April Fool's Day Pranks

             April Fool's Day is just around the corner; the annual day where pseudo information and invitations are sent out in hopes of making a momentary change to the usual course of life, when kids run around thinking of pranks for their friends, and where even the air seems to have a comical tint to it. But, do you know the history of this mischievous day? Are you wondering when the first deliberate hoax was, or when the first stick of shocking bubble gum was made? Well, I do too. So if you thought that his article was about the history of April Fool's Day, then you've been fooled. April Fool's in advanced! Now, here are some new pranks that will have your friends checking their seats for whoopee cushions!

Pranks-
1.  Glue a quarter or a large coin to the sidewalk or the ground in a busy place, such as an urban center or a city. Sit nearby and watch as people try to pick it up! (Seeing their puzzled face is the funniest part!)

2. While the victim is sound asleep inside their bedroom, quietly tape newspaper across the door jam, covering it almost to the top. Then fill the gap between the newspaper and the door with Styrofoam peanuts, crumpled newspapers, water balloons, etc. When the victim opens the door, they'll be greeted by an unpleasant avalanche!

3. This time, sneak up on your victim while they are sleeping, and put some shaving cream/a sticky substance on their open hand. Then tickle them on the nose with something (preferably a feather) and watch while they  give themselves a face full of foam!

4. Use a pin to poke a few miniature holes in a plastic disposable or a Styrofoam cup. Offer a drink to the victim and watch in amusement while the liquid dribbles out onto their shirt!

5. Pour an miniscule amount of baby powder on each blade of a ceiling fan, just out of the victim's view. Shut the door of the room that the ceiling fan is in, and turn off all of the lights. Leave the room, and provoke somebody to go into it. Watch as their faces flood in surprise!

Happy Pranking!

By: Sunjay Sharma

Picking Colleges

By: Juliana Clifford, Staff Writer

Dear all Juniors, 

College applications are right around the corner. A tip from me to you would be to pick your colleges now. The sooner you have where you're going to apply a little weight is lifted off your shoulders. I recommend that you look at college websites, Princeton Review, College Board, and Family Connections to see what the admissions requirements are and what the school is like. 

Admissions requirements are tricky. I recommend that you pick at least five schools to apply to, one to two for safety schools, two to three for target schools, and one to two for reach schools. What are safety, target, and reach schools? Well, a safety school is a school that you know that you know could get in to with your GPA and SAT/ ACT scores. A target school is one that you should be able to get in, it is around your GPA and SAT/ ACT and it’s usually a school you want to go to. A reach school is a school that has a GPA and SAT/ ACT that is higher than yours. 

When applying, start working on it early. It’s better to apply in early action because the school knows that you are committed and eager to going to college. If you start working on college essays in fourth quarter you can get help from your teachers with writing the essays. 

When picking a college I have a few tips to finding the perfect one. When you go on the website find the clubs and organizations, see how many they have, see which ones amuse you. For me I look for the sports I play, the sports I like to watch, and random funny clubs like quidditch or dodgeball. It really shows what kind of people are in a school by the clubs it has. 

If you go on a tour at the school I recommend first taking the tour then walking off on your own, ask random people for directions, you get the feel of the people there. If you know people who go there meet up with them and ask them about there classes and teachers, roommates and friends, college students will talk forever as long as you keep asking questions. 

Applications are hard but picking your college is half the battle. The sooner you find out where your going the better. Happy college picking. :)

Five things that scare you the most

There aren’t too many things that scare me, but there are quite a few. I know that the zombies are not real and that the ghosts in the basements or attics aren’t real as well, but there are little things here and there that give me the creeps. #1- The wind chimes blowing in the wind (especially in the fall or winter) don’t sit too well with me. The wind chimes just have an eerie sort of feeling and they just remind me of a cold and abandoned place (no joke).  #2- I absolutely cannot walk through wooded trails because I swear to God someone is watching me and they will probably get me from behind. I know that nobody is probably watching, but it’s the movies and the news you can’t help it or at least me. #3- Getting real emotional with my Grandma it’s really awkward and I don’t like it especially if she asks me for my opinion.  #4-Someone is always scared of at least one type of animal so I’m going to put one down too, and I’m scared of almost every living insect you have ever seen on mother earth and that is not an exaggeration on my part. #5- Hmm… what can number five be? Being afraid of the unreal? Well, of course it can be! Since it is my blog that is what I’m going to write. Oh my God I cannot watch a horror film in my house without being paranoid and wanting somebody to go with me somewhere or to check if someone is in the bathroom or in the basement. Of course all of these simple fears have explanations and the chimes I can’t really explain, but the others do. The trails it’s because of the movies, and because sometimes nobody is there and from what you hear on the news so it’s reasonable. My grandma, well she is just really hard to talk to so someone knows something about that. Insects are just gross and horror films are super scary.

- Yancy Garcia

Here Comes the Second Half of the 2012-13 NBA Season!

