The Overachiever January—New start, new semester, and New

Year’s Resolutions

January 2014

Vol. 9 Issue 10

International Academy

1020 E. Square Lake Road

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

Cover Design

Photo from

http://pagingsupermom.com/2013/12/family-new-years-party-printables/

In this issue...

News………………………….…..3 Secret of Snow Days..……...5 Movie Flops...…...….…...……7 Sports……….....…..…............9 Celebrating Heritage…...…10 January…….........Back Page

Staff Principal

Ms. Lynne Gibson Associate Principal

Mr. Christopher Smith

Faculty Facilitator Ms. Sarah Clancy

Editor-in-Chief Nancy Huang

News Editors Jenna Wang & Rama-Armaghan K. Ahmad

Features Editors Alayna Wang & Eleanor Khirallah

Entertainment Editor Monali Desai & Alaina Valente

Sports Editor Mahum Farooqui

Perspectives Editor Vedha Ghanta

Back Page Editor Tami Lacasse

Contributors Abrar Quazi Omar Iliyas Divya Goel Emily Moll Rana-Armaghan K. Ahmed

January 2014 3 News

Polar Vortex brings record low temperatures

by ABRAR QUAZI

It looks like the White Witch from Narnia had cast her magic all over the Midwest in the month of January. The wintery bliss affected over 26 states, and even the usually lucky Floridians experienced the 30s during the first week of the month. The sound of the cheerful students echoed all over the Midwest as schools called in for cancellation, which extended the already long winter break. While most of you might have been sitting home and relaxing, the vortex was not all fun and games. Wintery chills and lows of up to -62F temperatures, made every-day life harder. These tem-peratures haven’t been seen for decades, and have set new records. In order to fully understand what the Midwest has faced through, let’s answer some of these questions. What is a Polar Vortex? Imagine a hurricane. Now imagine it during the dead middle of winter with lots of snow. That’s basically what a polar vortex is. CNN de-

fines the Polar Vortex as a, “circulation of strong, upper-level winds that normally surround the northern pole in a counterclockwise direc-tion -- a polar low-pressure system”. How dangerous is it? A polar vortex is not a sin-gle storm, but in fact a mul-tiple of storms. The storms bring in cold winds that make the temperature feel lower than it already is. These low temperatures can freeze flesh in five minutes, causing many people to be diagnosed with dangerous forms of frost bite. Road conditions all over the Midwest were terrible, with traffic condi-tions backed up for hours. Air traffic didn’t fare well ei-ther, with up to 3,500 flights

being cancelled on January 6. How Frequently Does This Occur? Polar Vortexes cause many cold air outbreaks or other-wise known as “cold snaps”. Cold snaps occur multiple times in a year. Scientists say that cold snaps can occur more fre-quently than ever before as a factor of global warming. Global warming is known to have caused bizarre weath-er conditions, an example being distortion of the jet stream which causes hot summers and cold winters. Bracing yourself for Future Polar Vortexes As this harsh winter pass-es, it is important that you wear proper winter clothing. A good coat, hat and gloves are all necessary. The month of January is ex-pected to have many cold snaps, and during those times it is better to stay in-side if possible. Skyline view of Chicago en-

gulfed in a polar vortex Image credit: http://nsidc.org/icelights/files/2014/01/polar_vortex_chicago.jpg

News The Overachiever

Shooting at Purdue by OMAR ILYAS

4

Cops arriving to the scene of the shooting.

Image credit: http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/HT_purdue_shooting_jef_140121_16x9_992.jpg

It had been another nor-mal day at Purdue University when Andrew Boldt was shot and killed by a gunman. Boldt, a 21-year-old student and teach-ing assistant, suffered both knife and gunshot wounds when he was fatally attacked around 12:30 PM, Tuesday in Purdue’s School of Electrical and Com-puter Engineering building.

When police arrived to the scene after being updated on the situation, they found the aggravator, fellow student Cody Cousins, sitting on the ground with his hands behind his head as if he was waiting to be caught. In addition, his hands and clothes were stained with blood.

