Passport“Engineering Our Future”

Vol. 17 Issue 1 November 2016

PASSPORT STAFFSydney Drozynski, Colton Firster,

Marie Fouche, Jacob Freshly, Virginia Fronk, Adelie Gifford, Anya Maschmeier, Logan McKinney, Alex

Schulties, Ava Stewart, Alexis Terry, Roy Tilton, Nico Town,

Dorothy VogelAdvisor: Mr. Levere

13 Crazy Laws from Around the World…

By Virginia Fronk

Are you into traveling? Well, at least I am. I like flying on the airplane, getting tiny bags of pretzels, and having an awesome adventure… I mean wouldn’t it be awesome to fly all around the world? You could stop at every landmark, try every kind of food, and learn every single language and culture! Well, what if I told you that you have to be careful what you do in other countries? Here are 13 crazy laws that you might want to watch out for…

1) The French city of Granville banned elephants from its beaches after animals from visiting circuses started to make an unclean environment for people who visited the beach. Who doesn't like elephants and circuses?

2) Canada’s radio stations are only allowed to play Canadian musicians’ songs. Good for Justin Bieber and Celine Dion, but not for some of our famous musicians…

3) It is outlawed to feed the pigeons in St. Mark’s Street, Venice. The act was outlawed due

to rising pigeon numbers and the associated damage to the historical structures. Our feathery friends can no longer take field trips to that monument.

4) No driving in sandals or flip-flops in Spain, it’s considered a criminal offense. You could scare people with your scary toes...

5) 5) No swearing on Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. In an effort to help the family friendly environment, officials made it an offense to swear on Virginia Beach in the 90s. If caught bad mouthing, you will be fined.

6) 6) No spitting in Barcelona. It’s actually not allowed in most cities all across Europe, but in this Spanish city you will get the biggest fine. Saliva is really gross...

7) 7) No high-heels in Greece. This was acted out of fear that the heel would damage ancient landmarks. It's also a safety hazard with all the bumpy cobblestone streets down there.

8) 8) No chewing gum in Singapore. It’s considered a criminal offense unless directed by a doctor. On the bright side they probably never get gum stuck on sidewalks or under tables… This rule actually pushed Singapore into the cleanest country in the world.

9) 9) Don’t step on currency in Thailand. So when you step on the dollar, and also the ruler’s face (who had ruled for 70 years) that is printed on it, you are threatening and disrespecting him. Any false comment or insult against him is also illegal.

10 10) It is illegal for men with mustaches to kiss women in

Eureka, Nevada. So no one gets their faces scratched by prickly moustaches.

11 11) No durians (Most people are now probably going to look up what a durian is… Don’t bother, it’s an oval spiny tropical fruit containing a creamy pulp. Despite its fetid smell, it is highly esteemed for its flavor.) allowed in public places in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. Once you have smelled one you will know why.

12 12) In Japan it is outlawed to be obese. Lawmakers let the maximum waist to be 80 cm at max. If you go over they give you dieting advice. So eat your veggies kids!

13 13) No late night flushing in Switzerland. You can’t flush after 10 pm in some apartments because it is too noisy for some of the residents.

Planning to ever travel to any of these places? You know traveling is a fun way to hang out with family and have an adventure, but remember these rules because who wants to get accidentally arrested on vacation?

Interview with the Teachers

By Colton Firster

After you read this passage you will know as much as the students in the Scorpion team know about their teachers.

Interview with Miss Kamarchik Rm. 89Q: What is your favorite sport?

A: I like to watch hockey (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Q: How long have been teaching for?A: 4 years total

Q: How hard was your college schooling?A: It took hard work. I had to make sure I studied and did well in class.Q: Have you taught and/or lived in a different state? If so, how many?A: I have. I lived in Michigan when I was young, but I've only taught in Pennsylvania

Q: What are your hobbies?A: Reading and spending time with family and friends

Q: Who is your favorite Disney character?A: Original Character: Pluto the Dog, Favorite Princess is Jasmine

Q: What is your favorite NFL team?A: I don't watch football

Q: Why do you enjoy being a teacher?A: I really like to help students grow in their learning and I like seeing a child's imagination and creativity in their work.

