Wednesday, April 21, 2010

MMSA Juniors See Jump in Practice ACT Scores


By: Shavonda Kornegay ‘11

Marine Math & Science Academy juniors have improved in their ACT practice scores. In March, MMSA juniors took a practice ACT and the scores have now come back. The juniors scored a composite of a 17.5. This was a stark improvement from their other two practice tests taken earlier in the year. In the month of October, the juniors scored a composite of 14.7 and in December when they took the second ACT, scored a composite score of a 15.1.

This shows how MMSA junior’s hard work and practice has paid off. ACT math classes, ACT science classes at MMSA, and KAPLAN on Saturdays can be the result in the increase. Harry-Frontis Diggs-Wilson went from scoring a 19 in December to a 22 in March. “I think attending KAPLAN on Saturdays and going to math classes with Mrs. Gordon has helped me a lot”, stated Wilson. Briana Brown has improved from a 17 in October to a 22 in March. “Mrs. Gordon classes helped me so much in approving my scores. I went from a 19 to a 27 in math”, said Brown.

MMSA junior’s scores back in the month of October decreased when they took their second test in December. “I think the reason why we decreased was because we weren’t taking our prep classes serious. I never showed up to Mrs. Gordon classes and many of my classmates barely showed up to KAPLAN on Saturdays”, stated Wilson. Now Wilson has been attending classes’ everyday. If Wilson would have attended class from the beginning, he would have been receiving a half-credit like some of his classmates. Wilson even noticed some of his classmates that he only seen 3 or 4 times at KAPLAN since December show up faithfully on Saturdays and they have even done make-up test downtown at KAPLAN.

“Students coming to my after-school ACT prep class just needed some refreshers on things they learned as Freshmen,” Mrs. Gordon said when asked about the jump in math scores, “when you practice something over and over it builds confidence, and doing well on the ACT is about having confidence in your abilities.”

Many of MMSA teachers have been encouraging and congratulating their juniors for their hard work and improvement since October. On April 28 and 29, will be a big day for MMSA juniors. The first day is the ACT test and the second day is the WorkKeys test. “Keep up the hard work juniors, and continue using techniques taught since your freshman year”, were encouraging words stated by Mr. Neusner.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Construction in MMSA Community: Change is on the way


By: Reginald King '11

Students at Marine Military Academy should take a good look at the community. In a few years, it won’t look the same at all. Construction is underway near the corners of Wilcox & Campbell as well as Adams and Campbell. With permission from the city, construction workers are going to be building houses for the community. The houses are being built for people who will live in the area. “The general idea is to bring in more people,” says Mr. Paul Stroh, the principal of MMSA. In bringing in new members to our community the property values should rise in the next decade or so.

The project has been underway for about two years. Unfortunately, the recession has made it difficult to fund the project so scheduling was difficult. Furthermore, this has caused staggering delays. Normally, construction would take up to three or four years, maybe five at the most. Nevertheless, the buildings will be finished.

Construction is not just benefiting the community, it’s also benefiting MMSA. They are planning to build open fields for sports teams. Specifically, they’re building track, soccer, and baseball fields. The basketball courts outside the cafeteria will be renovated as well. Far too often MMA sports teams have to go to other fields to practice. This should provide multiple advantages to our athletes.

The construction will be finished in a few years. So far the area doesn’t look like much. Construction workers come out now and then so there is not a ton of activity. There is no definite schedule so it ends when it ends. However, the community will be a much nicer-looking place in a few years.

Marines at the Movies- Cop Out


By Adrian Hopson '11


The movie Cop Out is an action-comedy film. The film stars Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis. The actors are well known for movies like Lil Man and Die Hard. This film made over 44 million dollars in theaters. The movie came out on February 26, 2010. It was released by Kevin Smith, the director.

This film is mainly about two cops who have been partners for nine years. Now they are trying to solve a drug case. In the midst of this, they end up losing something valuable and it ends up in the drug dealer hands. So they found a way to compromise with him. They found his car which had something of value to him and told him trade for it.

One of the bad qualities of this film is that there was too much profanity. There was also not enough action for this to be an action-comedy film. One of the good qualities in this movie was that the film wasn’t too short or too long. The film is not really where it could have been compared to other recent films.

In my opinion I rated this movie a three out of five stars. The film could have been better with more action and less profanity. I feel this film wasn’t one of those films I would pay to see again. Overall, this was pretty decent and I recommend for people to see it.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

MMSA I-Pod Shuffle: Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree


By: Derico Williams '12

Music has become the cornerstone of what is known as, “American” life. Different genres of music have appeared over the last 100 years; however, most genres now are newer, redefined versions of older forms of music. Chicago, considered the home of the Blues, has produced big names in the music industry. One particular punk rock band, Fall Out Boy, hails from Wilmette, Illinois. The band was formed by friends Joe Trohman and Pete Wentz in 2001. Band members include Wentz and Trohman, as well as Patrick Stump and Andy Hurley.

On May 3, 2005, FOB released their first major label album entitled, From Under The Cork Tree. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at #9, selling over 68,000 copies its first week; after that it reached double platinum status selling more than 2.5 million albums in the U.S. alone. Their first single, “Sugar We’re Going Down”, peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200, #3 on the Modern Rock Charts, and #6 on the Pop 100. The video for the song won an MTV2 Award at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. The band was also nominated for “Best New Artist” at the 2006 Grammy Awards. The album was excellent, and fans would not have expected anything less from FOB. Although the video was funny, it had very little to do with the song itself. Another example of their videos not relating to the songs is their third single, “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me”. The video, which is about vampires, does not make sense when you listen to lyrics. For instance, one line of the song says: “You’re just the girl all the boys want to dance with, and I’m just the boy who had too many chances”. In my opinion, this has nothing to do with vampires, nor the title.

