GLOBAL GAZETTE

January, 2015

~Contents~

Sightseeing

P.1

Ol Boy

P.2

Café Talk

P.3

Faculty profile

P.4

Christmas

P.5

Some Old Faces

P.6

MLK Day at Hillside

P.7

Ping Pong Rankings

P.8

Cultural Dinner

P.9

Student profiles

P.10-13

Conservation Science

P.14

Foods from Abroad

P.15

World Mysteries

P.16

Int’l Trivia Teasers

P.17

The Traveling Translator

P.18

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Hillside’s

~ Global Club ~President Eric Lu & Vice President Agustin Rodriguez

This club was created to foster a continued strong

connection between our international students and

American students and faculty. We are intent on

sharing our international cultures with the Hillside

population as well as learning about other cultures.

Cool Facts about Jakarta

11th largest city in the world

Once part of the Dutch East India Company

Hosted the Asian Games in 1962

Jakarta, Indonesia

Sightseeing

Page.1 Global Gazette Hillside School

Sightseeing

Jakarta, Indonesia

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According to the Lonely Planet, the globe’s largest travel guidebook

publisher, Jakarta is “one of the

world’s greatest megalopolises.” It

is a daunting city of extremes that

confronts travelers with challenges

and juxtapositions at every street

corner. Similar to last month’s

feature on Lima, the Indonesian

capital embodies variety.

Although the city is littered with

high-rise apartment building,

sprawling concrete developments,

and busy gridlocked streets, Jakarta

is a city with many surprises.

Chinatown is called “Glodok” and

occupies a section of land in

western Jakarta in which the Dutch

required Chinese residents to live

during their colonial period. It is

filled with markets, traditional

houses, Chinese temples, and more.

In the northern part of the city,

Jakarta’s notoriously decadent

nightlife can be found. Jakarta’s

city streets are sprinkled with

artists, political activists, musicians,

and street vendors. In many of the

city’s Bohemian-styled cafes, you

can rub shoulders with some of

Indonesia’s greatest thinkers, future

leaders, movers and shakers, and

some involved in Jakarta’s counter-

culture movement. It is a city with

many faces.

Jakarta is renowned for its good-

natured citizens who are

remarkably positive and optimistic.

The people are proud of Jakarta’s

heritage, but in a laid back, easy-

going way. Compared to many

large cities around the world,

Jakarta has a very low crime rate

and is regarded as safe.

Jakarta certainly isn’t ground

zero when it comes to putting an x

on a map for a must-see

destination, but it is defintely

worth a visit. It offers an

interesting look into the capital’s

long history, has a handful of

prestigious museums, and dozens

of swanky shopping malls. It’s a

city on the rise and sure to make

its mark in the future.

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Page.2 Global Gazette Hillside School

International Animal Stories

Old Stray Gets Dying Wish After Being Found on Streets of Singapore

Have you ever loved a dog that you’ve never met? If not, and if you’re

one of those people who think it’s impossible to do so, you might want to

think again. This story is sure to challenge you emotionally. It takes place

in Singapore and, I must warn you, it’s a story that will break your heart.

On the other hand, it will most certainly inspire you with its beauty and

compassion. The story of Ol Boy, as recorded on YouTube, has taken the

animal lover world by storm and just might restore your faith in humanity

(had you ever lost it). It chronicles the last day of a lonely, frightened, and

ultimately dying street dog dubbed “Ol Boy” by the animal rescue agency

SOSD (Save Our Street Dogs) that picked him up. The agency is renowned

in the East for its compassion towards strays and efforts to heal, train, and

find a loving home for these beautiful creatures that have lived a life of

suffering and neglect. Ol Boy was an aging street dog that never knew

what it meant to have a home or be loved. He had lived his whole life off

handouts from shopkeepers and drank water from air conditioners that

leaked out onto the street. He spent his days scavenging for food on

Singapore’s crowded city streets and slept in back alleys. Despite being a

gentle and loving creature, he had lived a life of abandonment, loneliness,

and despair right up until his final day on the planet when a concerned

citizen noticed that he had been unable to move from a street corner even

though he was lying in his own excrement. According to locals, Ol Boy

was injured and howling in pain for three days. SOSD was called and, led

by the expert care of humanitarian and President Dr. Siew Tuck Wah and

his staff, attempted to nurse this stray back to health by removing hundreds

of ticks and giving him blood transfusions for tick fever. It was too late! Ol

Boy was dying. The SOSD members had a dilemma: put Ol Boy to sleep

or take him home? Since the old stray had never known what it was like to

experience love or a home, the SOSD team opted for the latter. The rest of

the story is profoundly moving and cannot be sufficiently relayed in words.