Interview with Mrs. Presco Rm. 94Q: What is your favorite sport?A: Baseball

Q: How long have been teaching for?A: 20 Years

Q: How hard was your college schooling?A: The first year I actually needed to study. Scale of 1 to 10, 8

Q: Have you taught and/or lived in a different state? If so, how many?A: No. Always PA

Q: What are your hobbies?A: Camping, cooking, walking, and my kids.

Q: Who is your favorite Disney character?A: Mickey Mouse, the original

Q: What is your favorite NFL team?

A: Steelers. My favorite player is Antonio Brown

Q: Why do you enjoy being a teacher?A: I like the look on their face when they get something that I taught them.

Now I hope that you know more about the teachers of the Scorpion team (Miss Kamarchik and Mrs. Presco).

The Legend of the Table of Misfits:

The Diary of Derpy Cow

August 26, 8:30AM Hello. I am the strange cow you see sitting on the front table in room number 74 of Evans City Middle School. The one they call Derpy Cow. Today is just another summer day. A beautiful one, in fact. Everything is calm. I see my best friend, Bob the Albino Dinosaur sitting across The Table (our beautiful country) I decide to go walk over and see what he is up to. Then, I heard the sound of a cow`s worst nightmare. A butcher checking into the shop. No I`m kidding. It`s this really tall figure who roams around The Table, sometimes stopping to look at us. I knew what this meant. It wasn’t summer anymore. The large figure walked into our galaxy, walked up to The Table and the worst that could happen, was happening. He picked up The Sombrero of power. Our life source, our showing of royalty and admiration. We’re not sure, but we think that it also keeps The Table where it is. There was a large rumble. THE TABLE WAS SHAKING! The large figure put the Sombrero down and walked across the galaxy to it’s home. The table was still shaking. Suddenly, a rush of small versions of the large figure rushed into the room. They picked us up and stared. They made weird noises as well. I started to remember. This was something called a "class". For the rest of this time, the small figures and large figure were busy doing something I don`t care about. I was so shocked; all I could do was run.

October 3, 9:40AM I got in the routine of the class coming in every day. Today was ordinary. I was ready for the class to be coming in any second. The ground began to shake. The class was here. Normal. At least, that`s what I thought. Suddenly, a small figure walks over to The Table and spits out a cow shaped figure the only thing going through my mind at that moment was millions of possibilities as to what this cow figure was. Instantly, Bob the Albino Dinosaur rushed over to the figure. "Norman!" He yelled. Wait what? Norman was my dead brother, a former knight of The Table. I rushed over. It was Norman! It was really him! We cleaned the grime off of him and tried to get him to regain consciousness. He groaned. I asked him if he was ok. He replied that he wanted to save the table and chase away the disruptive figures. I tried to ask him more questions, but we soon realized he was asleep the whole time. He was only talking in his sleep. How could this be? I considered all the possibilities. I finally came to a conclusion. Norman was in a coma.

To be continued.....

2 Cool things to do with iMovie (PC Version)

By Parnder the (not very) Anonymous Youtuber

Were you ever wondering what you can do with iMovie? Wanted to impress your friends with your editing skills? Ever wanted to make a fun slideshow with some special effects? Well keep reading! (or if you're just bored...)

Number 1- Make cool moving backgrounds

This is perfect for any video which has a title or... any text without a required background! Even if it is a required background, you can make it move with this

easy trick.First, get a picture and

import it into iMovie.

Click Crop and make sure to select “Ken Burns”

Choose a part for the background to start at, and then choose the part for it to end at. (Use the switch button to switch

between the start and end)

Add text, other pictures or a small video, and it looks nice and professional!

Number 2- Audio EffectsThis is a way to make your

voice sound like a robot or make your voice higher or lower! Make sure you have some audio to work with first, otherwise you can’t distort anything…

First, (after you get your audio) click your audio, then click the black, white and grey dots that are overlapping.

Click the button right next to the words “Audio Effect:” which should be labeled as “none” if you didn’t previously add an audio effect.

And choose an effect for your audio to make it sound high, low, or any other effect!

