (amateurs) according to the American Sportfishing Association. Even though that many people fish, there are only about 71,000 people currently employed in the fishing industry as of July 2022. Fishing has grown 3.4% in 2022 compared to 2021 according to IBS world. Many enjoy fishing as a way to get out of the stress they are experiencing, some even fish for a living. Fishing everyday could you believe that. Here are some tips to help you next time you decide to go out and fish.

• Figure out what and where you’re fishing, if you’re fishing saltwater or freshwater, deep or shallow.

• Choose a good line brand, I recommend Berkley.

• Choose a good line type, I recommend monofilament for beginners and for more experienced anglers I recommend fluorocarbon and braided, even though they are on the pricier side.

• Choose a good reel whether you want a spinning reel, a baitcaster, or even a fly reel, you really can’t go wrong.

• Go out early, early morning fishing is better than midday.

• Go out late, late night fishing is the best because the fish are the hungriest.

Please make sure you have your fishing license in order to take a fish home, you can still fish but you have to release the fish. Before you take a fish home make sure you double check that it is a legal size and weight.

Here are a couple of pictures of me fishing down in Jupiter, Florida.

by Eleni Diakoumakis

Introduction

Skincare is one of the best things ever made, and one of the worst things. How do you know which brand is good for your skin? What if you get an allergic reaction? Well, I have the solution for you! Keep reading to discover some of the best skincare brands there are!

Drunk Elephant

A lot of my friends tell me that I only use Drunk Elephant because of its fame. I mean, it’s all over Tik Tok’s grwm(get ready with me) videos. A lot of people doubt that Drunk Elephant even works. I have EXTREMELY sensitive skin, and anything that contains the wrong substance will set off a major allergic reaction on my face. While using Drunk Elephant, I’ve noticed a huge decrease of blemishes, dry skin and irritated skin on my face. I started using Drunk Elephant in February and it is now May. Over the course of 4-5 months, I’ve had almost perfect skin! The items I personally recommend are the following; The moisturizer. Drunk Elephant has 2 moisturizers, The polypeptide and the lala retro. I own the la la retro. It was my first Drunk Elephant item and it was all I really needed! Next, I recommend the serums. Drunk Elephant has a morning and night one. I own both! That is all I have to say about my favorite skincare brand, Drunk Elephant.

Florence By Mills

No words. Florence By Mills is just phenomenal! I have several things from Florence, both skincare and makeup. Again, I have really sensitive skin, so I was really happy Florence worked for me. I especially recommend the Dreamy Dew Moisturizer, Clarifying Toner(I personally like episode 3), Clear The Way Clarifying Face Wash and the Love you A Latte Lip Scrub! I have seen very clear improvements on my skin while mixing and matching with Florence and Drunk Elephant. I also tested a 3-week, full face of Florence experiment on my mom, and noticed a great decrease in blemishes. My mom’s face felt so smooth and buttery after the 3-week trial of Florence By Mills! I definitely recommend this skincare brand!

Bliss

Looking for some refreshing face masks? Go to Walgreens and get face masks from Bliss! I don't own much from this brand, but I have several face masks and a brightening rose gold toner. I use the toner in my regular morning routine, and it works pretty well! I rate the face masks 8/10 because they are a bit wet when they go on your face. Overall, Bliss is great!

Beautiful Skin For Everyone!

I hope that these tips helped you find your perfect skincare routine! I know you all will have a great glow-up over the summer! For some pictures, keep scrolling!

by John Brzezinski

The Yugoslav wars are very interesting wars that were carried out in the 1990s. The fall of Yugoslavia is usually overshadowed by the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and is ignored throughout history. However the Yugoslav wars carry out an effect on Europe that can still be seen today, from the gap in the European Union to political tension, Yugoslavia still has an impact on Europe without even existing.

Events Before the Collapse

Before the wars, it is necessary to understand the lead up events to the collapse of Yugoslavia. During the cold war, Yugoslavia was Neutral. It was communist, however it did not support the USSR nor the USA. During the Cold war, both sides would send Yugoslavia money to join their side in the war. When the Soviet Union collapsed, it could not send it money anymore. Since the cold war was over, The USA also stopped sending Yugoslavia money. This caused Yugoslavia to undergo a mega recession. Yugoslavia also was made up of a lot of different cultures and ethnic groups. Here are some of them: Serbs, Croats, Sloveins, Bosniaks, Kosovars, Albanians, that's just some of the many country ethnic groups that lived in Yugoslavia. This causes collapse because these groups saw Nationalism, Which means they feel more loyal to their ethnic group than their own country. This and the Recession caused a breakup.

