Willamette University student teachers tell it like it is

By Jessica Zamarron

At Waldo there are two student teachers from Willamette University. I interviewed Mrs. Cuanas and Ms. Pheil. Here are the questions:

Mrs. Pheil
Q: What school do you go to?
A: "I go to Willamette University."

Q: How long are you going to teach before you become a teacher?
A: "I am going to become a teacher in five months."

Q: What subject are you going to teach?
A: "I am going to teach science and/or math."


Q: What grade are you going to teach?
A: "I am going to teach 6th, 7th, 8th, 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade. I’m not
sure."

Mrs. Cuanas

Q: What school do you go to?
A: "I go to Willamette University."

Q: How long are you going to teach before you become a teacher?
A: "I am going to become a teacher at the end of the semester."

Q: What subject are you going to teach?
A: "I am going to teach Language Arts and Social Studies."

Q: What grade are you going to teach?
A: "I am going to teach 6th through 12th grade, whichever they need."

I have both of these teachers as my teachers now, and they are always nice. They care about their work and their students. We're lucky to have them here!

Venezuelan teacher shares stories of transition

By Rosio Lopez and Ana Karina Victoria

We went to down to ask math teacher Xiomara Gunderson some questions about Venezuela. We know that she was born in Venezuela, and this is what we found when we visited with her.

Me: Where did you come from?
Mrs. Gunderson: I lived in Puerto La Cruz, by the Caribbean Sea.
Me: So why did you decide to come to Oregon?
Mrs. Gunderson: Actually, I got a scholarship for engineering and they decided the place. So I really had no say in it.
Me: Do you miss the weather?
Mrs. Gunderson: Yes, very much. It is warm all the time and I went to the beach a lot. It was not cold.
Me: Do you miss Venezuela? How often do you go visit?
Mrs. Gunderson: I miss it very much. Most of my family lives there, including my parents. I go every year during the summer.
Me: What is your favorite food in Venezuela? What is your favorite food here?
Mrs. Gunderson: I have to say that beef empanadas are my favorite in Venezuela. My favorite food here is, let’s see, I think its Thanksgiving Dinner.
Me: What is the culture like in Venezuela?
Mrs. Gunderson: We have very big parties for everything, and we have lots of holidays.

This is what we found out about Mrs. Gunderson and her background. It was interesting learning about her homeland, and it makes us want to visit someday!

That's my life

By Alyssa Brown

Hope
Faith
None heading my way
Fear
Shadows my light
I can’t seem to do anything right
At home I'm okay
If I'm not crying anyway
At school I'm okay
With the things that I do
Holding back the tears
Add
My fears
And the hope for my sister's safety
Tears
Fears
Heartbreaks
That’s my life

ME

By Alyssa Brown

(in general) ME –
Blonde,
Pointless,
Funny,
Pretty,
Somehow annoying,
Music lover,
And a boy friend doesn’t matter to me….
much
Middle school –
Weird friends
Boring teachers
Pointless work
Too many words
Horrible rumors
Disgusting lunches
One hour classes
And in the midst of all this
I’m me

Pointless
Blonde
ME

Hunger Games packs action, excitement, intrigue

By Rosio Lopez and Ana Karina Victoria

Have you ever heard of the book called The Hunger Games? This book is
about people that live in 12 different districts. Every few years they hold
this very special but dreadful event called The Hunger Games. They choose two
people from every district and they put them in arena to survive and kill others. They have
to win by being the last one alive. This is what people think about this book:

Let’s see what Mr. Jones, 7th grade language art teacher, has to say.
Q: What do you like about The Hunger Games and what do you dislike?
A: I liked the relationship between Peetah and Katniss. I didn’t like how
sad it was when Rue died.
Q: What is your favorite part?
A: It is at the very end when they did the berry trick.
Q: Who is your favorite character and why?
A: I think its Haymitch because I'm interested in his background.

Q: What would you rate it from a 1 to 5?
A: A 4 because there is a lot of excitement and suspense.
Q: Would you recommend it to other people?
A: Definitely.

Let’s see what Maria Saldana, 7th grader, has to say.
Q: What do like and what do you dislike about The Hunger Games?
A: I like that it is interesting and I don’t like how Katniss is being dumb
about Peetah liking her.
Q: Who is your favorite character and why?
A: Peetah because he is nice, sweet, and smart. He is good with words.
Q: What would you rate it from a 1 to 5 and why?
A: A 5 because it has action, suspense, romance and you can’t stop reading
it once you start.

What does Mrs. Nelson, our very own librarian, has to say about
it.
Q: What is your favorite part?
A: When Katniss becomes the enemy of the capitol and a hero to the people
and doesn’t even know it.
Q: Who is your favorite character and why?
A: Katniss, because she is smart, kind, thoughtful and BRAVE.
Q: What would you rate it from a 1 to 5?
A: A 5 because it is amazing.