I hope you learned some new things about iMovie, and make sure to check out Parnder on Youtube for a more detailed

tutorial, or just for fun! (I guess now I’m not too anonymous now…)

25 Things People Believe That Actually are not True

By Nico Town

1. The mother bird will reject the baby bird if it has the wrong smell.

It does not harm the baby bird to pick it up. When you do this, it will not make the mother bird reject the baby.

2. Chameleons change their color to blend in with their surroundings.

Chameleons actually change their color to

communicate, show emotion, as well as blend in with their surroundings.

3. Nasa developed the space pen during the Cold War.

Even though the space pen was invented near that time, Nasa and Russia both used pencils.

4. Humans only have five senses.

Humans actually have a range of senses varying from nine to twenty.

5. Swimming while recently eating is a cause for cramps and drowning.

This is not true because the actual reason is involving drinking certain beverages.

6. It takes seven years to digest gum.

Gum actually goes through all of our systems, so you can never digest it.

7. Humans evolved from apes.

We did not evolve from apes. But, we both had a common ancestor.

8. George Washington had wooden teeth.

George Washington's "wooden" teeth were actually made up by different materials such as gold, ivory, and lead.

9. All bats are blind.All bats have eyes that can see. Some species of bats have really good night vision.

10. George Washington Carver invented peanut butter.

Even though he did find many uses for it, it was actually invented by the Incas of South America in nine-hundred fifty BC.

11. Lions are the king of the jungle.

Lions don't even live in the jungle, they live in the African plains.

12. All mosquitoes bite.First off, mosquitoes don't bite, they sting. Also, only the female mosquitoes sting. The males lack a proboscis, or mouth, to penetrate the skin.

13. Goldfish have a three second memory.This is false because goldfish can remember things much longer than that.

14. Sharks cannot get cancer.Unfortunately for the sharks, they can get cancer.

15. Independence day is on July fourth.

It is actually two days earlier when the Americans declared independence (separated) from Great Britain.

16. Pilgrims came to the new world only for religious freedom.

The pilgrims were frustrated with the church of England, so they moved to Amsterdam. When they feared their children would start following Dutch customs, they moved to the new world. Religious freedom was one reason why they came to America.

17. Charles Lindbergh was the first person to non-stop fly over the Atlantic Ocean.

British pilots Adcock and Brown flew over the ocean non-stop fly over the Atlantic Ocean eight years earlier.

18. America was responsible for the last battle victory of World War II.

The Soviet Union penetrated the Nazi's defenses until they were cornered and surrendered at the Battle of Berlin.

19. Columbus was the first European to discover America.

The first European was Leif Erikson from Iceland.

20. Thanksgiving honors the pilgrims.

Thanksgiving actually celebrates the British defeat at Saratoga.

21. Red, blue, and yellow are the only primary colors.When it comes to talking about light, the primary colors are red, blue, and green. If we are talking about printers, the primary colors are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. In these cases, these colors are the primary colors.

22. Camels store water in their humps.

The humps actually are fat storages.

23. Turkey bacon is healthier than normal bacon.

It depends on which part you eat, the darker meat has more fat and calories.

24. There are only three states of matter.

There are a ton of states of matter. Lightning is its own state of plasma matter.

25. Caesar salad is named after Julius Caesar.

It was not named after him, it was named after Caesar Cardini in Nineteen twenty- four.

K'Napped Elementary

By Jacob Freshly and

Nico Town

So this is a diary. You might think it’s ridiculous that an eleven-

year old boy is using an old diary that he dug out of his rotting attic. I just need something to put down what's happening. Life is changing. Something is going on and I'm going to find out.

I'm James, my best friend is Michael and I have another friend named Caroline. You might think it is pretty weird that I have a friend that is a girl. But there is a reason we’re friends. We created a friendship about a year ago, when it started to get suspicious. I needed someone that would understand me. Someone that would understand it. Anyways, I met Michael back in second grade when I moved into this town. Big mistake in my opinion. Caroline also has three sisters, but you could never tell they were related.