Croatia and Slovenia Leave the Union

On June 25th, 1991 Croatia and Slovenia formally declared independence from Yugoslavia. They were hoping for an easy independence, however that would not be the case. Yugoslavia at this point was Serbian controlled, and Croatia has a large Serbian population. Yugoslavia used this ethnic advantage to fund rebels in these countries. This ended up causing war between Yugoslavia and the two new countries.

Macedonia Takes its Leave

On September 8th 1991 Macedonia voted in favor of leaving Yugoslavia. They are one of the only countries in Yugoslavia that left without Yugoslav Retaliation. Why did Macedonia leave? Many say that because of all the tension in the country, with all the instability and the war in the north, they just decided it would be best for Macedonia to abstain from the union.

War in Bosnia

In March 1992, Bosnia & Herzegovina declared its independence from the union. You see, most countries in Yugoslavia had a decent Serb Population, However Bosnia is different. Bosniaks are not Serbs, they are Muslim Croats, however there is still a large Serbian presence in the east, known today as Republika Srpska. This caused a Civil war to ensue as the Serbs proclaimed their own country.

NATO Intervention in Bosnia

The United Nations was viewing the wars as a Humanitarian crisis and wanted the conflict to end. The UN Mandated NATO to create a No Fly Zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Serbs attempted to siege Sarajevo. Whilst patrolling the skies over Bosnia, they spotted 8 Yugoslav planes over Bosnia. NATO then engaged in their first action since their creation, they shot down the planes and sent bombing raids over Belgrade to try and end the war.

The Kosovo War

Kosovo wanted independence from Serbia after recent actions by the Yugoslav government and the several wars in the area. The UN wanted NATO to intervene in Kosovo but Russia vetoed the involvement. NATO Decided to intervene anyway to weaken Yugoslavia and now Kosovo is independent to this day

The Aftermath

Yugoslavia ended up collapsing in 2006 after only having the countries of Serbia and Montenegro. It rebranded itself as Serbia & Montenegro and became more on the isolationist side after the actions of the wars including Yugoslavia. Some generals of Yugoslavia and leaders were tried for war crimes and some of them were fortunately sent to Jail. But Yugoslavia still has effects on Europe today, from the gap in the EU to the poor areas in the Balkans, this is by far an overlooked war, but yet an important one.

by Elena Lopez

Requirements:

To get started you will need space, cucumber seeds, and soil. Cucumbers need space to grow, the amount of space needed will change depending on the amount of cucumbers being planted. As seedlings they can be started in small containers such as an egg carton, however, the amount of space needed can be anywhere from 1-5 feet apart once they are planted outside.

The soil needed to grow cucumbers should have a PH of 6.0 - 6.8. Your container should have holes for drainage. If you are choosing to start your cucumbers inside, make sure to choose a sunny area (like a window) or invest in a grow light to help your seedlings sprout faster. After you put your seeds in the soil, placing plastic wrap with holes over the top can help to retain moisture and heat for the growing seedlings. After the seedlings have sprouted, remove the plastic wrap. Your cucumber plants are now ready to be planted in the ground.

Planting the seedlings:

Cucumbers grow best in warmer weather, so they should be planted in the ground in spring or summer. Make sure you do not place them in the ground until after the last frost for your area. Start with fresh soil and place your seedlings about an inch below the surface and about 1 foot apart from each other. Although some cucumbers can grow along the ground, cucumbers that grow on vines will do best with the support of a trellis. Trellises can help to keep the fruit off the ground where they can rot or be eaten by animals and bugs. As your plant produces more fruit, you can use string to tie the vines to your trellis to help hold up the extra weight. In cooler temperatures and while your plants are young, water the cucumber plants daily. It's best to water twice daily in hotter weather or as the plant grows larger and use water faster.

Maintenance:

While the cucumbers are growing, you need to make sure that they are healthy. Check the soil pH, water the plants as needed and check for bugs. Bugs such as caterpillars should be removed because they will eat the leaves and fruit. Other bugs, such as aphids can be removed with store bought or homemade sprays or even by purchasing ladybugs, a natural predator of aphids, and placing them around your garden.