FOB could’ve done better for a debut album. They may’ve turned some fans of with similar sound. Most of the songs when you listen seem to have the same focus, the same sound. If you liked the two singles, you’ll love the album. What most fans who were turned off by the same sound don’t realize is if you give the songs a second chance, you can hear a difference. The first track on the album, "Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued” is a great song. It shows the fun nature of FOB, and shows the difference between them and an emo band. The album is a great listen if you’re attracted to upbeat and catchy songs. However, you’ll hate this album if you need technicality in your music.

Other than the videos and song titles, the album itself was a great debut for Fall Out Boy, the best they could have probably asked for. Fall Out Boy’s last album release was in the beginning of 2009 which was their last collaboration as a group. On November 20th, 2009 the band announced they would be putting their music on hiatus to work on individual endeavors. Fans will be disappointed; however, who knows what the future may hold for FOB.
Track Listing

1."Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued" 3:09
2."Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" 3:11
3."Dance, Dance" 3:00
4."Sugar, We're Goin Down" 3:49
5."Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner" 3:21
6."I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth
(Summer Song)" 3:11
7. "7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)" 3:23
8. "Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year" 3:23
9. "Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends" 3:23
10. "I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written
About Me" 3:31
11."A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More "Touch Me"" 2:49
12."Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows)" 3:27
13."XO" 3:40

Bulldog Tube Time: The Vampire Diaries


By: Neiah Williams ‘12

The Vampire Diaries is a young adult romantic drama that comes on the (CW) Thursdays at 8/7 central. The Vampire Diaries are in there first season of their series. The series is very popular because the Vampire Diaries has over 4.2 million viewers each week. I will give the vampire diaries a 9/10 star rating because it’s such a good series.

The Main Characters in the Vampire Diaries are Elena Gilbert, Damon Salvatore, Stefan Salvatore, Bonnie Bennett, and Caroline Forbes. Elena Gilbert is a teenage girl that is caught between two vampire brothers one is good (Stefan) and one is evil (Damon). Damon Salvatore is the older and the dangerous vampire who picks on his brother Stefan a lot. Stefan Salvatore is the younger vampire who struggles to live a human like life. Bonnie Bennett is Elena’s best friend who has psychic powers. Caroline Forbes is the sneaky and conniving friend of Elena.

Episode 1 is one of my personal favorites because this is where everything begins. After Elena’s parents dies from a fatal car accident she goes to live with her aunt who lives in Mystic falls. Months have passed since Elena tries to adjust to her new life. As the school year begins Elena and Bonnie are fascinated by a new student, Stefan Salvatore whom they think is attractive. Chemistry begins to increase between Stefan and Elena. Several attacks have been reported in the town and no one knows the cause of them. Except for Stefan who has a clue that it is his older brother Damon.

In my opinion Nina Dobrev as Elena, portrays her character very well because she plays the role of a depressed teenage girl. Ian Somerhalder as Damon portrays his character very well because he’s a hot vampire, and his acting is really good who plays the dangerous bad boy role. Paul Wesley as Stefan plays his character decent but I want to see more good emotional acting from him. It’s like he has the same facial expressions in his acting. Katerina Graham as Bonnie portrays her character well because her character is weird and she fits that category. Candice Accola as Caroline plays her character well because she’s the bossy girl and I can see her being like that in real life.


The Characters in the Vampire Diaries have changed a lot throughout the season. Elena has changed a lot because she’s not that scared little girl anymore who won’t take changes or chances. Damon has become very funny and is starting to show his real feelings that could lead him to becoming a nice vampire. Stefan has changed a lot because he tries to interact and live a human like life. Bonnie has changed a lot because she’s actually starting to trust and use her powers more often. Caroline has changed from starting off as the sneaky and conniving girl to becoming a non judgmental person.

The Vampire Diaries is a series for teenagers and young adults. You would like the Vampire Diaries if you’re a person that likes vampires, thrillers, or romance. I have a big obsession over vampires by the way they just react to things, how they talk, and when they bite people. If you’re not a person that likes vampires, thrillers, or romance than the Vampire Diaries would not take your interest. The Vampire Diaries can compare to other series, TV shows, and movies that have the same genre because they all fall underneath thriller. For example, Twilight, True Blood, and the Vampire Diaries all have one thing in common besides vampires, which is romance. The vampires in the shows all fell in love with humans and have a big obsession over them.

In my opinion the Vampire Diaries is a good series because I obviously love vampires. I love Damon Salvatore out of all the characters in the series because he has had a lonely life. He’s always biting people; he’s the dangerous vampire and just can’t seem to have friends around. That’s the reason why he picks on his little brother because he has no friends and he’s very lonely.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Grief Support Group available for MMSA students


By: Mariah Coleman 11’

Are you feeling alone because the loss or death of a love one? If you are, feel free to join MMSA’s Grief Support Group. What is grief one might ask? Grief is emotional, physical, and spiritual reactions in response to a death or loss, it's known as grief or grieving. One who is grieving might Experience:

· Strong emotions, such as sadness and anger
· Physical reactions, such as not sleeping or even waves of nausea
· Spiritual reactions to a death — for example, some people find themselves questioning their beliefs and feeling disappointed in their religion while others find that they feel more strongly than ever about their faith


Grief is a natural response to loss. One may associate grief with the death of a loved on. But any loss can cause grief, including:

· A relationship breakup
· Loss of health
· Losing a job
· A miscarriage
· Death of a pet
· Loss of a cherished dream
· A loved one’s serious illness
· Loss of a friendship

This group will be held every Monday starting the third week in April thru the first week of June, from 3:00pm-3:45 in the Conference Room. See Ms. Taylor (Counselor Intern) or Mrs. Green (social Worker) for further questions.