Riley wears ripped khakis, scratchy cotton shirts, glasses, overalls, and spiky hair stuck up by sweat and spit. May not seem so, but she is one of the smartest kids in our grade. She got a ninety-seven percent on her state exam and went to nationals on a chemistry course. She normally doesn't even go

out to recess, one of the only things I enjoy at this school. She probably just stays in to study for a test. Like she needs to study.

Then there is Liz, she's one of the most athletic girls in the grade and often participates in softball and soccer tournaments. I hear that she is the best player her the school team for both sports. Caroline says that she has lots of golden glove and hitting titles in her room. Liz is tall and has blond curly hair. She always wears her softball jackets to school, while the rest of the players on her team wear jackets of famous baseball players like Jackie Robinson or Roberto Clemente. She must be afraid to take it off because she wears her softball jackets during the dry summer months. I mean those leather jackets may look beast but how can you stand ninety-five-degree weather wearing something like that. Another thing is, they become really itchy when you get sweaty. Oh, on to another topic. Liz is one of the most popular girls in the grade. Other than one, which ironically happens to be her sister, Morgan.

Morgan is probably the least complicated of the lot, and only has one talent. She's a cheerleader. And I don’t really know what else to say about her._____________________________________________________________________________________

Caroline

October 31The first thing you

feel when you walk through the gates of Harmen Elementary is a breeze of terror, a breath of harm, you feel unsafe. I have nothing to prove these things could happen, but I get a shiver when the loud speaker announces the date, it's Halloween. The "best" day of the year. I just don't get the point. All we do is dress up as random things and steal candy from houses. I'm only going to put on a costume because I don't want to be the outcast in the school. People will think you’re weird if you don't do it. James says that he'll be a werewolf. It is early in the morning so I haven't seen his costume yet. I don't ride his bus, I only met him because we are in the same class. He is kind of funny, I guess. I am

friends with him because we understand each other and that he is not one of those gross annoying boys. At the beginning of the year we started thinking that something was off. Most of the girls think I'm crazy because I have conspiracy theories about the school and that I have a friend that is a boy.

November 1I knew it! Halloween

was a sign. Landry McGoy went missing last night and the principal is getting a lot of heat. McGoy's parents came into the building screaming at people and asking if they had seen their son. I don't know if there will be another attack, but I'm going to find out who did it before then. I know I can't do it alone so I'll ask James to help and maybe even his friend Michael.

Anyways, I better go call James, this is serious.__________________________________________________________________________

James

November 2Caroline called me

last night and told me about the attack. Like I

don’t already know about it. I'll try my best to remember what happened, here we go. I was laying down on my bed in the dark, waiting for the call, I knew it was coming. Then there it was, I picked up the phone and told her modestly what I thought about the attacks. I don’t think Caroline was up to hearing me blabber, so she just said goodnight and left. And I wasn't mad in the least.

November 4I thought the drama

of the last few days would be over, but I guess I was wrong. All anyone did during math class was stare at the desk where Landry once sat.

"Come on guys this is ridiculous!" I announced from my desk, not knowing any other way to stop this madness.

"What's ridiculous!" Howard beamed from the other side of the room.

"All of this! We can’t let one problem mess up our lives!"

"Someone was kidnapped! This isn't just a problem. This is life changing. And until someone solves this, we

are going to stare all class long for an idea to pop into our heads."

"Now boys that is quite enough!" Mrs. Maccarmi puffed. "Now return to your seats and open up to page 57, Finding Volume Textbook."

Now I could have argued all day, but I'm thankful Mrs. Maccarmi broke us up. Caroline going to get a piece of this. But before I tell her I better write this down, it’s a possible clue._____________________________________________________________________________________

Caroline

November 9I'm sick for a week

and James gets into a fight. Michael could have done something to help me out. You know what, I'll just call him back and say this to his face. Man I'm a wreck!

I got it! I got it! Landry went missing on the 31, which is a holiday, so maybe someone will go missing on Thanksgiving!

"Pick up! Pick up! Come on James!" I told the phone. "Man I'm good!" I thought to myself.

(To Be Continued)

Do You Know Common Knowledge?