Harvesting:

From the time your plants sprout to the time that your cucumbers are ready to remove and eat is about 50-70 days. To avoid damage to the plant, it's best to remove the cucumber by cutting from the main vine with scissors. Pulling the cucumbers off can split the vine or rip it from the trellis. Eat your cucumbers at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator. Cucumbers have many uses. People use fresh cucumbers for eye masks, flavored water sandwiches and countless recipes.

by Jackson Crudele

Big-Name Draft Prospects

This year’s draft is mostly a defensive draft like cornerback, defensive end, linebacker, and defensive tackles, along with a bunch of big-name quarterbacks, tight-ends, and wide-receivers. The big-name quarterbacks in this year’s draft are Bryce Young from Alabama, C.J Stroud from Ohio State, Anthony Richardson from Florida, and Will Levis from Kentucky. All of these guys are projected to go within the first 10 picks. Cornerbacks include corners like Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State, Devon Witherspoon from Illinois, Emmanuel Forbes from Mississippi St. , and Christian Gonzalez from Oregon. On the D-Line side, players include Jalen Carter (DT) from Georgia, Tyree Wilson (DE/DT) from Texas Tech, and Will Anderson (DE/OLB) from Alabama. Some big name receivers are Jalin Hyatt from Tennessee, Jaxon Smith-Njiba from Ohio State, and Zay Flowers from Boston College. Of course there are a few stars at other positions, like Bijan Robinson from Texas who’s a running back, but the positions named are the positions with the highest number of big-named prospects. Most of these players are projected to go round 1 or early in round 2.

Pre-Draft Predictions

In this year’s draft, there are a lot of big prospects that are projected to go early. To start off, the Carolina Panthers have the first overall pick, gained in a trade from the Chicago Bears. The next four picks are the Houston Texans, the Arizona Cardinals, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Seattle Seahawks. I can agree with the NFL analysts that a quarterback will be the number-one pick this year. Most of these teams picking within the early first round are in major need of a quarterback, whether their quarterback retired, was traded, or just won’t do the job with the Panthers, Texans, or Colts being some of those teams. I also think that the defensive players Will Anderson and Jalen Carter will be going top 9. As a Cowboys fan, I’m hoping they go with a DT, LB, CB, or Linemen. I'm predicting that they will go with a cornerback, even with the addition of Stephon Gilmore, because I think they need more depth at the position. In the first round, more defensive players will be taken by teams rather than offensive players just because of the amount of talent at the defensive side of the ball this year, although there are a bunch of great offensive players that will definitely be first-rounders.

First 5 Draft Picks

So with the first pick of the 2023 NFL draft, the Carolina Panthers selected Bryce Young. I am not at all surprised with this pick. I was expecting either Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud to go first. Bryce Young is a great quarterback, and one of the few downsides to him was his size (only being about 5’ 10” and 194 LBS) which is pretty small compared to other quarterbacks, but was coached at Alabama and under Coach Nick Saban, so overall I’ll give this pick an A- only due to concerns about his small size. Now, with the second pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Houston Texans picked C.J Stroud which is yet again not a shocker because the Texans needed a quarterback. Personally, I love this pick more than the Bryce Young Pick because not only is he bigger than Bryce Young but still has the athletic ability to scramble and get out of the pocket. Overall, I’ll give this pick an A C.J stroud is Athletic, has good vision, good size, and a strong arm as well. With the third pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Texans surprisingly traded up and switched with the Cardinals and took Will Anderson Jr. from Alabama. Will Anderson Jr. is a very athletic and aggressive OLB (Outside-Linebacker) who usually plays on the edge rather than in coverage. He is a very big guy at 6’,4” and 254 lbs, and in my personal opinion, he will do great in the NFL, so I will give him an A+. With the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Anthony Richardson QB from Florida. Anthony Richardson athletically was arguably the most athletic QB in the entire NFL draft. Anthony Richardson is quick, agile, and has an absolute cannon for an arm and although he fell to the fourth overall pick and the third quarterback picked I still think he is a great player and with the Colts not having the greatest QB room Richardson should be able to get a good amount of playing time and I think he will fit perfectly into the colts’ scheme. Richardson almost reminds me a little bit of Andrew Luck having a pretty good athletic ability and a solid arm so overall I’ll give this pick an A. With the 5th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft the Seattle Seahawks picked Devon Witherspoon who's a CB from Illinois. I absolutely love this pick, and as a Cowboys fan, I was hoping that by some miracle Devon Witherspoon would fall to us at the 26th pick. Witherspoon is a very good and physical man-to-man corner who can really do well. He can deflect thrown passes, he can intercept passes, and he can get in a receiver’s face and knock the ball away. It is interesting to see how the Seahawks are trying to rebuild their defense a little by adding Witherspoon and bringing back Bobby Wagner. I think he’ll do amazing in the NFL, so I’ll give this pick an A+.