That is what people think about this book and all three people say that they
would definitely recommend it. If you want to know more, you can ask any of
these people. Or you can read the book. It is available at our library.

Honor Roll: How do I make it there?

By Jessica Zamarron

What is Honor Roll you ask? Honor Roll is when you have a G.P.A. of 3.5 or higher. The benefits of being on Honor Roll is that you get to go 2 to 5 minutes early the class before lunch. Every other Friday, you also get ice cream during lunch.

Additionally, honor roll students get to leave 5 minutes early from your 6/12 period class and many other great benefits.

I asked Mr. Wolfe 5 questions and here there are:

Q: What Grade Point Average do you need to have in order to be in Honor
Roll?
A: "You need 3.5 or higher to be on Honor Roll."

Q: How many Waldo students are on Honor Roll this year?
A: "There are about 380 Waldo students on Honor Roll including JGEMS this
year."

Q: How long has Honor Roll existed in Waldo, since Waldo was a school?
A: "Honor Roll has always existed in Waldo."

Q: What year did Waldo have the most Honor Roll students?
A: "Waldo has had the most Honor Roll students the last 2-3 years, since we
have opened more opportunities."

Q: What year did JGEMS have the most Honor Roll students?
A: "JGEMS has had the most Honor Roll students the last 2-3 years as well."

If you think that you would like to be on Honor Roll the next 6
weeks, keep your grades up and try to get all As and Bs.

Movies versus Books, How do they Compare?

By Heriberto Padilla

Have you ever wondered what was better when considering a book or a movie based on a book? I always thought the movies were better than the books. I thought this because in movies you only take one or two hours. With books it’s about one or two weeks. But that’s only my opinion. You can decide which one is better, a book or the movie.

Here are some interviews on this topic:
Q: What’s better, the book or the movie?
A: "Movies are better," said Luis Campos, a 7th grader
Q: What’s the best book you have read?
A: "Hunger Games," said Esmeralda Ramirez, a 7th grader
Q: What’s the best movie that has been based on the book?
A: "Holes is a good book and movie," said Ms. Nelson, the librarian.
Q: Do you think people like movies better than books or books better than movies?
A: "I think people like movies better than books because movies are more visual," said Ms. Larson.

In conclusion, most people prefer movies over books. However, there are some books that are better than the movies based on them. "The City of Ember," for instance, is better as a book than a movie. If you haven't read it, then check it out!

Love was in the air at the Waldo Valentines Day Dance

By Esmeralda Ramirez and Maria Mota

As you might know Valentines Day just happened. During the Valentines Day dance people got together with your friends and that special someone to have a great time. Most people enjoy
dances... but others might have had something better to do.

"I think dances are a great place to hang out with friends," says Taylor Kelsey.

Dances are a great place to express yourself and socialize with some of your best
pals. It has been proven that people who go to dances have a better social
life and have a greater chance to make new friends. So start working on
your jerking and come to Waldo’s next dance!

Volleyball players spring forward for spring games

By Taylor Kelsey and Cynthia Rivera

We interveiwed all of the volleyball coaches, including Coach Ron, Ms. Swift, Ms. Ferdig and Ms. Burks. Our 5 questions were:

1) How long have you coached volleyball?
Coach Ron: 14 years! WOW!
Ms. Swift: 4 years.
Ms. Ferdig: 3 or 4 months.
Ms. Burks: 2 years.

2) Do you like coaching volleyball?
Coach Ron:I love it!
Ms. Swift: I love it!
Ms. Ferdig: Yes I do.
Ms. Burks: I love it!

3) How long have you liked volleyball?
Coach Ron: 14 years.
Ms. Swift: 4 years.
Ms. Ferdig: 26 years! WOW!
Ms. Burks: Since I have started coaching it.

4) Do you enjoy volleyball?
Coach Ron: I love it!
Ms. Swift: Very much.
Ms. Ferdig: Yes I do!
Ms. Burks: Yes I love it!

5) Do you like home games or away games?
Coach Ron: Home games because in our gym we can be loud.
Ms. Swift: Home games a lot better. More support.
Ms. Ferdig: Home games.
Ms. Burks: Home games.

Now on to SPRING Volleyball.
Practices are the first week of April.
There are 4 teams from our school only.
There are 3 coaches.
Coach Ron has 2 teams and Ms. Ferdig has a team. They are still looking for that
third coach.
There is 1 practice for 2 hours a week. The first match is April 10.
I hope you like what we wrote about volleyball. We love volleyball and you
should too!