By Alex Schulties

1. What is the capital of South Carolina?

A. Columbia B. Olympia C. Sacramento D. Trenton

2. What is the real color of blood?

A. Light blue B. Dark blue C. Red D. purple

3. What is the Fastest Bird on Foot?

A. FlamingoB. Ostrich C. EagleD. Sparrow

4. Which State Does NOT touch the Gulf of Mexico?

A. TexasB. ArkansasC. FloridaD. Alabama

5. Which Continent has the most Countries?

A. Africa B. Asia C. Europe D. South America

6. What is the longest river in the world?

A. Congo B. Nile C. Amazon D. Yangtze

7. Titan is one of the moons of what planet?

A. Neptune B. Saturn C. Jupiter D. Mercury

8. What is the amount of days in each month?* NOT including Leap Year!

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December 9. Which body part stays the same size you whole life?A. EyeballB. lungC. heartD. Tongue

10. In order list the 3 most populated countries.

1.

2.

3.

Answer key is on last page!

Welcome to 10 random statistics. I am

Anonymous Being, your host. Let's BEGIN!

1) There are about 43 quintillion (43 followed by 18 zeroes) possible combinations on a simple 3x3 Rubik’s cube. That means for every human being on this planet, there are 584 million different combinations on a Rubik's Cube.2) If you were to gather every 1999 and 2000 penny ever made - from every location - you would have about $258,824,809.59, or enough money to buy almost 7 tons of solid gold.3) For every 1 human on this planet, there are estimated to be 1 million ants. That means that there are approximately 7,250,000,000,000,000 ants on the planet on any given time.4) Francium, one of the rarest elements, is so rare that there is less than a single ounce on the earth at any time. As a comparison, there are 5,820,203,712 ounces of gold currently circulating.5) The USA has been around for 239 years, and it has been at war, with someone or something, for 222 years. We, as a country, have been at war for 93% of our existence.

6) The earth weighs roughly 5.9 quintillion (59 followed by 17 zeroes) tons.7) During the Civil War, the Confederate forces never produced any coins. They only ever made paper bills, with values ranging from 5 cents all the way to 100,000 dollars. 8) The famous pyramids of Giza were built in approximately 2500 B.C, and Cleopatra was born around 70 B.C. Pizza Hut was originated in 1958, therefore Cleopatra lived closer in time to Pizza Hut than to The Pyramids.9) If every human was to disappear today, it would take nearly 300 million years for the earth to naturally reverse all of our human garbage we’ve produced/accumulated.10) Since February of 2015, about 5,000 square miles of arctic ice have melted, resulting in a record low amount of sea ice. That is slightly less than the land area of Connecticut – melted away.

Three Holiday Costumes

By Anya Maschmeier and Dorothy Vogel

Hi, it’s Anya and Dorothy and we’re here to

show you three easy holiday costumes!

We know it’s after Halloween,

but we thought these were really cool and

you can wear them to assorted holiday parties. We have a

nutcracker, a turkey and a snowman.

First, we are going to start with a nutcracker costume. Here's what you need to make it:

1. White shirt or dress2. Red jacket3. Yellow construction paper4. Blue construction paper5. Safety pins6. Tape

Step 1. Take yellow construction paper and cut small circles, then make into paper medals. You can cut the medals any way you want to. We made one star and one circle with ribbon (blue paper) on it (we made 2 medals but we recommend 2-3).

Step 2. Tape the side of a safety pin that doesn't open to the back of the medals then safety pin the medals to the left of your chest.

Step 3. Take the blue construction paper and fold it into a cylinder then cut out an oval and a circle. The circle should be fit the cylinder perfectly and the oval should only be a little longer than the circle. Tape the circle to the top of the cylinder and tape the oval to the bottom of the cylinder.

Step 4. Put on the white shirt or dress, then put on the red jacket with the medals on (you can put a belt on over your jacket). Finally, wear it!

Next we are going to make a turkey costume. Here's what you need to make it.

1. Brown shirt or dress2. Brown pants 3. Red, yellow, brown and

orange construction paper4. Tape5. 8-10 straws6. Ribbon

Step 1. Cut about 8-10 red, orange and yellow feathers and a bigger brown triangle. After that, tape straws to the back of the feathers to hold the feathers up. Tape them all to the back of the base so that no one can see the tape or the straws on the feathers. Then put a ribbon bigger than the size of your waistline on the back of the base.