Who Had the Best Draft

In my opinion in this year’s draft the team that had the best draft is the Pittsburgh Steelers. There are a few reasons why I went with this team. First off they got some great players in my opinion and also got some guys that they really needed. In the first round they picked Broderick Jones who’s an OT from Georgia who’s 6’,5’’ and 311 lbs. He is a great run blocker and was part of arguably one of the best offensive lines in college. In addition to this, with the 32nd pick the Steelers selected Joey Porter jr. CB from Penn St. Joey Porter jr. son of Joey Porter who was a great LB who also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next they selected Keeanu Benton DT from Wisconsin. This pick helped the Steelers out a lot considering they needed to bulk up the D-line a little more. Keeanu Benton is 6’,4” and 315 lbs. He is someone who will be able to help out the Steelers D-line. In the third round the Steelers selected Darnell Washington TE from Georgia. Darnell Washington is absolutely huge for a tight end at 6’,7” 269 lbs. During the combine compared to other tight ends blocking he was really just pushing the sled a lot farther during the blocking drills, so not only will he be a huge addition to the passing game, but he will also be a major addition when he’s on the line and blocking. In the fourth round the Steelers took Nick Herbig LB from Wisconsin. Due to the fact that he isn’t the biggest linebacker at about 6’,2” 240 lbs he will most likely play a part in the edge rush for the Steelers like Alex Highsmith and T.J Watt, but after losing Bud Depree in free agency I think they just needed more depth and someone that could play. In the 7th round they selected Cory Trice CB from Purdue. With this pick they added more depth to the Corner position after they selected CB Joey Porter jr. from Penn St. Cory Trice is 6’,3” 206 lbs. He should be a great addition to the defense he can tackle and is great in coverage with being able to read the ball and intercept it. With the Steelers last pick they chose Spencer Anderson OL from Maryland. Spencer Anderson is 6’,4” 305 lbs. He will be able to be flexible on where he plays for the steelers so that will be very helpful to them. Overall I feel like the Steelers got the best draft. They drafted so many great players and also at the same time a lot of guys that they needed and that could really help them out next season.

by Nate Stutz

Step 0: Use Optimal Sliders and Settings

There are multiple youtube videos online with optimal settings for your franchise mode, I recommend watching them. Some settings I do recommend is turning your Prospect quality to high, as well as draft quality, so you can draft good players. I would also turn fog of war off, so you don’t need to scout players in the NHL and AHL, and you can focus entirely on amateurs.

You can also use different rosters, either your own or other people’s. They adjust the potentials and can give different players x-factor abilities, which I will talk about in the team chemistry section.

Step 1: Draft Mediocre Players in Your Expansion Draft

When you start as a new franchise, you will enter an expansion draft where you select players for your team. Sometimes the computer makes bad decisions and leaves their good player up for picking, because they can protect players. You want low 80 overall players and the occasional mid 80, like for Carolina, Colorado and Tampa Bay. YOU WANT TO GET THE FIRST OVERALL PICK IN YOUR SECOND YEAR. So, don’t sign good players in free agency, you want to improve your AHL team. So press your right bumper and switch to 2 way offers and select young and mid-70 overall players for that team. Their salary will usually be 0.8 million dollars, and if you are under the salary minimum, about $63 million in the amount of money you pay your players. You can just find random players and give them $8 million or more

Step 2: Your First Draft

For your first draft, some players are already scouted, which means that you know information about them. Use your analog stick and go to the category on the edge of the screen, Gem/Bust, you want to press down the left stick and press square on PlayStation and X on Xbox to look for gems, and you want them to be projected to go later than the first round, but if you can grab one in the beginning if you have an early draft pick, you can one. You will also see that some players don’t have portraits, and you want to draft them, unless the real players have good potential.