Combined with the ethereal music of Chicane’s hit single Hljop, SOSD

filmed Ol Boy’s remarkable last night as the volunteers from SOSD fell in

love with him as he slipped away. Watch the clip and you will too! RIP Ol

Boy! Now, you are loved by millions.

In Loving Memory of “Ol Boy”

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Ol Boy on his last night: “May you never be born a stray again!”

Ol Boy could barely stand

Born on the Streets

Watch the touching tribute to Ol Boy on

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjuwg

DElZb8

Page.3 Global Gazette Hillside School

Celebrating Malaysia with Mr. Salmi and Chuckie Jennings

Mr. Salmi’s Malaysian Cafe

Café Talk

Malaysia The International Café celebrated

Malaysia with Mr. Salmi cooking delicious

Malaysian shrimp fritters and putting together

his legendary sweet tea. Chuckie Jennings

hosted the Café and, once again, we were sold

out. The boys and faculty asked Mr. Salmi

questions about growing up in Kuala Lumpur.

Traditional Malaysian music played in the

background and all had a great time.

Ireland Chef Brendan, an Irishman himself,

came by the Café and asked the boys trivia

questions about his home country. Then, we

had an Irish cookie tasting party that was both

unique and delightful. The kids really

appreciated Chef Brendan’s Irish Café and

learned a lot about this majestic Emerald island.

January’s International Café

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Dutch Girls

Celebrating Ireland

Cool Facts about Mr. Wagoner

Was in attendance at Woodstock

Born in 1946 (when gas was 15 cents a gallon)

Ran a marathon in under 3 hours

Page.4 Global Gazette Hillside School

Faculty Profile

Peter Wagoner has been at

Hillside for 11 years. If you’re a

student, you likely call him “Mr.

Wagoner.” If you know him well,

you might call him “Peter.” And, if

you’re a really good friend of his,

you’d most certainly call him

“Wags.” But don’t call him “Pete!”

Not only does he not like it, in his

words he “doesn’t permit it.” That’s

Peter Wagoner in a nutshell: clear,

concise, and with little gray area in

his DNA.

Since coming to Hillside, Peter

Wagoner has worn several hats. He

has been the Director of Secondary

School Placement, the Head Tennis

Coach, and currently he teaches in

the English Department and

coaches Hillside’s cross country

team. Although he might not strike

you as someone who would like

running given his relatively recent

hip replacement surgery, back in

the day, he was passionate about it.

He loved to watch Steve

Prefontaine, an American middle

and long distance runner, race.

Prefontaine once held seven

different mid-distance American

running records. He was known for

his racing strategy of “going out

hard” and “not relinquishing the

lead,” and perhaps that’s why Mr.

Wagoner likes him so much. Mr.

Wagoner lives his life like

Prefontaine ran. He demands

excellence from his students and

always asks, when they hand in

work, if it’s their best effort. If it is

not, Mr. Wagoner will not pull any

punches. He’ll let the boys know

that their work is not up to par. And

you would think, at times, his

Mr. Wagoner

students would resent Mr. Wagoner

challenging them on the quality of

their work. They don’t! His

students appreciate his high

expectations and blunt honesty.

Mr. Wagoner was born and raised

in Schenectady, New York. In his

world, nothing was given; it all had

to be earned. Just like Prefontaine

ran his races, if you wanted

something, you went out and

earned it. You didn’t sit back and

expect things to come to you.

Tough love is alive and well with

this cagey old veteran. He may not

win any personality contests, nor

would he care to. He’s not about

flattery or sugar-coating things. Mr.

Wagoner will take substance and

production over appearances any

day. That is why he is appreciated

and respected at Hillside.

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Woodstock

Interesting Facts about New Year’s Eve • The 1st New Years was celebrated 4,000 years ago in

Babylon

• In Italy, people wear red underwear for good luck

• Top New Year’s resolution in the US is to lose weight

Figuring Out the Faculty Christmas Around the World

In Zambia, people celebrate

with fireworks and lots of

good eating.

New Years Around the World

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In China, people carry lanterns

and join in a huge parade led by

a silk dragon

In Thailand, “Songkran”

marks a 3-day water

festival to celebrate the

New Year.