       The annual All-Star Weekend just passed a few days ago. It was a night filled with fun, laughter, and suspense. The weekend started off with the "BBVA Rising Stars Challenge," where Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal squared off teams they drafted. Before the game, Shaq's team was heavily favored to win due to star players such as Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard. But, at the end of the night, Charles Barley's team won for the second year in a row, largely due to the performance of Kenneth Faried, who scored 40 points with 10 rebounds. The next day was filled with events. The first event was the "Sears Shooting Stars Challenge," where a current NBA player, an ex-NBA player, and a WNBA player are in a team competing against other teams developed in the same way. Team Bosh won that event. After that, there was the "Taco Bell Skills Challenge," where a guard has to go through an obstacle course to get the fastest time, the winner of the event was Damian Lillard. Then came the "Footlocker 3-Point Shootout," individuals such as Steve Novak and Stephen Curry were favored to win this competition, but Kyrie Irving won the competition in an upset, but he scored 23 points in that final round, which was near the record of 25. The final event came after this, it was the "Slam Dunk Competition," James White was favored to win this, but in a night of upsets, Terrance Ross won it. But, to be fair, he deserved it with the performance he did that night. After that day ended, then came the main attraction. It was the All-Star Game. Both teams tried their best, but one stayed on top, the West won while being carried by Chris Paul who scored 20 points with 15 assists. He was named the MVP after the game, and deservedly so, only Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas ever had a 20/15 stat line in an All-Star game.

       Now, the fun and games are over. Every team will now be in a fight until and after the playoffs, and everyone's determination will rise. Be sure to watch the second-half of the 2012-13 NBA season to see how the teams are doing before heading into the playoffs. A few questions still remain, though:

1. Will the Lakers pick up their slack?

2. How will the Celtics do without their star Point Guard?

3. Will anyone dethrone the Miami Heat?

4. Can OKC go far into the playoffs without James Harden?

5. Who will win the MVP?

By: Sreevatsa Gottada

Staff Writer

Alone on Valentine's Day

                  So, you're alone on Valentine's day....there is no shame in that. You may feel like you're the only one alone on this day, but you're not. If you think about it, no one is truly alone on this day. Just because you may not have a boyfriend or girlfriend on Valentine's day, doesn't mean you don't have somebody who loves you. You still have your parents, friends, brothers and sisters. I know what you're thinking, "Having my parents be my Valentine? No way!"
                   But just think about it. Valentine's Day is the day where you tell the people you love you love them. It's not about the gift's or the chocolates, its about stating your feelings for the people you love. And yes, you may have that special someone or you may not. But WHO CARES? Because it doesn't matter if you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend on Valentines Day. Many people don't mothers on Mothers Day or fathers on Fathers Day. So why make a big deal about a boyfriend or girlfriend. They come and go but family will always be with you.
                    So if you're alone this Valentine's, buy your mothers some flowers or your dad some chocolates. Cook dinner for your family. Make the most of being alone this Valentine's Day. It's not a bad thing.

-Maddie Mota

What To Give Your Special Someone on February 14th!

By: Vanessa Negron

As we all may know Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. With it being two days away many people might feel so pressured to get the “perfect” gift to their loved ones that they end up making it a horrible day for themselves and their special someone.  What is the perfect gift? How do you know when you are doing too much? How do you know when you are doing too little? The Jagwire is here to help you make the perfect and romantic choice on this special day.

Women can be hard to shop for especially if you don’t know her style. From Bohemian, to rocker, to hipster, to urban, to even preppy, women have a myriad of styles and sometimes it may become hard to find out what to give them. Don’t buy them clothing unless you are completely sure it is something they want and will wear. A day like this should be played safe. As cliché as it may be try giving her some red roses, some of her favorite chocolates, and plan a romantic evening together.

Just like women, men can be very difficult to shop for. You don’t want to buy him something too feminine. STOP getting them socks because it shows that you didn’t put any thought into your gift. Luckily unlike women men don’t ask for much on this day. Show your appreciation to him and make him something that shows you’ve been listening.   

A romantic evening is all about the thought you put into it not just the money. Take them to the place you first met, a place that’s significant to you guys, or a restaurant that you know they will love. Make a scrapbook of your memories or a cute little video of how you feel. Valentine’s Day is about being and feeling wanted and loved. With everything you do just put some love and thought into it. Your loved one will appreciate it regardless of the price. Have a nice Valentine’s Day!!!!!

Can You Guess Who I Am? (Answers)

 Still puzzled? Do you want to check your answers? Here are the answer for the "Can You Guess Who I Am" February issue of the Jagwire.
A: Mr. Healy

B: Mr. Johnson

C: Coach Aziz

D: Mr. Simon

E: Mr. Walsh

Sandy Hook: the controversies

On December 14 2012 one of the most devastating school shootings ever in the history of the world happened in Newtown, Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Twenty eight people died, including the gunman, Adam Lanza. There are many controversies and conspiracies surround this tragedy. Most of the arguments surrounding Sandy Hook is about gun control. However, there are many more conspiracies about what really happened on that fateful day.