POTENTIALS:

Potentials determine the possibility of your player’s rating when they turn 27 years old, such a specific number is because that is the age where their natural growth stops and they are in their prime. Franchise potential is the best, they usually get into the 90s in rating, elite potential gets into the high 80s and low 90s. Top 6s usually will play on your top two lines, and bottoms 6s vice versa.

There is also high, med, and low after the rating, they are the probability that that player will meet said potential.. High means they will most likely get to the potential, medium is a 50-75% chance, and low means they probably won’t get to that role, most likely the potential rating under, for example, a low franchise may end up being an elite potential player.

Step 3: Setting Up your Scouts:

Scouts gather information about players in the upcoming draft, with players ranging from ages 17-20. The scouts the game starts you off with aren’t good, you can check by going in the Assign Scout screen, the strategies on this section, as well as the team chemistry section were provided by Data782, so thank you to him. Your scouts won’t be good in the first season, but by year three, you will be able to hire A rated scouts. If you turned fog of war off, you will be able to go all in with amateur scouts and scout the draft class. You want to make sure that there are 2 scouts in the SHL and LIIGA, as well as Russia. You want 3 scouts in the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL, which are the Canadian leagues. You want one scout in each of the US regions, which are East, Central, and West. You also want one scout in EXTRALIGA. To cap it off, you want one NHL scout for chemistry. If you need to, you can switch out a CHL scout for an NLA, DEL, or ICE scout. If you have one too many of a certain area, you can either fire them, or press the right stick down and see their region efficiency. A+ is the best and E is the worst. They will improve over the course of a season, so don’t worry if the efficiency is B+, it can improve to an A- or A.

In your first round of scouting, you want to go into the assign scout screen. Then, go to the “Scout specific players” screen, and click on each player and press the “Player Style” scouting mode. You want the scouting to finish from September 13 to October 1. You want the higher rated scouts to scout the higher rated prospects, and you start off from where your first scout left off in the list. For example your first scout ends at 65, and the next prospect is 68, your next scout will start there. You can sort the regions using the regions column and pressing your sort button.

After that, round 2 of scouting should be Strengths & Weaknesses, and your magic end date is November 10. Scouting isn’t perfect, so your magic day may be a day before or after, and that’s fine, you just need all the scouts to finish at around the same time.

Your next round will be the skills assessment, and your magic date is Jan. 22.

After that, you will skip Character assessment, unless you keep the morale setting on. The setting has locker room interactions, but the players mostly complain about things. Go to potential and comparison. Your magic date is around the end of May and beginning of June.

After that, you want to fill in any blanks for players, most of your scouts will only have 2-5 people, and that’s okay.

I forgot to mention that some players will move up in draft rankings, usually in the outside of the draft area. It’s up to you whether you want to scout the new players or keep scouting the players you already have information about. I recommend sticking with the players previously scouted. And in the seasons after that, you rinse and repeat.

Step 4: Recouping Future Draft Selections and the Trade Deadline (STONKS!!)

If you’ve been following the first few steps, you should either have a terrible team, or one that is on the brink of missing the playoffs. You will likely want to trade players that are a waste of salary, or ones that only have 1 year on their contract, you can find this information by either going into the View Contracts screen, or into one of the Trade Screens. I will use View Contracts. You will see that there will be a red box that says UFA, or a yellow box that says RFA. You want to trade players with the UFA, for either draft picks, or prospects for later seasons. RFA players are more important than UFA’s, and I will mention why later.

Step 5: Your Later Entry Drafts

You can either choose to be a quiet GM, or make tons of moves (trades). If you have a regressing player (ages 34 and older), you can trade him for an early or middle draft pick. Even late picks are good, like if prospects around there have good potential. Like in section 2, sort by Gems and potential, and you will notice that almost every player is fully scouted, with some exceptions, like if they’re in a league that we didn’t send scouts to. In my opinion, I think you should make as many trades as possible for the Elite potential players. Like I mentioned earlier, draft players that don’t have pictures are likely to be better, so draft them.