In Russia, Russians have a

late night dinner,

sparkling wine, and

fireworks.

In South Korea, Koreans

wear traditional robes, play

games, and eat rice cake

soup.

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Page.5 Global Gazette Hillside School

Throughout the ages, different

cultures have celebrated various dates

for New Year. But in 1592, when the

Gregorian calendar was restored,

modern New Year’s celebrations

centered around on celebrating the

good luck and fortune a new year

would bring. This date in the West

became January 1st.

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New Faculty

Mr. McCarthy is Hillside’s Athletic

Director and a Math teacher. He has been

living on Bulldog campus for 11 years.

Currently, he resides at Mack House with his

wife Lindsay, daughter Lena (6), and son

Cael (2). Mr. McCarthy enjoys fishing,

Disney movies, scooters and sleds. The

biggest change he has seen since coming

here is an increase in “school pride.”

Mr. Brown is Hillside’s Director of

International Student Programs. He teaches

ESL and has been at Hillside for the past 5

years. He also coaches JV basketball with

Mr. Kinney. He lives at Maher House with his

wife Kumi and two cats: Oliver and

Charlotte. Some say that he looks a lot like

Mr. McCarthy. Poor Mr. McCarthy, he

doesn’t deserve that!

Some Not so New Faces

Around Hillside

Page.6 Global Gazette Hillside School

Miss Pagnam is our resident French

teacher who also teaches Math and is the

Assistant Athletic Director. She has been at

Hillside for 7 years and lives in Mack House

with Miss Naspo and Ms. Dalane. She enjoys

golf, the beach, and making Nantucket

baskets. Miss Pagnam is a friendly face

around Bulldog campus and an

experienced member of our Hillside team.

Miss Lucey is our Dean of Residential

Life and Grade 5-6 teacher. She is in her

eighth year of teaching at Hillside and, at

one time, was the JV basketball coach as

well as a Learning Specialist. She lives

adjacent to the Lebowitz Health Center with

her two dogs: Rocky & Jagger. She enjoys

reading murder mysteries, lifeguarding,

traveling, and playing with her dogs.

Around Hillside

Hillside celebrated Martin Luther King Day

on Friday, January 16th

by having a

community service day. Some kids asked

why we did not have a day off. Headmaster

Beecher said that he once had a meaningful

conversation with King’s widow Coretta

Scott King who had explained that Dr. King

would want to be remembered by having a

“day on,” rather than a “day off.” The

meaning is clear: the best way to serve the

memory of her husband is to spend the day

working for others. So, that’s what we did.

Dean Hundley had students break into groups

to discuss nine Martin Luther King Jr. quotes.

Students and faculty were entrusted with

talking about what the quotes meant and how

they applied to us at Hillside. Then, each

group chose representatives to highlight the

main themes of their discussions in front of

the whole school. After that, students teamed

up with their advisors to perform community

service activities. On Monday, we had classes

and truly lived Coretta Scott’s message of

celebrating her husband’s memory with a day

on.

Martin Luther King

Day at Hillside

King in black & white

King photographed in color

Coretta Scott King

MLK drawing by Mr. Osae

Arturo & Chris Speaking

King’s Beyond Vietnam speech

Page.7 Global Gazette Hillside School

Cam Ray

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Ping Pong Rankings

January Ping Pong Rankings

Page.8 Global Gazette Hillside School

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Top 5 at Hillside

1. Cam Ray (USA) 2. Lucas Adam(Fra) 3. Amir Thomas (Ber) 4. Anuar Esteban (Mex) 5. Matt Guerra (USA)

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Top 5 Rising Stars

1. Kofi Asante (USA) 2. Edward Kosek(USA) 3. Arturo Chavez (Mex) 4. Ryusei Morishima (Japan) 5. BK Kim(Kor)

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Top 5 Faculty 1. Mr. Osae 2. Mr. Evans 3. Mr. Paul 4. Mr. Bullard 5. Mr. Bryant

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Homestays

Global Club: Goes to the Chinese

Super Buffet

On January 31st, the Global Club

gathered in the ATL, poured into

two of the School’s buses and, along

with Miss Mitton, headed to the

Chinese Super Buffet in

Marlborough. We had students of

several nationalities represented:

China, Mexico, South Korea, Japan,

the USA, and others. The boys loved

it as we were treated to a huge

assortment of Chinese food

including: Peking Duck, hot and

sour soup, various assortments of

chicken, raw seafood, baked salmon,

wontons, dumplings, and so much

more. The boys ate ‘til their hearts’

content; or should we say stomachs’

content. After the main dishes were

gobbled up, the boys had a crack at

the restaurant’s large dessert

selections. If you are interested in

signing up for the next Cultural

Dinner send an email to me.

mbrown@hillsideschool.net

Page.9 Global Gazette Hillside School

CHiNESE Restaurant

Miss Mitton and the boys

Group Shot

Team China

Outside the Super Buffet Alex and Ben

Team Mexico

The Buffet

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Manchester, NH

Spotlight…Student Profiles

Kentucky Wildcats

Bol Akot

Page.10 Global Gazette Hillside School

and made him into the basketball

player he is today. And, it was

Bol’s parents, Khamis and Awiel,

who get credit for “raising me to be

a man.” For Bol, that meant

teaching him about “responsibility,

commitment, and accountability.”

Well, they must have done a good

job because Bol is all of these

things and, if you ask Coach

Delahoz, the sky is the limit for this

kid. With his attitude, effort,

intelligence, and athletic prowess,

Bol is in a position to stamp his

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ticket to a secondary school of his

choice. And don’t think the young

man will stop there. He plans on

someday playing for the Wildcats

of Kentucky and, if that doesn’t pan

out, maybe UConn or Duke.

Someday Bol wants to play in the

NBA. But if his future were up to

his dad, Bol would be a doctor.

Right now, he’s focusing on being a

7th

grader and tending to his

responsibilities at Hillside. Who

needs to be a grown up with a full-

time job just now? He’s got enough

things to worry about, like studying

for Mr. Bryant’s science quizzes or

tending to his dorm chores. But

keep an eye on this young man;

whether he’s on the basketball court

or in the classroom, good things are

sure to follow.

Hampshire, where Khamis got work

building houses for a living. It is

here, in New Hampshire’s largest

city of over 100,000 people, where

Bol grew up. He often played

basketball on outdoor and indoor

courts with his siblings and father.

His older brother, Tong (20), now

goes to Manchester Community

College. His sister, AJ (18), plays

basketball for Mohawk Valley

Community College. Another older

brother, Avei (16), is a freshman in

high school, while his youngest

brother, Kuel (9), is in the 4th

Grade

of elementary school. They all love

basketball, but one has to wonder if

Bol, with his adept game and court

sense, will be the best of them all.

After all, he is off to a terrific start

playing for Coach Delahoz and the

much-vaunted varsity Bulldog

basketball team and has big plans

for the future. We’ll get to that in a

moment.

Like most great players, Bol

recognizes that he couldn’t have

achieved success without some

help. When asked who his role

models are Bol has two quick

answers: his parents and a husband

and wife couple in his hometown

named TJ and Ilima Thompson. TJ

was Bol’s former basketball trainer,

as Bol puts it, while Ilima is his

wife and a model by trade.

According to Bol, it was TJ and

Ilima who told him about Hillside

Seventh Grade student Bol Akot

is one heck of a basketball player.

When you watch him on the court,

you can see that he has a knack for

creating space where there is none.

For anybody who has played some

pick-up basketball, there is a point

where you’re covered and either

have to give up the rock or throw

up a lame shot. When players are

that talented, like Bol, they have a

way of moving in an unexpected

way, giving a little dip and turn,

stepping back and firing up a high

percentage shot where, before,

there was none. You think to

yourself: Wow, how did he do

that? But, don’t be surprised, Bol

Akot does this all of the time. But

Bol is not all about basketball, he

is a first-rate student and person

too.

Bol comes from a relatively large

family of seven. His father,

Khamis, and mother, Awiel Akoul,

came over from the Republic of

the Sudan in Africa before Bol

was born in order to escape

political and civil unrest. The

couple settled in Manchester, New

Bol Akot

Shenzhen, China

Spotlight… Student Profiles

Novak Djokovic

Page.11 Global Gazette Hillside School

Xinping Wang

Djokovic who just won his eighth

Grand Slam Title, defeating Andy

Murray in the finals of the

Australian Open three sets to one. It

is interesting to note that Djokovic

struggled to feel comfortable on the

pro circuit. He wasn’t sure if he

measured up to the elite in tennis. It

wasn’t until winning his first Grand

Slam in 2008 in Brisbane that the

Serb finally had the confidence to

thrive. This, I feel, is much like

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Xinping. He’s in a new American

boarding school world. He has

talent but can be painfully shy at

times. Once he starts to experience

success, this young man will start to

take off. He’s already becoming

more accustomed to Hillside ways.

