Grafton Globe Newspaper
Winter 2020 Edition
Learning about the stock market through a virtual simulation is a new way to engage students!
Instead of using real money to invest/trade, virtual money is given to students who can buy stocks online. The prices of the stocks through the simulation match the actual value of the stock and can rise or fall with the outside stock market. Why introduce a Stock Market Simulation Club? Simple! Studies show that up to fifty-two percent of adults use the stock market to gain money or trade on margin. These skills are essential and will give you an insight to the economy. By using this simulation, you will be able to experience what the stock market is like beforehand, giving you early experience and skills that will be sure to help you in the future. The simulation also allows for group contests, where each user is ranked (within the school) based on how much money they were able to profit when they bought stocks. Stock prices go up, and you make money, vice versa. One student in the club says that this club “is a valuable tool to be introduced in a high school and provides skills that will help in the future, as well as engaging students in friendly competition.” If you feel like this club is right for you, it’s not too late to join and we hope to see you there!
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The Creative Writing Club is a club with community and passion for writing. Every member has a strong mind set to write what they love, and this club is an interactive place in which they can share their creative spirit. Kali Eames, the captain of the Creative Writing Club, states that her favorite part of this club is “knowing that all the writers have a place to share their writing and get feedback in a setting where they wouldn’t have to worry about being judged by classmates or getting a grade”. Eames states that The Creative Writing Club is also a “non-committal club, so kids can drop in whenever they can and there aren’t any obligations”. It is not uncommon to see students coming to Mr. Marando’s room-- where the club is held-- every once in a while to have a good time and be creative. The club started when Kali Eams and Maya Wheeler wished that their Creative Writing class was longer, and that in a club, students could write as they please without grades being a looming factor. As Eames puts it, “we can have all the benefits of the class without the pressure of it being an actual class with grades or pressure to be anyone but you”. A benefit of the Creative Writing Club is that it “gives kids an outlet to be unashamedly themselves and talk about their writing, which can be beneficial to everyone involved”. If you are looking for a club to join, Creative Writing Club is the place to be. The Creative Writing Club is always looking for new and eager writers and anyone is welcome to join. The club meets every other Thursday in room B201. For more information about the Creative Writing Club, students can contact Kali Eames at [email protected] or Mr. Marando at [email protected]. Students can also follow the Creative Writing Club‘s account @createwriting20 on Twitter. The Central Massachusetts Regional Brain Bee is a competition in which students from 16 high schools all around central Massachusetts go to UMass Medical School for a neuroscience competition. The Brain Bee consists of a grueling opening to the competition. “The first part of the competition consists of a multiple choice test, identification of structures on brain models and diagnosing patient actors with a neurological disease,” said Brain Bee victor Colin Wood. “The scores from the each of these is totaled and determines who makes it to the final round of the competition.” The 25 question written multiple choice test is worth 75 points, the identification of the human brain is worth 20 points and the diagnosis of the patient actors is worth 5 points. With all of these points added up, only the top ten scoring students were allowed into the final round, but there was a tie so eleven proceeded. After the testing, all the contestants received snacks, then proceeded to an auditorium for a presentation on how sleep affects your academic life. The final part of the competition -- also known as the round robin -- is “an oral questioning in which everyone must write the correct answer to a question asked out loud on a whiteboard,” says seventh-place finisher Alexa Formato. “If you get three wrong, then you’re eliminated.” The studying process for Brain Bee can only be described as intense and rigorous. Each participant must study from the books, Brain Facts and Neuroscience: The Science of the Brain, as part of the preparation for the competition. Mrs. Bailey, the instructor for the Grafton Brain Bee team and the teacher for the Anatomy and Physiology as well as the AP Biology courses, also provides the Grafton participants with a brain model to memorize structures that will be on the test, coloring plates, and various worksheets to study with. Every student chooses to study for the competition at varying amounts of intensity since the preparation for the event takes place on the student’s own time. Colin Wood describes his studying process starting around two months before the competition and is one of the most devoted members of the Grafton Brain Bee team to ever participate. Alexa Formato -- a dedicated dancer -- spent whatever time she could spare to study for the Brain Bee, which meant late nights after preparing for dance competitions every day and weekend, while still completing homework for other classes. Kieran Tay is a seasoned veteran when it comes to Brain Bee, being a three time participant, and utilized the flashcards and practice tests that were provided to the team. He dedicates a lot of his success to his helpful teammates and Mrs. Bailey’s expertise. “The week leading up to the Brain Bee was a bit rough, with homework, in addition to studying for the bee,” said competitor Anya Sood. The rigor, however, didn’t deter Sood. For her, the anatomy of the brain was so “amazingly cool” that she didn’t mind. During the Brain Bee, every student agreed that at some point of the competition, they felt an adrenaline rush of excitement, nervousness, and happiness. A total feeling of “what ifs” consumed each member of the team as they wondered if all of their hard work would be for nothing, as well as a feeling of enjoyment due to their devout love for science. As Tay explains, “Waiting to find out if you actually made it to the round robin shuts you out from the outside world, as you question yourself ‘did I study hard enough?’ or ‘should I have started studied earlier?’” Alexa says that the competition was ultimately an extremely enjoyable experience, that she plans to continue throughout her time at Grafton High School. “It's a celebration of learning,” Formato explained. She pointed out there is no limit to how many students can participate. “If you love the nervous system and are willing to put the time into studying, you can and will have a great time,” concluded Formato. Tay adds that as a participant, he manages “to learn something new about how we operate that puts my world into perspective. We are all living because of a series of reactions and systems, so by understanding those, I can come a bit closer to understanding us as a whole.” Colin sees the true goal of Brain Bee as not to win, “but rather to inspire young scientists to study something they are passionate about and get more people interested in neuroscience.” He bases this off of Brain Bee’s slogan, “Building Better Brains to Fight Brain Disorders.” For any student looking to participate in Brain Bee, Mrs. Bailey says that “Brain Bee is an incredible opportunity for Massachusetts high school students interested in neuroscience,” and, “students gain further knowledge and insight into neuroscience content; they also make meaningful connections with leaders in the field and learn about possible career paths.” Colin Wood knows that he wants to become a future doctor, and Brain Bee has “helped expose [him] to the broad field of medicine. It showed [him] that it takes passion and hard work to achieve what you want in the field of medicine.” Anya Sood also looks to become a doctor, and by meeting with the medical students, residents, and doctors at the Brain Bee, she received “a lot of insight into a career in medicine”. Kieran Tay recommends Brain Bee “because students may find a newfound interest in neuroscience or even in just biology, that they have never known before.” Even with the rigorous studying, the material is extremely interesting, and as Alexa describes, she “loved what [she] learned”. Mrs. Bailey expresses her pride in her students by stating that Grafton High School performed remarkably, with three out of four students earning a spot in the final round. Every member of the Grafton Brain Bee team was rooting for each other, with a sense of team spirit, that helped drive everyone to do the best they could, and ultimately Colin Wood won the entire event. As a result of his winnings, he was awarded the Andrew M. Sheridan “Young Neuroscientist” Award and a trip to the National Brain Bee from March 15th to the 18th at the University of Maryland Medical School. Congratulations to the entire Brain Bee team, as well as their magnificent instructor, Mrs. Bailey, for all of their hard work and dedication. If you are interested in participating in Brain Bee in the future, you can contact Mrs. Bailey at [email protected] with any questions. (From left to right) Alexa Formato, Anya Sood, Mrs. Bailey, Colin Wood, and Kieran Tay
On March 24th, thousands upon thousands of unified and determined citizens marched all across America during the March for Our Lives protest. The protest centered around ideas pertaining to stronger gun control. The March was a student-led protest, led by the leaders of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a school in Parkland, Florida, which had a school shooting back in February. The students of MSD have triggered a wave of strength all across America. I sat down with Devin Kelly, who attended the most-attended march in Washington D.C.
Q: Tell me about the general atmosphere during the march. A: I would say that it was a really positive and warm atmosphere for most of the people there. A lot of people understood their stance on the political issue, even though it was not about politics. We all supported one another, too. Of course, there were a few people who had a different view, but they had the right to share theirs. Q: This march was especially significant because it was organized by people of our generation. What does it mean to you, considering you are a part of this generation, and therefore, this movement? A: I think it was really special because unlike other movements we have seen, the only students on the stage in Washington D.C were the students from Parkland and from around the country. The only people who were over the age of twenty were the performers, such as Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande, but they only stood on the stage for a minute after their performance and left. Q: Did you come across any activists upholding the second amendment, meaning they were protesting gun control? A: Almost everyone there was in support of gun control, but there were some people who strongly believed the second amendment should be taken away. There were also those who were also more conservative, and did not agree with some of the reforms that the protest was about, such as raising the age to obtain guns to twenty-one. But everyone was there to have a conversation and come to some sort of a compromise. Q: Did you make a sign? Did any signs stick out to you? A: I personally did not bring a sign because I thought it would be annoying to carry around all day. One of the signs that stuck out to me was painted with fake blood to symbolize a bullet wound. Many sign talked about the idea to arm teachers with weapons, and teachers should be supported better financially, and they should be supplied with school tools instead of weapons. Q: What made you want to go? A: It was a really spontaneous decision, because it is seven hours away, but every generation has their movement. Looking back at them, from civil rights to feminist movements, just being there and being in the atmosphere, taking photos, and being able to tells your kids later on was a pretty cool thing. Q: Why did you go to Washington D.C instead of a city closer to you, such as Boston or Worcester? A: Specifically, to hear the Stoneman Douglas students. We see them on social media all the time. There were speakers in Boston too, but I wanted to go to the direct source and hear what they had to say in person. Emma Gonzalez was the most famous speaker out of all of them, because of her social media platform, and she delivered a moving speech. David Hogg was also one of the speakers and leaders. Most of the students chose to go to D.C instead of other locations. Emma really stood out with her speech, or lack thereof because she stood on stage for six minutes and twenty seconds to signify the time it took for the event to happen on February 14th. Q: What did you take from Emma’s speech? A: From her speech in particular, was that life is so valuable, and she is a strong supporter of the extremes of gun control compared to some of the other student. She emphasized that the lives taken in that small amount of time are much more valuable than guns in our country. Q: Let’s shift to March 14th, when our school took part in remembering those seventeen lives. Can you make any comparisons between our ceremony in Grafton and the march? A: They were definitely different atmospheres. What we did was more so a memorial, and I thought it was a wise decision. We focused on the GHS community, and even though we want to be politically active and educated, sometimes it’s better to do that on your own time, than when you have the responsibility of unifying a school’s environment. |
Grafton Globe NewspaperStudent created articles in a student run digital newspaper. CategoriesArchives
February 2020
CategoriesHumans of Grafton High |