Step 6: Team Chemistry

Although it doesn’t matter that much, line chemistry can impact a player’s overall performance in the simulation. If you go into the edit line screen, you will notice that there will either be a -1, -2, -3 or -5. Or, there will be a 0, +1, +2, +3, and +5. The line chemistry on a player is found by adding the line chem to the player’s overall. For example, a 90 overall player on a plus 5 line will play live a 95 overall. The line chemistry affects the forwards, defensive pairings, and the Powerplay and penalty kill. In the beginning many special teams (pp,pk) will be negative and that’s okay. In past games, the line chem could be maxed out easily by having a Power Forward, Two Way Forward, and Playmaker on a line. That still matters a little bit, but X-factors matter a lot more. A line with all players having X-Factors usually will usually be +3 or +5, but sometimes it can be 0. I don’t fully understand the Special Teams Chemistry, as all the players having X-Factors can still result in a -1 or -2, or even a -3.

Step 7: Resigning Players and a Real Free Agency

Like I mentioned before in Step 4, there are RFA’s and UFA’s. UFA’s are players over 25 or 26. You can qualify them, which means that other teams will need to give you draft picks to sign them. This feature is currently broken, so RFA’s could be signed and you won’t get draft picks. I recommend qualifying players if their ask for salary is too high, and of course they’re under 27 years old. Their ask for salary will usually drop on July 1st, which is the beginning of Free Agency. A way to cheat the system and underpay players is multiping their salary ask by 85%, and they will usually accept your offers.

Step 8: Free Agency

Free agency can be however you really want it, just don’t sign the RFAT players, unless you want to give up picks in the draft. In my franchise mode, I usually find myself signing players for my AHL team and the third and fourth line players, and maybe even bottom pair defensemen. Usually by year three you’ll have players like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid reaching the ends of their contracts. In your first couple years, you will have a lot of legroom with the amount of salary cap space, which is how much you are paying your players. The max salary cap also starts at $82.5 million and inflates to 125 million by the end of 25 years.

SEPARATE TOPICS

Player Growth

If you draft players with a potential like elite, medium top 6, or medium top 4. You will see that they will grow in overall from say 50 to 57. The way that you can see their skills growing is through the Progress Reports screen under the edit lines. I usually check them in the middle of the season and at the end as well. Their attributes will grow exponentially according to their potential. I drafted a player whose shot became perfect (which is a 99 in their attributes). So, anything can happen.

Player Roles

For younger players, you should put them in roles that don’t hurt their growth. Say I drafted a defensive player as a 75 overall. You can go into player info and see what their role is, so if you have a 22 year old player that has a 4th line role, they will likely grow best on the 4th line.

Conclusion: PLAY HOWEVER YOU WANT

If you want to win cups or make a draft to glory team, it is up to you how you want to manage your expansion franchises. This article was really just to help the readers that like hockey and NHL games as much as I do have an insanely good team. I do hope that this article was helpful to people that enjoy NHL games as much as I do.

Sources: Data782 NHL 23 and NHL 22 guides, check out his channel!

https://www.youtube.com/@Data782

by John Brzezinski

NHL Round 1 of the Stanley cup playoffs are over and how did it turn out?

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

Carolina finished first in the Metropolitan division and was second best in the league. Carolina was expected to be silenced in the first round by Wild card 1 New York Islanders, due to the Canes being absent of their best player, Andrei Svechnikov. The Canes ended up seizing games 1 and 2 in Raleigh and lost game 3 in Belmont. Game 4 was seized by the canes at UBS Arena on Long Island with an upset for the New York Islanders. The Isles were expected to lose in 5 to a gentleman's sweep, but held out and forced game 6 after taking a close victory in Raleigh. The Islanders sent the series back to Belmont Park in search to force game 7 back in Raleigh. However the Islanders lost in overtime 2-1.

New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers

New Jersey finished 2nd in the Metropolitan division with the Rangers right behind them in 3rd. The Rangers were expected to win the series after obtaining 3 time Stanley Cup Champion Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks and having Franchise & Vezina Goaltender Igor Shesterkin. The Rangers took games 1 and 2 at the Prudential Center in NJ With both 5-1 Victories over the Devils. NJ ended up taking game 3 at Madison Square Garden Game 3 2-1 in Overtime. Game 4 resulted in the Devils tying the series defeating the Rangers in the Big Apple 3-1. New Jersey goes back home to the Prudential Center and Seizes game 5 with a 4-0 Shutout. Looking to finish off the series at MSG, the Rangers held out at game 6 winning 5-2. Game 7 ended with a Rangers Defeat as the Devils triumph 4-0 and advance.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Tampa Bay wants to go win their 3rd Stanley cup while Toronto tries to end their playoff drought since 1967. Tampa Bay Succeeds in game 1 destroying the Leafs with a 7-3 victory in Scotiabank Arena. However in Game 2 the leafs respond with a 7-2 monstrous victory in Toronto. The leafs take the series to 2-1 after a 4-3 victory in overtime at Amalie Arena. Leafs start aiming for the gentlemen sweep after making the series 3-1 in a 5-4 overtime in Tampa. Back in Toronto the Lightning take game 5 to force game 6 with a 4-2 victory against the Leafs in Scotiabank Arena. In game 6 Auston Mathews and John Tavares sent Stamkos golfing with a 2-1 victory down in the Sunshine State.

Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers

This series was expected to be an easy sweep for Boston. This season (2022-2023) They achieved the best record in NHL History with 63 wins, beating out Montreal's record of 62 wins by exactly 1 win. Florida was the worst team going into the Playoffs barely clinching the Eastern Wild Card 2 spot with the penguins knocked out. Boston meets expectations in game 1 with an easy 3-1 victory over the cats in TD Garden. The Panthers shocked everyone, tying the series 1-1 with a 6-3 victory in Boston. Boston retakes the lead by beating out the Cats 4-2 at FLA Live arena. Boston goes up 3-1 to try for the gentleman's sweep with a 6-2 win in Florida. The Cats get a decisive victory in Boston winning 4-3 in overtime to force game 6. The Cats somehow defeat the Boston Bruins in game 6 and shocking game 7 in a close overtime to send the Bruins to the course.

Las Vegas Golden Knights vs. Winnipeg Jets

Vegas has been outstanding this season finishing 1st in their division and versus the Jets in the first round. The Jets were not as good as the knights, getting the second wild card spot in the Western conference with their vezina goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Winnipeg got past game 1 winning 5-1 at T-Mobile arena. Vegas responded in game 2 with a 5-2 victory over Winnipeg. The Jets fought hard in game 3 but fell in second overtime 5-4 with an unfortunate loss. In game 4 VGK wins 4-2 and takes the series lead 3-1 aiming for the gentleman's sweep. In game 5 Vegas won 4-1 with an interesting game. Winnipeg pulled Hellebuyck to get the extra man on the ice with 8 minutes to go.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

Edmonton has 2 great players that are cup worthy, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl. While this could be enough to knock out the kings, with Doughty out on the defense the Kings are a force to be reckoned with. In game 1 Anze Kopitar and his kings won in overtime 5-4. Edmonton responds in game 2 with a 4-2 victory over Los Angeles. Kings take the series lead in game 3 with a 3-2 victory over McDavid's Oilers. Edmonton responds with a 5-4 victory in game 4 tying the series once again with another overtime win. In Game 5 the Oilers triumph over the Kings with a 6-3 victory in Edmonton. The Oilers finish the series with a 5-4 OT Victory in 6.

Seattle Kraken vs. Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are defending the Stanley Cup title and want to win this series to have a shot at 2 in a row. Game 1 goes to Seattle with a 3-1 victory in Colorado. The Avs barely tied the series in game 2 with a 3-2 victory over the Kraken. The Avalanche finished game 3 with a 6-4 victory to take the series 2-1. Game 4 went in favor of Seattle with a close 3-2 victory in overtime. Seattle takes the lead 3-2 in game 5 with a close 3-2 victory. Unfortunately for Seattle, game 6 went in favor of the Avs forcing game 7 which could mean the end for Seattle. But Seattle ended up taking game 7 with a 2-1 victory and sent the 2022 cup champions home for the summer.

Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild

The Last series we will discuss is Dallas vs. Minnesota. Hatman took game 1 for Minnesota in 2nd OT 3-2 to take the series lead 1-0. Dallas responded to the Wild with a 7-3 Victory to tie the series 1-1. Minnesota wins 5-1 in game 3 to take back the series with a 2-1 triumph over Dallas. The Stars take game 4 to tie the series 2-2 as with a ping pong series. Dallas shuts out Minnesota in game 5 to take the series to a 3-2 lead. Dallas finishes off the series in 6 with 4-1 victory out in Minnesota.

What are the best movies so far in 2023? As far as movies so far in the year, there are three main ones that stick out. The Mario Movie, which came out this May, is an obvious contender. With stars and much anticipation, this movie hit the ground running. It already has over 500m dollars in box office. Another movie has to be the avatar movie. It came out in December 2022, and had to be one of the most built-up movies in the last 10 years. After the record breaking box office, it was expected to be the best movie of the year. Last but not least, is Guardians of the Galaxy. It was as fun and exciting as the others, making it a must-see for many moviegoers.