His English is improving, his study

habits are solid, and he has a large

network of friends. By this time

next year, Xinping will be soaring

just like his idol Djokovic.

Ultimately, Xinping wants to

become a professional tennis

player. Isn’t the dream of most

middle school boys to become

professional athletes? Well, if that

plan falls through he always has a

rock solid education to fall back on.

Keep on working hard and trying

your best Xinping. You’re making a

lot of people very proud.

Mandarin? Oh boy!

Xinping comes from Shenzhen,

China. Shenzhen is a city in

Southern China’s Guangdong

Province with a population of

almost 15 million people. It is just

north of Hong Kong and renowned

for its modern cityscape and vibrant

economy. It is here that young

Xinping Wang grew up. His father,

Yong Hua, is a prominent investor

in Shenzhen and, his mother, Wen,

is known for her charity work that

involves libraries and bringing a

literacy movement to the Chinese

countryside. Xinping also lives with

his grandmother and grandfather.

Isn’t that a neat aspect of Chinese

society? In the West, we tend to

separate from our elderly relatives

for whatever reasons. But, in China,

it is part of their custom to honor

their parents and grandparents for

life.

Xinping enjoys sports. Most

notably he loves tennis, skiing, and

touch football. According to local

rumor, he is pretty darn good at

tennis and looking forward to

playing on Mr. Paul’s and Mr.

Bullard’s Hillside varsity tennis

team this spring. His role model is

Serbian tennis sensation Novak

Seventh Grade Hillside student

and Chinese national Xinping

Wang came to us in the summer.

He was a member of the JumpStart

program. I remember at the time

thinking, poor kid. He did not

know anybody and spoke very

little English, if any. It has to be a

tough adjustment for any of our

boys, but for an international

student, who comes from halfway

around the world, it’s got to be

even that more difficult.

Nevertheless, young Xinping

adjusted. He played touch football

with us every day and hung in

there in terms of the classes. The

other boys appreciated him for his

easygoing manner and gentle

smile. Then, school started and

Xinping became more

comfortable. Despite being a

novice language learner, he

somehow completed all of his

homework assignments. Think

about that. Could you imagine

doing a biology assignment in

Chinese after just arriving there?

Or how about an essay on the New

Culture Movement in China in

Xinping Wang

Andover, Massachusetts

Spotlight… Student Profiles

Nicolas Muller

Page.12 Global Gazette Hillside School

Jeremy Hallal

I couldn’t help but notice how that

description precisely defines

Jeremy. He has an uncanny ability

to size up his environment and

seamlessly adapt to his

surroundings. Perhaps this is one of

the reasons why he won Hillside’s

prestigious Residential Life Award.

He’s very popular and likeable to

his peers, but he also can display

that same charisma and

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graciousness when it comes to

adults. He has a knack of

ingratiating himself to all around.

Jeremy came to Hillside in order

to receive “extra support.” Well, he

must be receiving that support

because he then goes on to say that

the best thing about Hillside is what

he calls “a family-like atmosphere.”

But it’s not all peaches and cream

for Jeremy. Adjusting to life and all

of the responsibilities that come

with a boarding school can be

daunting. Well, adjust he has!

Jeremy, in his second year at

Hillside, has made a terrific

impression on faculty, students, and

staff alike. He’s one of those kids

who you know is going to do good

things down the road. When asked

what he wants in the future, he

smiles and says “happiness.” In 5

years of writing for the Global

Gazette, that has to be the best

answer I’ve heard yet!

around.

Born in Boston, young Jeremy

grew up in Andover,

Massachusetts. His father, John, is a

law professor and his mother Susan,

who can be seen here at Hillside on

the weekends picking up Jeremy,

works for the EPA. He has an older

brother, Joe, who has gone to

school in Costa Rica and Barcelona,

and a young brother, Luke, who is 4

years old. The Hallals are close and

it is obvious that Jeremy looks

forward to spending time with them

on the weekends.

Jeremy’s hobbies include biking,

gaming, and snowboarding.

Perhaps it is these interests which

explain why he and Graesyn

Scruton are such good friends.

From day one, these two took to

each other and not a thing has

changed nearly two years later.

Jeremy and Graesyn remain the best

of friends and it is a good bet that

they’ll remain that way throughout

the years.