What officials found con-fusing was that Cousins did not attempt to run away or deny that he had anything to do with the dead body that laid by his feet. Authorities are stumped to as why the defendant “turned him-self in”.

Another noteworthy part of this investigation is that, un-like in most shootings, the gun-man did not kill himself or kill a large group of people, which leads police to wonder if the gunman had a personal grudge against the victim. Many officers, including the one that arrested

the gunman, believe that the sus-pect seemed to have only one tar-get in mind—killing only Andrew Boldt. The city police officer that arrested the gunman says, “This individual seemed to have had intentions for the decedent.”

As for the defendant’s fami-ly and friends, they are all con-fused on why he killed Boldt. Boldt, according to them, was a straight-A student with a good so-cial life. He had many friends, and even a girlfriend. However, this was in high school. During his life at Purdue University, many class-mates described him as a rude individual, and his professors state that he was very “intense” and “aggressive” about his pro-jects. Furthermore, he tended to believe that he was always right, and would get very confrontational during debates. However, alt-hough Cousins was not the nicest

student at Purdue University, he had no apparent connec-tions with his fellow student, Andrew Boldt.

During his 10 minute hearing, Cousins sat compos-edly with his hands in his lap and answered quietly with an occasional “yes” or “no” when the magistrate asked him questions and explained that he could receive a maximum of 65 years in prison if he was convicted. His family attended the hearing and expressed shock that Connor would do such a thing. Cousin’s court trial has tentatively been set for April 22.

Meanwhile, Andrew Boldt’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday in his hometown of West Bend, Wisconsin. The funeral is open to all of his friends and family, as well as local residents. However, Pas-tor Nathon Reesman says that Boldt’s family members contin-ue to request that their privacy be respected, and he asks that the media do not attend the visitation and the funeral.

by ELEANOR KHIRALLAH

by DIVYA GOEL

The Secret of Snow Days 5 January 2014 Features

Tips for Going Green! Every issue, The Overachiever will be sharing a new idea to help you live an eco-friendly life. Keep an eye out for more tips in future issues.

Tip for Month:

When getting coffee from a coffee shop, start taking a reusable thermos or travel mug. Many places, such as Starbucks and Tim Hortons, will give discounts for bringing in reusable mugs, plus you won’t be using disposable cups that typically aren’t recyclable.

If there’s one way most of us will remember January 2014, it’ll be as the month of incredibly well-timed snow days. As someone who has experienced snow days that were always on important days during the middle of the week, I think that the three snow days added neatly to the end of winter break. There’s only one issue: after a while, snow days can seem boring. When I first heard that particular complaint, I was utterly confused. After all, these are occasions that make us sacrifice a good deal of sanity, from placing silverware under pillows

to walking around in inside-out clothing to constantly refreshing Bloomfield Hills Schools’ tweets. Once I thought about it, though, I realized that this boredom actually made sense. When snow days go from being single days to triple blocks of no school, the initial excitement starts to dull. The first snow day is great. It’s the perfect day for procrastination. The second one starts off being nice, but as the day drags on, the roads are too icy to leave the house. Even worse, you have

watched everything on Netflix. By the end of the day, you find yourself wishing for a way out of the prison your home has become. The third day presents a bit of a challenge. However, during our three snow days, the third one was the day I found the secret to snow days. I started by desperately trying to find new hobbies to keep myself entertained. But then I thought about what I was recently lacking in my life, and that’s when I found the answer—sleep. The secret to snow days is just to sleep.

by ELEANOR KHIRALLAH

6 Features The Overachiever

So Many Snow Days, Too Much Time One stereotype of IA is that all of its students love learning 24/7. Yet when Michigan was swallowed by the “Polar Vortex,” IA students were among the thousands of Michigan students begging for a snow day. My whole twitter timeline was blown up with tweets praying for enough snow to close, and once we got that second snow day, the tweets became more desperate than ever for a third. As you all know, IA ended up getting three snow days, but other schools in the area got five or more. Having a day off of school is great, but what are you supposed to do when temperatures are dangerously cold and there are ten inches of snow on the ground? Many times, there are certain expectations for what you're going to do with that time off. However, those plans typically don't actually end up happening. I thought I would go out with friends or finish some CAS journals, but instead I ended up on my couch watching Game of Thrones. Sure, I started a new TV series, but I could have done something much more productive, maybe even social. Alex Kalabat, a junior, agreed. She said, “I tell myself I want to be