Step 2. Cut a triangle out of yellow construction paper bigger than your nose for the beak and a tear drop shape out of red construction paper for the wattle.

Step 3. Put on the brown shirt or dress, put on the brown pants, tie the ribbon attached to the tail feathers around your waist, and tape (or attach a ribbon to and tie) the beak to your nose and the wattle to your chin. Finally, wear it!

Finally, we are going to make a snowman costume. Here are the materials you will need.

1. White shirt or dress2. White pants3. Black construction paper4. Orange construction paper5. Tape6. Hat7. Scarf

Step 1. Cut out 3-4 black circles and tape then to your shirt or dress to look like buttons.

Step 2. Cut out a piece of orange construction paper and fold it into a nose like you would fold a party hat. Step 3. Put on the dress, pants, hat, scarf, and the nose (attach it the same way you attached the beak for the turkey costume). Finally, wear it!

Daring

By Ava Stewart

I crept through the narrow passage. Water dripped. But as I shivered, I caught the smell of sulfur. Oh why, oh why was I here? All because of a stupid dare... _____________________________________________________________________________________ A couple hours earlier I was at the village, standing on a grassy plain just outside of it... I stood on the muddy grass, watching. Just watching. I stood rooted to the spot as the boys taunted me. I could not move. Period. I don't know why. I'm as brave as any other person. I just couldn't move. The teenager, Harold, stood up tall, his form blocking the sun. I stared at him blankly, unable to think. "So, Jackson, why are you just standing there? Are you afraid?" He sneered.

"N-n-oo," I stuttered.  "Of course you're not. You're so brave." I stared at Harold. "I bet you're so brave, you can brave the Sulfur Caverns. Of course, if you don't, you're a chicken." Oh no. This is what I was expecting.  "So I dare you to go into the Sulfur Caverns." I couldn't turn him down. My mind racing, I whispered, "I'll do it," then ran as fast as my legs could take me in the direction of the Sulfur Caverns. _____________________________________________________________________________________ I was continuing in the caverns, torch held high. Sweat dripped down my face, even though it was as cold as ice in the cave. Up ahead, I heard a noise. A

clinking, clattering noise. I turned a corner ahead, then blinked in surprise. Light, not light from my torch. Could it be daylight? Beautiful, wonderful daylight? I raced in that direction, hoping this was all over. To be continued........

20 ~~RANDOM~~ Things to do with Confetti

By Anya Maschmeier and Marie Fouche

1. Throw it at people2. Eat it (not

recommended)3. Use it as a hair

accessory 4. Give it as a present5. Use it as floss6. Give it to your neighbor7. BRING IT TO A

BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8. Make a confetti cannon and shoot it at random people

9. Sell it to Party City *this is not sponsored by Party City

10. Bake it in a cake!! *Just for decoration

11. Decorate your homework (your teacher won’t appreciate it)

12. Throw it in the trash can

13. Smash it!!!14. Use it as a musical

instrument (we don’t know how to)

15. Make a confetti taco16. Decorate a headband17. Melt it (at 450 degrees)18. Put it away19. Glue it to this article :) 20. Do nothing.

10 Things to Do Before College

By McPick 2

1. Chuck your phone at the ground

2. Drink Mountain Dew at 10 o’clock

3. Attempt a triple back flip on land

4. Go to McDonald’s and ask for 500 large fries

5. Ask the government to combine Virginia and West Virginia.

6. Ride on an untamed bull

7. Vote for a president8. Put a whole bowl of

abandoned candy in your basket for Halloween

9. Watch a horror movie alone before you go to bed

10. Go to Antarctica

Editor’s Note:

Please check out Mr. Levere’s

teacher website to view the

online edition of Evans City

Middle School’s newspaper,

The Passport, as well as past

editions.

Answer key:

1. A2. C3. B4. B5. A6. C7. B8. 31,29,31,30,31,30,31,31,30,31,30,319. A10. China, India, USA