Young Jeremy’s role model is

snowboarder Nicolas Muller.

Muller is a Swiss athlete renowned

for his smooth riding style and

ability to read terrains and adjust

his riding accordingly. As I

researched these facts about Muller,

I remember sitting around Maher

House one night watching Shark

Tank. An entrepreneur contestant

was trying to sell some sort of suit

that had technology in it. As the

man strode forth onto the stage,

Jeremy made the comment “Hey,

that looks like my dad!” We all

looked a little more closely, and

sure enough the spitting image of

John Hallal was in front of us. The

resemblance was uncanny. “Well,

let’s see how he does, Jeremy,” I

said. The sharks were quickly

criticizing his business idea and

John Hallal’s doppelganger

proceeded to have a meltdown right

in front of our eyes. Everyone in

Maher agreed that Mr. Hallal

would’ve done much better, and

that the guy was a disgrace to his

look-a-like. We all had a good

laugh. Along with this humorous

moment, I don’t think there is a

Maher resident whom I’ve had such

a good time with sitting around the

TV on Thursday nights. Jeremy is

forever making clever comments

and is always a delight to be

Jeremy Hallal

Spotlight… Student Profiles

Tom Brady

Page.13 Global Gazette Hillside School

Anuar Esteban Zapata

Grade 8 student and Mexican

national Anuar Esteban Zapata has

been with us for nearly half a year.

He’s made quite a mark at Hillside in

a short time. He’s skyrocketed into

ping pong fame with his aggressive

style of smashing forehands, has a

large group of loyal friends, and has

impressed teachers with his

commitment to homework and his

studies. He goes on nearly every

cultural dinner trip, signs up for most

International Cafes, and loves to ski.

He’s funny and witty and has a bit of

those movie star good looks. And get

this; yesterday, on Super Bowl

Sunday, I took him to church. He

was so worried about the Patriots

possibly losing the Super Bowl that

he and his friends decided to find a

Spanish-speaking priest to confess

their sins. It must’ve worked because

the Pats pulled off a miracle win and

no doubt young Anuar will be going

through this ritual before any major

life event.

Anuar was born in Mexico City

sometime around the millennium.

His father, Miguel, and mother,

Mariana, can sometimes be seen around Hillside during Registration

Day and Fall Family Weekend. He

has a big brother, Miguel Jr., or

“Big Mike” as some call him. His

brother, Antonio, was a Bulldog

last year and a pretty darn good

student and ping pong player in his

own right. Anuar’s older sister,

Mariana (20), goes to university in

the States. The Esteban Zapata

family is close. In fact, young

Anuar wrote an essay in my class

about his role models who also

happened to be his parents. The

essay was so touching that I felt the

need to forward it to his mother

who replied, “My son is amazing.”

Anuar also looks up to his father

because “he is a very hard worker

and has taught me a lot of things.”

In fact, confession might’ve been

one of those things. Which brings

me to Anuar’s third role model,

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, the

quarterback of the New England

Patriots. And don’t try to tell Anuar

about Deflate Gate, because he will

not hear of it. In young Esteban’s

eyes, Tom Brady is a god. And why

shouldn’t he be? Tom just won his

fourth Super Bowl and is sitting on

top of the world.

Of course Anuar’s hobby is

playing football. He has played

football for three years. Anuar not

only played football in Mexico, but

he played flag football at Hillside in Fall Clubs. He loved to line up as a

quarterback and bark out plays:

“Red 27. Blue 13. Arriba! Arriba!

Tacos! Nachos! Set-hut!” Anuar

loves football so much that when

the Patriots were playing in

Foxborough for the AFC

Champiosnhip Game, he and his

compadres spent hundreds of

dollars to get tickets. Anuar and the

boys took Mr. Kinney and endured

a downpour to cheer on the Pats to

45-7 victory that propelled them

into the Super Bowl.

So, young Anuar, what do you

want to be when you grow up? “A

football player,” he declares. I

should’ve known. Dumb question!

Well, professional football is going

to have to wait a decade or so. For

now, it’s life at Hillside which,

according to Anuar, is not always

easy. “Oh, how so?” I asked. “Well,

Mr. Brown, for one thing it’s not

easy to always speak English.

When, I’m with my amigos I want

to let loose and speak Spanish.” I

feel you Anuar. I hear where you’re

coming from. But, if you’re going

to play football with Tom Brady

and the boys, my guess is that they

can’t speak Spanish. So, you might

have to keep practicing your

English. Comprende senor?