Mustangs get their hooves dirty with Life Science

By Jessica Zamarron

At Waldo Middle School there is a class called Life Science.
There are two teachers, I believe. One is Mrs. White, and the other teacher
is Mrs. Carver. The garden has a lot of things in it like lilies, carrots
and a lot of other vegetables.

I interviewed Karina Mendez since she was in Life Science last
semester and here are the questions:

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT GARDENING?
A: "MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT LIFE SCIENCE WAS GOING OUTSIDE."

Q: WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PROJECT IN LIFE SCIENCE?
A: "THE HARDEST PROJECT IN LIFE SCIENCE WAS WEEDING."

Q: WHAT WAS THE EASIEST PROJECT IN LIFE SCIENCE?
A: "THE EASIEST PROJECT IN LIFE SCIENCE WAS PLANTING FLOWERS."

Q: DO YOU GET TO TAKE HOME WHAT YOU PLANT?
A: "YES, I DO GET TO TAKE HOME THE STUFF THAT I PLANT."

If you liked this story and you are interested in being in
Life Science next year then please contact Mrs. Carver or Mrs. White.

Activists fast for a good cause

By Chrysta Friday

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian charity organization that was founded by Bob Pierce in 1950. The goal for World Vision is to help people all over the world. So far they have helped over 100 million people in over 100 countries. The millions of people they serve include earthquake and hurricane survivors, abandoned children, survivors of famine and civil war, refugees, and children and families in communities devastated by AIDS in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It is amazing how they help all these people.

However, they don’t do this alone. They get help from other people all over the world. Churches do the 30 Hour Famine and raise money to donate. The 30 Hour Famine is a part of World Vision. It is where kids from 6th to 12th grade starve themselves for 20-30 hours. Most of the time, the middle school students only do 20 hours because it is easier for them. Sometimes, though, they do 30. But later they end up regretting it. I have done the famine. I have starved. It was a life changing experience. Now I am doing it again. Now whenever my little brother or sister complains about being hungry, I give them the famine speech.

I asked Vik Scaaf what her church goal was. "We want to try and raise $10,000, and if we do that we will shave Collin’s (a 7th grader) head." I hope we break our goal and Collin gets to keep all of his hair (he is still debating whether to get rid of his hair). Westminster’s 30 Hour Famine for middle school was February 19th and 20th, and for high school it will be the weekend right after. This year things are a little different. Due to the earthquake in Haiti, 80% of the proceeds raised will be going to help the people in Haiti. The other 20% is going to be distributed all over the world. Wow. It is amazing how people in small towns can make a worldwide difference.

Students provide opinions about hot new video games

By Gavin Fowser

These days all you hear about how this game was fun or this game wasn’t. "I can’t wait to play this game when I get home today." So I decided to find out what games are fun what and are not. Then I wanted to know what the number
one suggested game is. I came up with these answers.

I learned that Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Mario games, and games on the Wii were the number one suggested games.

Then I asked around to find out what games were fun and they told me that
Grand Theft Auto, Mario Cart, and Super Mario Brothers, and the Legend of
Zelda were the best. Then I asked some more students if they agree with it.
They all said they liked them except they didn’t like Mario Cart as much.

Then I asked different students what games are not so fun. They said Lego
games for the Xbox 360, Kingdom Hearts for the Play Station, and Teen Age
Mutant Ninja Turtles, and some Wii games. Then I asked some more students
and they all agreed.

So, if you want to know what what games are fun or not then just look at this and
you can even play the number one suggested games by other students. Now I
would like to give thanks to these students for their help: Araceli, Taelor,
Crisol, Alesia, Teresita, Jack, Ely-ZA, Alvaro, Chance, Dakota, Lupita,
Curinne, Berenice, Heriberto, Jack, Cardenas, Franco, Lopez Soto, Guzman,
Corona, Lopez, Sandoval, Linnell, Cabanas Clarno, Reynolds, Matlock,
Roberts, and Hernandez Orozco.

Teacher shares perspectives on upcoming track season

By Giang Nguyen & Monserratt Castro

We interviewed Mr.Blommendahl, and we asked him some questions about track. He is not a track coach, but he does know about track. Track is coming up in spring again starting on March 29. Remember to join because it should be really fun!

Q: What do you guys usually do in track?

A: It depends. Short distance, long distance, relay races, long jump, high jump, and shot put.

Q: Is track fun?

A: Yes, it's a good way for preparing kids who would like to be athletes.

Q: How long does it take for practice?

A: Track practices are four days a week, Monday to Thursday after school.

Q: Do you have to train a lot?

A: It's about four days a week, and it takes whatever you need to practice to get better.

Q: Do a lot of kids join track?

A: More kids join track than any sport else at Waldo.

Look for an interview with Coach Swift and some of her track stars once the season has started at the end of March. Remember, track start soon so sign up if you want to participate!