productive, but I end up in my bed watching Gossip Girl.” So, what are some fun things IA students can do during snow days? There are many options, and it all depends on the person. For me, “fun” activities do not include doing ACT practice tests or looking ahead at the next chem chapter, but for someone else, those things could possibly be enjoyable. When asked about what she does on snow days, senior Alexa Volpe said, “Usually when I have a snow day, I'll hang out with my friends and we'll either go to one of our houses or go out. I mainly hang out with my friends and family to get in touch with, since I don't get much time throughout the week.” Using the time off from a hectic school schedule to spend some time with people close to you is definitely something to consider during a snow day. Dylan DeWald, a junior, used the recent snow days to do exactly this. He said, “I was able to have several relaxing evenings with my friends, which was a great way to spend my extended break.”

Another good idea for the snow day: relaxation, a concept sometimes foreign to the majority of IA students. With the amount of school work and extracurricular activities an IA student has, it's hard to even think about loosening up. Snow days offer the perfect opportunity for relaxing. Junior Lauren Ward used her snow days to get some much needed downtime. “They were a really relaxing days,” said Ward, “I took casual naps and watched Netflix, which was a perfect way to end our break.” These are just some of the many things someone can do on a snow day. If you are a typical Michigander, you could feel like you are supposed to do some outdoorsy activities such as sledding or ice-skating (which I definitely don't recommend on days when the wind chill is -15 degrees like our last snow days). If the roads aren't too bad, you can gather up a bunch of your friends and have a huge snowball fight. You could maybe even spend way too much time taking pictures of your snow covered suburb for Instagram. It's all up to you, but know that there are countless things to do.

Entertainment The Overachiever 8

The Biggest Movies that Flopped in 2013 by MONALI DESAI

January is a month meant for setting goals for the coming year, such as finally getting in shape and dieting. It’s also a month for reflecting on why you quit your goals of getting in shape and dieting last year in February. As Hollywood execu-tives are rolling around in the piles of money they made last year, they’re also lamenting the fact that there isn’t more money in the pile. 2013 was a year of huge successes for Hollywood, with movies such as Iron Man 3 and Monsters University, but The Lone Ranger, along with many other movies, are a damp-er on the film industry. The biggest box office disappointment of the year was by far The Lone Ranger. With losses thought to be at least $160 million, The Lone Ranger wasn’t met with much praise. Starring Johnny Depp and with a story reminiscent of the block-buster Pirates of the Caribbean, this movie should have been an easy moneymaker, but it’s clear now that western movies had

their last success a few dec-ades ago. The second biggest flop of the year was After Earth. This one isn’t as much of a shocker as The Lone Ranger, as the movie is criticized for everything, from Jaden Smith’s less than stellar acting to the perceived Scientology themes. Will Smith’s most recent at-tempt to shoehorn his son into the film industry has proved to be a failure, to no one’s sur-prise. Movies flop every year at the box office, but this year has shown a surprising large number of young adult movies failing. With the blockbuster franchises of The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Harry

Potter, movie studios are eager to milk the cash cow known as young adult book to movie ad-aptations. However, as movie studios are finding out the hard way, not every movie that has its roots in a novel with a sub-stantial fan base succeeds. Take Ender’s Game for example. This highly anticipated movie adapted from the 1985 novel with the same name was thought to be a box office suc-cess. While lauded by critics, this movie grossly underper-formed at the box office, as it seems that people do not want to see movies about child-space-warriors battling bug-like aliens.

2013 was a year of many

box-office failures for Hollywood. The Lone Ranger was the biggest flop

of 2013. Image: http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131123185031/disney/images/c/c0/The_lone_ranger.jpg

Entertainment The Overachiever 8

2014 WINTER OLYMPICS by ALAINA VALENTE

Four years ago, families all

over the world gathered around their

television and proudly watched as their

nation’s Olympic team walked through

the station at the opening ceremony for

the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in

Vancouver Canada. Many dreams were

made, many were broken. Yet every

competitor’s life was changed. Now,

on February 7th, the time has come yet

again for Team USA to gear up for the

next Olympic Games in Sochi Russia.