Starting off, The Mario Movie was great. It had good music, was fun to watch, and had many stars. The plot was entertaining, and I was almost never bored while watching this movie with my friends. Next, there is Avatar. The enormous expectation built around this movie may have hurt it, because many were disappointed with what they got. Expectations aside, it was a good movie. The visuals were amazing, and there were many scenes that were very visually impressive. The plot was exciting, and suspense kept people glued to their seats. Overall, I’d say that it is very high quality, and might be even better than Mario. That is for the viewer to decide. Last, there is Guardians of the Galaxy. I had very high expectations for the movie, but was honestly disappointed. It was clear that they did not want to kill any main characters, as at some points the characters survived the impossible. While it is a fiction movie, I just wish it was less cheesy. Guardians of the Galaxy is known for its great music, but this movie did not present a very good selection. Overall, I feel the Guardians of the Galaxy seriously lacked compared to the other movies. Overall, I feel that most of the movies this Spring did not disappoint. I enjoyed going to the movies with my friends. Overall, I would recommend every movie on this list to a friend if they were bored.

by Eleni Diakoumakis

1. To start, make a no-churn fudge ice cream. Start by making a fudge swirl by combining brown rice sugar, heavy cream, cocoa powder and chocolate.

2. Beat together heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk until soft peaks form.

3. Layer about 1/3 of the heavy cream mixture to the bottom of a parchment lined loaf pan. Swirl in dollops of the fudge and then repeat until you’ve worked through all of the ice cream. Transfer to the freezer.

4. Mix the batter ingredients together. Add a dollop of the batter to the center of your waffle maker (you could also do this in a nonstick pan). And close the maker for 1 minute. When you open it, immediately remove it and using a thin book, lined with a paper towel, press it against the binder. This will help make it fold like a taco shape. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

5. Use a teaspoon and fill the tacos with the ice cream. You really want to fill them up all the way. Place them on a baking sheet and transfer to the freezer to firm up.

6. Temper the chocolate. Dip the top edges of the taco into the chocolate and sprinkle with whatever toppings you’re using. Transfer back to the freezer to set! Repeat with all of the tacos.

Source: acozykitchen.com- CHOCO TACO

by Ashley Justino

What you need- Coolwhip, any flavor of Jello powder

1. Add the whole tub of cool whip and the whole packet of powder in a bowl

1. Mix until smooth consistency

1. Enjoy a fresh fruit dip.

What you need- 2 cups of frozen fruit, ¼ cup of oat milk and a blender.

1. Add 2 cups of any 2 frozen fruits in a blender

1. Pour ¼ cup of oat milk into the blender.

1. Add more if you want it to be more like a smoothie

1. Pulse until smooth consistency

1. Pour in cup/bowl

1. Enjoy!

by Mia Cespites

1. Harry Styles.

2. 1776.

3. False - it’s actually seven billion!

4. B- South Dakota.

5.True - they’re closely related to cucumbers!

6. Frisbee!

7 North Carolina.

8.Vitamin D

9. Around 150 million.

10. 76

11. 6

12. 3,000 pounds.

13. Cherry

Mrs. Guarnaschelli’s lie: I play the guitar.

Mrs. Happe’s lie: I waited 3 hours in line to see the Changing of the Guards and the Crown Jewels at Buckingham Palace.

Mr. Joyce’s lie: I am allergic to shellfish.

Ms. Laboy’s lie: I have been to over 25 different states.

Ms. Mifsud’s lie: I was on the Berner soccer team.

Mrs. Terranova’s lie: I love roller coasters.

Ms. Waterman’s lie: I love to go white water rafting in the summer (I once had a scary experience).

Teacher #2: Senora Beitzinger
Teacher #3: Mrs. Emmerich

Teacher #4: Ms. Stone

Huge thank you to all of the journalists who worked tirelessly to produce such thought provoking articles, beautiful creative writing, and reviews of movies and more! We continue to be amazed by your tenacious attitudes and commitment even during these unusual times! We look forward to working with you again next year! Wishing all 8th graders the best of luck moving on to Ames! We will miss you!

Best wishes,

Mrs. Cangiano and Ms. Waterman