Random questions and advice from Mustangs columnists

By Dabina Donley and Lupita Gonzalez

Are you having trouble with grades, friends, teachers, or other things in your life? We have advice for you (as well as some random information), and here are some thoughts that people at Waldo shared this week:

Q: How do you get your grades up?

A: Esmerelda: "By studying, and paying attention."

Q: What do you think about the teachers?

A: Esmerelda: "Some are nice and some are not."

Q: What do you think about the students in the school library?

A: Mrs. Nelson: "I love the students that come into the library!"

Q: How many students come into the library?

A: Mrs. Nelson: "A lot, we are a very busy library."

Q: How do you make friends?

A: Alejandro Valenzuela: "I become friends with people by talking a lot with them."

Q: How do you make friends?

A #1: Andrea: "I talk to them, and my first impression."

A #2:Elizabeth: "I don't make friends, they just talk to me...!!"

A #3: Magdelana: "I ask, 'Do you wanna be friends?'"

A #4: Dianna: "Talking to them."

If you have questions or thoughts to share for this column, then please contact Dabina at dabinadonley@yahoo.com

Hope for Haiti thrives at Waldo

By Alyssa Brown and Thomas Larson

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have your nation destroyed by one very harsh disaster? The people of Haiti do, and some are suffering of painful injuries. Many are dying or they are already dead. At this point more than 200,000 are dead. So what can we do as a school to help Haiti?

How would you try to help Haiti?

"Waldo Middle School is doing a penny drive and we figured that since an elementary school donated over $1,000, why can't we?" asked Mrs. Renfro. "Our Haiti Penny drive has kicked off," she added. "After one day we have already collected half of a huge jar of change."

Q: Do you think that a Haiti dance would raise money?

A: "Yes, because they usually raise more money than anything." -Taylor Kelsey

Today is a day that we can own; we make those other middle schools regret doubting us.
So, don’t be a jerk, have a heart. Don’t be a Haiti hater!

Students and staff share enthusiasm for soccer

By Heriberto Padilla and Jake Odom

SOCCER IS A POPULAR SPORT IN OREGON AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THE FIRST TIME I PLAYED SOCCER WAS WHEN I WAS 6 YEARS OLD. EVER SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE LIKED SOCCER. I NEVER PLAYED ON A SOCCER TEAM BUT I HAVE PLAYED WITH MY FRIENDS. MY FAVORITE TEAM AT THAT TIME WAS PUMAS DEL U.N.A.M. THE BEST GAME I HAVE SEEN FROM PUMAS WAS THE PUMAS VS. VERACRUZ GAME. PUMAS WON BY 8-0. - Heriberto

The first time I played soccer was when I was 8 years old at school. Now I am 13 years old and I play soccer all the time with my friends . My favorite team is America . Soccer is one of my favorite sports. - Jake

Here are some questions and answers:

Q: Who do you think is the best soccer player?

A: "Diego Armando Maradona , and Ronaldo I," said Mr.Figueroa.

Q: What is your favorite team?

A: "America is my favorite," said Alejandro Garfias, a 6th grader.

Q: What international team do you think is the best ?

A"I think Brazil," said Erik Lopez, a 7th grader.

Q: If you were ever on a team, what team would you like to be on?

A: Esmeralda Ramirez, a 7th grader, said, "Chivas!"

Q: What position do you like to be in?

A: "Forward," said Jorge Carlos Guzman, a 6th grader.

Q: What do you have to do to be a good soccer player?

A: Maria Mota, a 7th grader, said, "Practice!"

Social Responsibility shows students how to help out

By Corinne Van Lier & Berenice Garcia

We wanted to know more about Social Responsibility, so we decided to ask Mrs. Renfro about the elective class she is teaching. We asked her a few questions about the class, and this is what we came up with:

Q: What is Social Responsibility?

A: A class where students can find ways to help others, the community, and the world.

Q: What activities do you do?

A: We visit the retirement center and the elementary school kids and read to them. We have cleaned Lansing Avenue. We have also shared about family culture.

Q: How much time do you spend helping the community?

A: We help clean up the street about four times a year. We visit the retirement center about one time every mouth.

Q: What made you think of doing this class?

A: Most kids take for granted what they get, so this is a class where they can pay back the community.

Q: Have any students complained about doing work for the community?

A: No, because I tell then to find a different class if they want to complain.

Q: What has been the funniest thing teaching this class?

A: At the retirement center an elderly person called the boys a jerk when they were all being nice.

If you’d like to learn more about Social Responsibility, then you could maybe talk to Mrs. Renfro about the class. I think that Social Responsibility is a good class that helps people realize that helping others isn’t always that hard, and that you make a difference. –Berenice Garcia