Mexico Mexico City

Science Page

The Wonderful World

of Science: Global Conservation

By staff

reporter

Henry Bryant

Xeriscaping - The Gardening of the Future

Over the past few months I have chosen to focus on different

animals in my conservation articles. One common theme that we have

come across has been that humans tend to change the environment. This

could mean that we build roads and fragment habitats, or we may cut

down forests, or even fill in wetlands to construct buildings. All of these

actions can have negative effects on the animals in that region and can

potentially lead to them being endangered, or worse, extinct. But one

thing we haven’t really talked about is water conservation.

Water conservation is an important issue. Simply put, every human,

animal, plant, fungi, and bacteria requires water. The trouble with this is

that less than 3% of the water on our planet is freshwater. Now, this

would be fine if we conserved out water and used it for drinking purposes

only. However, we all know that water is used for more things than

drinking, like in our pools, bathing, washing our hands, in industries, and

so on. Furthermore, one area that is terribly wasteful every year during

the summer months, when water is at a premium, is watering our plants,

gardens, and lawns.

Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a nice garden and a lawn just as

much as the next guy, but there has got to be a way to have beautiful

flowers and not use gallons of freshwater on a daily basis to maintain

them. Luckily, there is. There is a practice called xeriscaping that does

just this. To summarize, xeriscaping is the creation of gardens, lawns,

etc. that require minimal maintenance and little additional

watering. Ideally, this means that you plant your plants and nature will

take care of the rest.

The reason that xeriscaping works is because the plants and grasses

that are being grown are native to the region in which they are being

grown. This means that the plants grow in that area of the world

naturally and need little human attention to maintain. This practice of

xeriscaping has recently been adopted by many different golf courses,

which often struggle with water conservation. Additionally, individuals

are starting to do this with their homes as well. Not only does it look cool, but it saves those individuals money, and it helps the

environment. Keep your eyes peeled this spring for an example of

xeriscaping. Our seventh graders will be constructing a community garden on campus that will highlight native species and use xeriscaping

techniques.

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Foods from Abroad

Deviled Sweet n Sour Fish Curry

Coddle

Beef Bourguignon

Chimichurri

Page.15 Global Gazette Hillside School

Deviled Sweet and Sour Fish Curry is a mouth-watering dish

from Sri Lanka that was recommended to me by my wife. About

a decade ago, she had been travelling around Sri Lanka and had

the pleasure of trying this meal at a local restaurant. This

exquisite dish, originally influenced by Portuguese and Dutch

settlers, contains fried fish tempered with sweet and sour sauce.

Ingredients include fresh fish of course (any kind), onion, garlic,

ginger, tomato, leeks, tomato sauce, soya sauce, salt and pepper,

oil, and Sri Lankan chili flakes. Mix them all together, fry the

fish, and, man ‘o man, you have a treat for the ages. The next

time you are in Sri Lanka, try deviled sweet and sour fish curry.

From Sri Lanka

From Ireland Coddle, sometimes called “Dublin Coddle,” is an authentic Irish

dish made largely with leftovers. But don’t let that fool you. It is

a dish to die for and you wouldn’t want to get between an

Irishman and his coddle. Coddle consists of layers of roughly

sliced pork sausages and rashers (thin slices of back bacon). The

dish is braised in stock and includes carrots, potatoes, salt,

pepper, onions, and a little bit of Irish Guinness. It is the perfect

meal for a cold Irish winter evening dinner.

From France Beef Bourguignon also called Beef Burgundy, is a traditional

French stew that mainly consists of beef braised in red wine. The

dish originates from the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region of France

and was at first a peasant dish that, over the years, was refined

into haute cuisine. It includes carrots, onions, garlic, beef stock,

flour, and pork fat. As a young man growing up, my father, being

an aspiring French gourmet chef, would make this unbelievably

tasty treat about once a year. But, don’t take my word for it, try it

out for yourself.

From Argentina Chimichurri is an appetizing green sauce used as topping for

grilled meat. The sauce originated in Argentina and is widely

used in Latino cuisine. It consists of finely chopped parsley,

minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar.

Additional flavorings such as paprika, cumin, thyme, lemon,

basil, coriander leaf and bay leaf may be included. If you’re ever

in Argentina, order up some chimichurri with your beef.

