I remember the first time I stepped into NPA. I felt sick and dizzy. It seemed as if every single person in the hallway was staring at me like I was some sort of weird sea creature that lived in the very depths of the ocean. The second day was just the same. Walking by everyone with eyes surrounding me made me tense up. The third and fourth days were repeats. It wasn’t until about a month had passed of difficult school work and working up the courage to make new friends that I started to feel comfortable in my own skin. Now I look at the new seventh graders and wonder if they felt the same as I did on that hot August day. Did they feel nervous, excited, or distraught? Well, I know one person who can answer these questions. Clare O’Brien is a new seventh grade girl at NPA. I ask her all the time of what she thinks of NPA and how her first day really went. I remember her telling me that of course she was nervous, but she was more excited and ready to start the year then I ever was. She is more the type of person who doesn’t dwell on what others think of her. There are always those days that she is frustrated with NPA because she is stressed and confused, but overall Clare seems pretty comfortable about being in the NPA environment. This raised the question on how other new seventh graders felt on the first day of school and what they think of it at this point in time. What are the views of other seventh grade students at NPA?

Recap: Me in 7th Grade

                  Like any other student I had my favorite classes, my group of friends and of course my favorite eating spot. It might not sound that important, but it is what made my experience in seventh grade not as stressful (my favorite eating spot wasn’t that pivotal but it was where people could find me at lunch time).  All of these things made it easier to like and enjoy school.

                  I obviously had my favorite classes like any other student but I also had some classes that just didn’t make me smile with rainbows when I walked through the door. It wasn’t that I disliked the teachers; it was the fact that I couldn’t always comprehend the information presented to me. On the other hand, there were those classes that I enjoyed such as Latin. Latin came naturally to me, and I understood what to do at all time. The class was very organized, and I always knew what was going on. Geography was one of my tougher classes. Don’t get me wrong, the teacher was really funny and great to work with, I just could not get the information to easily stick in my brain. Overall, the classes and the teachers were great but attending some classes didn’t always appeal to me.

                  Friends are always one of the best parts of school, and they seem to help make school not be so tedious. My friends were and still are always there for me. They help me understand school work and make it better when I receive a low grade or have just had a rough day. If I didn’t have them with me I don’t think I could handle school as well as I do. Knowing that they are going through the same things I do makes it feel that I am not alone in my situation. Hopefully I am as good a friend to them as they are to me!

A Chief Joseph Thanksgiving

Two dozen or so students going to a history classroom during lunch bearing food and reciting an oath may sound suspicious at any other school, but at NPA this was all part of Mr. Canning’s much-anticipated Chief Joseph Thanksgiving Feast.  Students brought thanksgiving-style foods, ranging from stuffing and chicken to cranberries and pumpkin pie.  There were non-Thanksgiving foods as well, such as cookies and cool whip. A poster of Chief Joseph portrayed the guest of honor for this feast, everybody’s favorite resident of Wallawa Valley, in psychedelic colors.

In 1864 the Nez Perce had been brutally forced to leave their beloved homeland, the Wallawa Valley in Ohio.  They led the U.S. Army on a wild goose chase through the northwestern U.S., foiling the army at every turn, before finally running out of steam and being captured a mere 30 miles from the Canadian border.  Chief Joseph then gave his heartbreaking “I will fight no more forever” speech in which he declared the utmost destitution of his people and promised never again to fight.  General Sherman later ordered the Wallawa Valley returned to Chief Joseph and his people, but that never happened.  The purpose of Mr. Canning’s Thanksgiving feast was to ceremonially give the Wallawa Valley back to the Nez Perce. After the food was served, all the students from Mr. Canning’s 12th grade APUSH classes gathered around and held a mock Congressional vote, deciding to return Wallawa Valley to the Nez Perce.

All the students then held up their right fists and recited Mr. Canning’s Thanksgiving Oath.  This included promising to honor treaties with indigenous peoples, promising to support the Arizona Cardinals, “no matter how difficult it may be,” promising to never leave a bit of pumpkin pie uneaten, and promising to always give thanks in fitting and suitable demonstrations.

All who participated considered the Thanksgiving feast a raging success and hope to see similar bouts of historical merrimaking in the future.  Maybe a William Jennings Bryan Christmas Fest, or a Boss Tweed New Year’s Eve Bash?  The possibilities are endless.

6 Things 7th and 8th Graders Should Know About Final Exams

Last December, I was drained. I was exhausted. I felt as if every single one of my brain cells had expired. I spent so much time studying for final exams and let stress ruin my days.

Now, as I look back, there are many helpful strategies that I could have used.

First of all, don't procrastinate. You will know test material better by preparing early and in smaller doses. Also, organize your notes, outlines and previous quizzes.

Second, don't let other people's stress spread to you. There is no need to get everybody involved in an individual test and it makes the situation seem worse than it actually is.

Third, take a reality check. Be realistic about how you've been doing in your classes all semester and realize that this test is only one part of your final grade.