This will be Russia’s very first time

hosting the games. The new stadium

and Victors Village have been built

along the coast of the Black Sea, located

close to the ice arenas that have been

newly built just for this occasion.

Team USA will be competing

in the luge, curling, bobsled, figure skat-

ing, speed skating, short track speed

skating, skiing, snowboarding, skeleton,

ice hockey, and biathlon events. In the

Vancouver games, the US broke the

record for the most medals won by a

nation in a single winter Olympic game.

Canada, on the other hand, broke the

record for the most gold medals won at

any Winter Olympic game. Their Olym-

pic team currently includes 11 returning

medalists.

Expected to be one of the best

games in history, competitors have al-

ready felt the pressure as they preformed

in the qualifying rounds in order to ad-

vance to the Olympics. Out of the esti-

mated 313.9 million people living in the

team USA that got to pack their bags for Rus-

sia.

Some of the US athletes that are ex-

pected to place very high included, Charlie

White and Meryl Davis, Shaun White and Apo-

lo Ohno. Figure Skaters, White and Davis,

competed in the Vancouver games and took

home a silver medal. Going into the Sochi

games, they are one of the most predicted ath-

letes to win gold in figure skating. Shaun

White has won a total of two gold medals and

has competed in the last two winter games.

Shaun has high hopes for obtaining a third

medal through his vigorous training and high

dedication. Lastly, Apolo Ohno has already

captured eight gold medals and is one of the

best winter Olympians not only in the US, but

in the world too. His standards have not been

lower for Sochi.

For whatever Sochi may bring, the US

has prepared a team that intends to dominate.

Weather you watched from your television, or

stand in the stadium, remember to yell “Go

Team USA!”

N.d. Photograph. Zimbio. Livingly Me-dia, 6 Dec. 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

N.d. Photograph. 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Just Another Word-Press.com Weblog. WordPress, 29 Nov. 2008. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.

by RANA-ARMAGHAN K. AHMED

by MAHUM FAROOQUI

January 2014 Sports 9

Winter Olympics are here!

IA Athlete of the Month

There are many student athletes here at the IA. They are remarka-ble kids that have to juggle grades, sports, sleep, and social life. Sahil Sethi is one of those kids. He’s a kid of outstanding academics, but is also a member of the Junior Varsity track team at West Bloomfield High School. Today, we’ll ask him the secret to this success. Q: What inspired you to join the track team? A: I love running. Ever since was a child, running has been a way to clear my mind of tension and dis-tress. I felt the opportunity to do track was like killing two birds with one stone. I got to do what I love and get recognition. Q: So did you have a good expe-rience last year in track? A: Yes, track was a great experi-ence. I got to stay connected with my home high school friends and compete with them. If it weren’t for track I would have less condi-tioned and not be able to be as stress-free. And I even made it to JV regionals. Q: How do you manage track with the IA workload? A: First, I enjoy myself at track and socialize with my friends. This is where I relieve any school-related stress. Then when I come home I get a quick snack, like a granola bar. After that, I go straight to my grandparent’s room and focus my mind solely on homework. I do homework that doesn’t require critical thinking

first and then I focus on more difficult homework. Then I take a break and eat dinner. Then I watch some television for 30 minutes and finish my homework. Finally I get to sleep after a hard day of work. Q: How much free time do you have during the track sea-son? A: Only that half hour. Q: That’s tough. Do you get at least 7 hours of sleep? A: Yeah, only on good days. Q: Thank you Sahil for your time and patience today. I hope you have a successful track season. A: I appreciate it.