One of the first major misconceptions was about Adam Lanza’s mother, Nancy. It was originally reported that Nancy worked at Sandy Hook as a kindergarten teacher, but Nancy did not work there, in fact, she was not even a teacher at all. Nancy did not have any connections to the school whatsoever. The school nurse, Sally Cox, was the one who reported that Nancy was a teacher at Sandy Hook, but Cox changed her story about several things related to the shooting. She claimed that Adam had walked straight into her office, looked her in the eye and then left with no expiation. In a later interview she changed her story, saying that she had hid under her computer desk and seen his feet in an opening in the back of the desk. Cox said “I heard the door close and then he probably walked in…” during an ABC News interview. He “probably” walked in? Had she actually seen him or not? She should know for a fact whether or not a gunman had walked into her office. She also told reporters that she knew the Lanza’s and that Nancy was a wonderful woman and when she was asked if Adam had any mental health issues, Cox said absolutely not.

  (nydaliynews.com)

After Adam Lanza had finished killing everyone and police had entered the school, more controversial information was released to the public. For instance, officials had said that only three weapons were on Adam, two handguns and a rifle. There were actually five weapons, four handguns that Adam had brought into the school. The gun, a rifle, was found that night in his car, so he could not have killed anyone with it. The medical examiner, Dr. H. Wayne Carver, had said that everyone in the school was killed “by the long one” referring to the rifle, but the rifle was not found in the school; it was in Adam’s car. The Dr. Carver had some unusual responses to the media’s questions. When he was asked about identifying the bodies of the dead, his response was “you can control the situation depending on your photographers.” The photographers took pictures of the deceased’s faces which were then identified by their families. None of the families ever saw their children; all of the students had a closed casket funeral. This has caused much controversy over the fact that only government officials ever saw the deceased. Dr. Carver also said “I hope the people of Newtown don’t have this crash on their head later.” What does that mean?

The parents acted quite unusually for someone who had just lost their very young child. Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie died, held a press conference two days after the shooting. He can be seen coming out of a building, unaware that the cameras are already rolling, smiling and laughing. As he steps up to the microphones he begins to hyperventilate and act very solemn, changing his demeanor in a matter of seconds. Emilie had a Facebook page made in remembrance of her, however the first post announces Emilie has died in the shooting, but the third post announces that they do not know if Emilie is dead or alive. Emilie does not appear in a single class picture, but she is pictured with President Barack Obama when he visited the victims’ families. Grace Mcdonell’s parents are also interviewed by CNN within a few days after the shooting. They too are unusually happy and smiley considering their precious daughter has just been murdered.

One of the most contradicting people interviewed was Gene Rosen, who lived near the school. He said that he found six students sitting at the end of his driveway that day. He said he took them inside and let them play with toys. His story changes and he says that there was a male adult with them and sometimes it is a female bus driver who was with them. He said in one interview it took the children 30 minutes to tell him what happened, but in another interview he said they were crying, when he found them saying “Our teacher is dead! Ms. Soto is dead!” Rosen also claimed that he had checked the list of the dead at 6 P.M. but that list was not actually released for two days. People think that Rosen was just one of many “crisis actors” used for Sandy Hook by the government to hide something.

The one girl who survived by playing dead has remained anonymous. Her parents are suing the state of Connecticut for $100 million. The family lawyer said the money would be compensation for the girl’s psychological damage. This has made many people speculate that the little girl saw something that the public does not know about and therefore the family must know more than they should. I think that if someone has $100 million worth of trauma that they should be put into a mental facility that can help them better than $100 million.

 

Many websites have inconsistencies. Adam Lanza’s death record shows him dying December 13, the day before the shooting. This has led many to believe that Adam and even Nancy were just patsies used by the government, like Lee Harvey Oswald was in the JFK assassination. Nancy’s death, however, is recorded as December 14. Many websites and funds set up for donations for the victims’ families have dates as early as November. Teacher Victoria Soto’s memorial Facebook page was created on December 10, four days before the shooting. It has since been taken down and replaced after numerous people pointed that out.

My biggest personal problem with this is the fact the Nancy had guns in the house knowing that her son has mental health issues.Why would she have guns when her son's babysitters were not even allowed to go to the bathroom or turn their backs on Ryan? Most of the controversies and conspiracies are due to lack or photo and video evidence, unusual behavior from both family and officials, and contradicting interviews. It would be hard to find much video without someone being shot based on how many were killed and how quickly it unfolded. It took a while to get surveillance footage from the Columbine shooting too so perhaps we will just have to wait for a little longer. There are already documentaries done about the Sandy Hook conspiracies. They are quite interesting regardless of what you believe. 

Staff writer: Kelly Haynes