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World Mysteries

The Strange Case of Barney and Betty Hill

Yuri Geller is regarded as an Israeli psychic, illusionist, magician, and TV

personality. Geller gained notice in the 1970s for appearing on television and

purportedly being able to bend spoons with his mind, describe hidden drawings,

and to make watches stop or run faster. He claimed that he did all of this through

psychokinesis, dowsing, and telepathy. He also alleged to have been able to guess

audience members’ license plates numbers by reading their minds. Around this time, he gained attention

from the scientific community, which was skeptical about his claims. They wanted to test his psychic

abilities in a controlled environment. Although Geller alleged that he possessed paranormal powers that

were the result of an abduction by extraterrestrials, renowned magician James Randi doubted his claims,

asserting that all of Geller’s abilities could be duplicated by simple stage magic. Time and time again,

Randi replicated the same exacts feats that made Geller so famous. Psychologist David Marks, after

evaluating Geller through experiments, wrote that Geller demonstrated “no psychic ability whatsoever.

However, I believe him to be a very clever, well-practiced magician.” Some people to this day swear by

Geller’s abilities. He had a worldwide TV audience a few decades ago and there are vestiges of those who

still believe he is the real deal. At any rate, Geller is at the very least a commendable showman and, maybe,

at the very best, a rare example of a human being with special powers. No matter what Geller is or isn’t, one

thing is certain; he has become a household name all around the world.

Dedicated to

Unsolved

Mysteries lover

Mr. Brandon Yep

Yuri Geller: Psychic or Fraud?

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Barney and Betty Hill were an American couple who had claimed to

have been abducted by extraterrestrials in a rural area in New

Hampshire on September 19th

, 1961. The case received worldwide

attention for the Hills’ seemingly uncanny knowledge of star systems

that they presumably wouldn’t have had access to had they not been

abducted. According to reports, the Hills were on their way home to

Portsmouth from a vacation in Canada when Betty claimed to have

abserved

observed a bright point of light in the sky moving erratically. At first, she thought it was a shooting star

but it then got bigger and bigger. The Hills pulled over into a picnic area near Twin Mountain to observe

the object. The object kept moving and the Hills followed it in their car. At one point, the Hills maintain

that the object rapidly descended towards their vehicle in which case Barney was forced to stop his car in

the middle of Route 3. In fear, Barney drove off only to be pursued by the UFO. The Hills then heard a

rhythmic series of beeping and buzzing sounds, felt vibrations, and according to their own accounts

experienced “altered states of consciousness.” They then claimed to remember driving down the highway

and had traveled 35 miles without remembering it. After vivid dreams and nightmares of aliens, the Hills

were hypnotized by a prominent psychiatrist in 1964, and were said to have unique knowledge of star

maps and intriguing recollections of being abducted by aliens. However, Dr. Simon concluded that the

details differed too much and that their “memories” were fantasies inspired by Betty’s dreams.

10 International Trivia Questions for the Month of December

1) Which country is tennis superstar Novak Djokovic from?

a) Serbia b) the Ukraine c) Croatia

2) What is the capital of Croatia?

a) Kiev b) Zagreb c) Belgrade

3) What is Africa’s smallest country?

a) Western Sahara b) Seychelles C) Botswana

4) What is the 2nd biggest city in China by population?

a) Shanghai b) Beijing c) Guangzhou

5) If you were paid in “dong,” you’d likely be in this country?

a) Thailand b) Vietnam c) Cambodia

6) What country in South America is in the Southern Hemisphere?

a) Venezuela b) Guyana c) Uruguay

7) Who is the President of the Czech Republic?

a) Milos Zeman b) Andrej Kiska c) Tomislav Nikolic

8) What is the oldest city in France?

a) Paris b) Nantes c) Marseille

9) What did Australia used to be called?

a) New Holland b) New Britain c) New Denmark

10) Which team has NOT won a Super Bowl?

a) Tampa Bay Buccaneers b) Cleveland Brown c) Kansas City Chiefs

Answers: 1) a 2) b 3) b 4) a 5) b 6) c 7) a 8) c 9) a 10) b

Int’l Trivia Teasers

Page.17 Global Gazette Hillside School

The Traveling Translator

Page.18 Global Gazette Hillside School

Snow from around the world

English -Snow

Spanish - Nieve

Korean - 눈 Newn

Japanese - スノー Yuki

Hindi - हिमपात Himapata

Malay -Salji

Chinese - 雪 Xue

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