Possibly the biggest sporting event that will happen this winter, along with the Su-perbowl, is the Winter Olympics. The year is 2014 and now, after four years, the Winter Olympics are finally happening! This year, the Winter Olympics will happen in Sochi, Russia and will start February 7th and run through February 23rd. Less than two weeks to go! The featured sports include Biathlon, bob-sleigh, curling, ice hockey, fig-ure skating, speed skating, alpine skiing, ski jumping, and snow-boarding. There are 88 total na-

tions involved in these Olympics with 2500 plus athletes participat-ing. The events will be held in two different venues; one is the Sochi Olympic park, which is the coastal cluster, and the second is the Krasnaya Polyana, which is the mountain cluster.

There have also been many changes in these particular Olym-pic games compared to the previ-ous ones. Temperature might be one of them. The seaside city of Sochi is subtropical, with daily high temperatures around 50 F, and even though the Alpine events will be held on mountains that are miles away from Sochi, the devel-opers are worried that rain and high temperatures will wash out the snow from the Games. in addition, security is a major con-cern for US officials as the Sochi games approach. Concerns over attacks during the Olympics have been raised, since many rebel groups for war torn regions in Northern Russia vow to attack during the games. This prompted higher security measures to be taken. Nonetheless, the excitement that these Olympics will bring will not be stopped no matter what the cir-cumstances. On the slopes or in the rink, these events will be a thrill for us all.

Sochi Olympic Park, Sochi, Russia

10 December 2013 Perspectives

Celebrating Heritage by NANCY HUANG

In sophomore year, my friends and I were trying to throw a surprise, at-school, spontane-ous birthday party for our friend Anne. We drove out to Pizza Hut for a pizza, and then to CVS Pharmacy to buy something to light the candles.

I picked out a really pretty Zippo lighter, pink and blue, and was about to purchase it when the clerk asked for identification. As it turns out, as long as we were not eighteen, we were not allowed to buy lighters. So we ditched the Zippo and went with matches instead.

My eighteenth birthday is coming up, and with it, a lot of pressure. I don’t really want to change. One of the greatest things about being seventeen is that you could date a 14-year-old or a 20-year-old, and it

would be the same age differ-ence. I’m going to miss having the kind of liberty that comes with being a kid, too, to be hon-est.

Another reason this year is special is because my birth-day falls on Chinese New Year. This has never happened be-fore, as far as I’m aware, so my parents are making a big deal out of it, requesting that I throw a party and decorate my house and send out invitations. It’s the first birthday party I’ve ever thrown, and probably the last, too, seeing as I’m going off to college soon.

The thing is, I’ve always, always embraced changes and the responsibilities that come with growing older. It always helped me to think of it as grow-ing older, and not growing up. My friend Jen told me that just because I would turn eighteen didn’t mean that I would be eighteen, and there’s some truth to that.

Thinking about my party just makes me anxious. I, like many others, have always asso-ciated the idea of turning eight-een with becoming an adult. How is that the norm? Well, I’ll be able to vote. I’ll be able to purchase a lighter from CVS pharmacy. But other than that,

eighteen is just another mile-stone, like sixteen and thirteen. Not one of those in-between ag-es like fifteen and seventeen.

I kind of like hanging on the in-between. My parents would call this “running away from responsibilities”, or “avoiding adult things”.

Of course, there’s also the issue of CNY. Somehow, the universe has granted me an eighteenth birthday on the exact same day as Chinese New Year. If there’s any cultural or symbolic significance here, I’m probably missing out on it. My sister thinks it’s only a coinci-dence. My brother thinks the universe is trying to tell me to reconnect with my heritage—which means eating as much Chinese food as humanly possi-ble.

Image from http://www.tudiabetes.org/profile/Gabriella814?xg_source=activity

Image from http://ownbond.com/chinese-new-year-friday-january-31-2014/

11 December 2013 Perspectives

Resolution: Yoga by NANCY HUANG

I looked up the most com-

mon resolutions for teens, and

most of them fell under these three

categories: Get fit, get smart and

get happy.

Sure, one could spend

hours on an elliptical, teach them-

selves a foreign language on the

side and volunteer at an animal

shelter to accomplish all of these

goals. But let's be real: None of us

have time for all of that that among

the history tests, lab reports and

general melodrama occupying our

lives. We need a one-stop solution

to all of our issues. My solution?