Fourth, prioritize. Study for the subjects you find hardest and the ones you feel need the most attention.

Fifth, collaborate. You'd be surprised by how much you learn from your peers. Be each other's study buddy!

Sixth, take care of yourself. Now this might sound obvious, but during finals week it is very important to get enough sleep, eat well and drink plenty of water. Do not stay up late studying! But, don't forget to have some fun too!

Follow these strategies, so you don't have to learn the hard way like I did.

We Are Not Amused

We here at NPA Journalism Club are extremely entertained by the many different uses of the seemingly average word “we.”*  Here is a list of just a few of the forms this word can take.

The Regular We:

You probably already know what the word “we” normally means, so I won’t waste your time explaining it.

The Royal We:

The royal we is how a monarch refers to him/herself, as in “We are the queen, and you are our subjects.”  Instead of being just one person, like everyone else, a member of the royal family is always “we.”  It makes sense, because monarchs are generally more powerful than the average person, and referring to themselves in a plural sense shows that they have the influence of multiple people combined.  In fact, they are so powerful that they can “we” instead of “I” because they feel like it.  Personally, I just love the royal we because I find it hilarious.

The Editorial We:

The editorial we, on the other hand, I despise.  It is used by journalists for no apparent reason other than to annoy people half to death.  When I am reading a magazine or a newspaper, and I suddenly come across something like “Today we here at The Newspaper have a headache.  When we woke up this morning, we felt fine, but now we feel very sick and we think we might go home early,” I want to scream.  The royal we is easy to understand because it is obvious that only one person is being referred to, but the editorial we is awful because, though it is impossible for everyone working for a newspaper or magazine has one big collective headache, the writer still seems to think it is ok to present his/her own personal feelings or experiences as those of everyone.  I find this slightly pretentious and incredibly annoying.

The Representative We:

This is similar to the editorial we, except it is used correctly, when one person actually does represent the opinions of a larger group of people.

The Otherworldly We:

In science fiction or horror, when someone starts to refer to him/herself as “we,” you can usually tell that this person has been possessed by aliens or something similar.  When a seemingly harmless character says, “we are so hungry,” the other characters know that something is up.  Or, if they are not so smart, they remain clueless while the audience yells at the book or TV. screen, “It’s the aliens!  The aliens!  Run!”  Either way, it’s all very exciting.

The Game Wii:

Wii is a gaming system, similar to a Playstation or an X-box, but more interactive.  It is usually used to play fake sports because real sports are so last year.  It has to do with technology and not grammar.

*Please Note: this is the royal we, not the editorial we.

Middle School Events: VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS YEAAAHHH!

Last Wednesday was the championship volleyball game for NPA's Middle School Navy volleyball team.  Friends and fans gathered in the bleachers of Sinagua's gym, watching in anticipation as the volleyball soared between the MEMS team and the Spartans.  The first game started shakily, but soon our lovely Spartans were catching up.  Pass, set, spike, and we were well on our way to winning.  The crowd cheered wildly, jumping up and down at every point, even doing the classic NPA "man-scream" and showing off navy and maroon painted faces.  After nearly an hour of rigorous playing, the first game was won.  The team excitedly munched on snacks, flashing their proud fans huge grins and thumbs-ups.  But it wasn't over yet.  Next came the championship game.  The fans held their breath as the ball flew back and forth over the net.  Would the Navy team win?  Would they become the Flagstaff champions and remain undefeated? The crowd went wild as an exceptional serve crowned the Navy team number one in the city.  What a game!


Did you get a chance to see the Navy team play? They were great, right?  Leave your thoughts and congratulations in the comments!  ☺

The Progressive Dinner

Cats rolling in olives!  Mrs. Keberline dressed as an elf!  Ghosts in the bathroom!  And a whole lot of Hogwarts!  All this and more could be found at this Saturday's third annual progressive dinner.  For anyone who doesn't know, a progressive dinner is a brilliantly fun event during which a group of people travel from one house to another for different courses of dinner.  Usually, there is some sort of theme and everyone wears costumes for added fun.  For the last three years, juniors on prom committee have organized the progressive dinner because it is a great fundraiser for prom, and because it has become one of the best school events of the year.

This year, the theme of the dinner was Harry Potter.  Each of the three houses that the group of eighty juniors and seniors who attended travelled to was decorated to look like one of the Hogwarts houses.  Appetizers at Hufflepuff, dinner at Gryffindor, dessert at Slytherin.  Though we all filled each house to its maximum capacity, the crowding only added to the humorous atmosphere, and the food was excellent.

There was also a fantastic variety of costumes to be seen.  Everyone from Sirius Black to Rita Skeeter to Harry Potter himself could be found.  Even the most minor of characters was brought to life by the creative students of NPA, and prizes (in the form of free dress passes!) were awarded to the Womping Willow, Hagrid, and Moaning Myrtle, among others.

This year's progressive dinner was a great night of quidditch playing, random singing, and spontaneous pumpkin carving.  Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved in the organizing of this event for making it so enjoyable and unique.