Yoga. Yoga is not simply low-

intensity exercise for mothers and

middle-aged women. Yoga is multi-

tasking at it's finest. Let me elabo-

rate.

Yoga is going to help you

get fit. There's no denying that yo-

ga is awesome exercise. I think

that thanks to yoga, I've gotten

stronger in the most painless way

possible. The thought of going to

the gym and work each muscle

separately on some metal contrap-

tion makes me want to hide from

the world in my bed and eat cook-

ies under the covers.

With yoga, I can work all of

those muscles simultaneously,

while also getting cardio exercise

and relaxation. I like running, but it

can get a bit tedious. Yoga never

gets boring and I can customize it

to how I'm feeling that day. If I want

to work really hard and get strong --

I can do a flow full

of utkatasana (yoga chair pose --

kind of like a squat),paripurna nav-

asana (a super-charged squat)

and chaturanga dan-

dasana (basically a really pro-

longed pushup/plank). If I want to

work up a sweat and detox, I can

go to hot yoga. If I don't want to do

any physical activity at all I can just

hang out in pigeon pose (it's better

than nothing).

More importantly, yoga

changes your mind as well as your

body. Yoga teaches mindfulness

and appreciation for everything that

the body can do. The yoga philoso-

phy also promotes respect for ani-

mals and the environment. Since I

started yoga, I try to be "vegan be-

fore dinnertime," which basically

means that I don't eat any meat or

dairy during the day, and then eat

whatever I want at night. After mak-

ing yoga a part of your routine,

you'll be much less likely to spend

money at the vending machine on

Hot Cheetos.

Yoga is going to help you

succeed in school. In yoga, I've

learned how to take control of my

breath. You're probably thinking --

what kind of B.S. is that? I am a

procrastinator. I get tired and dis-

tracted... and suddenly find myself

taking personality quizzes on

Buzzfeed for hours on end.

Yoga has helped me with

my procrastination problem. Doing

a few sun salutations and breathing

exercises can sometimes get me

back on track. Sometimes, I get

stressed about studying. I'm all "I

don't even have time to wash my

hair, let alone exercise." A few sun

salutations later, the stress has

simmered down, and I've only used

up five minutes of study time. I've

noticed that ever since I've imple-

mented these techniques in my

schoolwork, I've had less cata-

strophic "it's 1 a.m. and I'm still on

paragraph two of my paper and it's

due tomorrow morning" moments.

It all sounds like hocus-pocus until

you try it.Yoga is going to make

you happier, better person. One of

the yamas of yoga is ahimsa, or

non-harming to oneself or others. If

you get caught up in a bunch of

drama, if you failed a biology test or

the "haters are getting you down" --

instead of starting a rumor, giving

up on school or doing something

idiotic, you can let go of all of your

negative feelings through yoga. If

someone that you care about is

having a tough time, you can send

them positive energy through medi-

tation. It sounds stupid, but I think

that the act of focusing really hard

and thinking kind thoughts can help

you actually find a concrete way to

help those around you.

Yoga is going to make you

feel better, get good second se-

mester grades and help you man-

age your anger, so why not give

yoga a try in 2014?

The Back Page Everything else you could want in the news.

by Emily Moll

January was probably the shortest month of the school year, besides August and June of course, because of all the snow days that we had. Holiday break ended up being 3 days longer, and then this past week there was a snow day on Friday. The snow days were a great way to end and begin the semester. On the last day of the semester, the sophomore class threw an End of Semester Party which was attended by all grades. The rumor was that second semester of senior year was easier, and so far, I can agree that my course load is less. Seniors who have IB Exam Prep 1st hour have the chance to come in late and those who have the 4th hour can leave early. This gives seniors a chance to begin studying for their IB Exams in May. This month, the sophomores presented their MYP Projects and they were AMAZING! Each student learned about a topic that they found interesting. One student learned how to cut some one's hair and even cut Mr. Pagnani's hair during the fair! January was a crazy month for all grades, but also one of the best and hopefully February will be better!

Puzzle of the Month

Solution

http://www.sudoku-puzzles.net