LIONS ROAR. The Story Behind the Rockefeller Ball Drop By Patrick Fuchs. Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting By Laura Scalercio

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1 LIONS ROAR W I N T E R E D I T I O N S P E C I A L S E C T I O N S Sports Movie Reviews Book Reviews Snapple Facts Common Interest Articles I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Headline 1 New Com- Nails of the New Years Eve. A day most notably known in north east for the ball drop in Times Square. This is a tradition that has been done since 1907, welcoming the 1908 new year. This ball travels a distance of 141 feet in 60 seconds. Since 2009 the ball stays up year round. This giant ball is the symbol of the new year for many people around the world. There were two years that this tradition was not held. In 1942 and 1943 the ball did not drop due to World War II. The original ball weighed 700 pounds. In 1920 until 1954 the ball weighed 400 pounds. The weight on the ball kept The Story Behind the Rockefeller Ball Drop By Patrick Fuchs changing because the material in the ball kept changing. The original ball was made from iron and wood with 100 light bulbs on it. The next one was made from just iron. The one after that was made from aluminum. Then it was made from a total of over 600 halogen light bulbs, 504 triangleshaped crystal panels, 96 strobe lights, and spinning, pyramid-shaped mirrors. The current ball is made from a sphere lit by 32,256 LED lamps. At 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter, containing 2,688 Waterford Crystal panels. The present day ball weighs a whopping 1,212 pounds. Common Interest Arti- Fashion Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting By Laura Scalercio Annually, there is a Christmas tree lighting in New York City. It takes place in Rockefeller Center. People around the country try to donate their trees to be cut down and be the Rockefeller Center tree each year. A tree is chosen and brought to the city to be decorated. There are some rules for chosing a tree. The dimensions of the tree must be at least 65 ft. tall and 35 ft. wide. More than 30,000 multicolored bulbs are strung on 5 miles of wire to decorate the tree. No other ornaments are hung on the tree except but a star is placed at the top. After Christmas, the tree is recycled and 3 tons of mulch are donated to the Boy Scouts. History: The first formal lighting was in In 1936 there were two 70 ft tall trees. The lighting also included a skating pageant for the first time on the newly opened Rockefeller Plaza outdoor skating pond. In 1942 there were three trees. One was decorated in red, the other white, and the third in blue to support the troops serving in WW II In 1949 the tree was painted silver to look like snow. In 1951 the tree was lit on national television for the first time on the Kate Smith Show. In 1966 the tree was given from out of the U.S. for the first time. It was given from Canada. In 1999 they had the largest tree ever in Rockefeller Center history and was chosen from Connecticut. (100 ft. high) In 2004 the Swarovski-designed star was created. It is the largest star to ever grace the tree.

2 P A G E 2 Winter Workouts By Gianna Todaro Bundle up, it s time to run: dressing warm for winter workouts When running or working out outside during the winter, it is important to dress appropriately according to the weather. This can be tricky. On one hand you don t want to be too cold, but on the other hand you don't want to be too warm. There is a solution to this problem. For pants, there are fleece lined leggings that are great for the winter. Leggings are probably the best way to go, but you can also wear sweatpants depending on how cold it is. In some cases sweatpants can become too warm. For a shirt,you should wear a base layer. This is a shirt that is close to the body that helps wick away perspiration. Next, over that you can wear a fleece top or a wind jacket. For extra warmth you can wear light running gloves. In addition you can wear a headband that covers your ears and a hat over that. Finally when you first step outside you will feel cold but as you exercise your body will warm up. Holiday Traditions Around the World By Kayla Scalercio Millions of people all over the world love to visit families and celebrate winter holidays. During this season people typically celebrate with family traditions. Family traditions are things you and your family do together, to make that holiday extra special. Some family traditions are as easy as baking cookies, or watching a nice family movie. Others can include cooking ethnic food together or maybe going to the same location each year to celebrate. These traditions can be seen during some popular winter holidays are, Christmas, New Year s Eve and New Year s Day. Christmas is a very important holiday for Catholics. Many family traditions are put into this holiday such as, baking cookies, decorating the Christmas trees, watching Christmas movies, decorating your house, visiting relatives, telling the stories, and so much more. That is just some of the traditions that families do together. New Year s Eve is another holiday where you see many traditions. Many people have traditions like staying up until 12:00 am, or having appetizers, chips, and junk food. Some people make new year resolutions where they try to improve something about themselves. On New Years Day some people eat certain foods to signify luck or fortune in the new year while others may go shopping, or just relax.. L I O N S R O A R W I N T E R

3 PA G E 3 Kilauea, the Hawaiian Volcano By Vincent Monaco Kilauea, youngest Hawaiian volcano, is located on the Big Island. The volcano constantly erupts. It is the most active volcano in Hawaii and around the world. It s eruptions have been uninterrupted since The volcano has a central crater that flows with a lava lake beneath it. There havebeen recent eruptions that have destroyed hundreds of homes before reaching water. Even with much de- struction this year, some people have decided to stay until they cannot safely stay anymore. The lava flow has been moving about feet an hour. In some areas the lava was chest high. Most people say this eruption was not a surprise. The surprise was how much destruction it has caused for people. This eruption has scared many people, Lots of people have lost their homes, and many possessions. They were not expecting this to be such a severe eruption from Kilauea. Peer Leaders and Peer Mediators Fund Raiser A Success Kathy Logan, Director of Bridges at the Shore The week of January 12-16, Thorne Peer Leaders and Peer Mediators teamed up to raise money for a local charity, Bridges at the Shore. The Peer Mediators have been working for the past few years to collect items and other donations for this organization which provides for the homeless population in Union Beach, Keansburg, North Middletown and Long Branch. In November the Peer Mediators have a collection of unused Halloween candy from students and staff in the school. Then the candy is put into goody bags in early December to be given to the children of the homeless parents that come to collect items they need at the December run. A run is a what the volunteers at Bridges do every month. They sort out items that would be needed, load their cars and head out to meeting points to give out the items to people in need. These tireless volunteers are led by Kathy Logan. She has been the force behind this organization for over a decade and inspires people to help. The fund raiser that was organized by the Peer Mediators and Peer Leaders was called BE A HERO, SEE A MOVIE. Students bought a HERO bracelet or string bag during the week and on Friday they were allowed to view a movie in the cafeteria. The students raised $371 which was given to the Bridges program. Thorne was built on teaching PRIDE and the students of the school show this PRIDE by getting involved and supporting such a wonderful local charity. L I O N S R O A R

4 P A G E 4 The Hobbit By Patrick Fuchs One last time. The third and final Hobbit concluded the series that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about. It started where the last Hobbit ended and had non stop thrills, action, and drama for the next 2 hours and 24 minutes. Some of the lead roles were Martin Freeman who played the role of Bilbo Baggins the Hobbit, Bard the Bowman played by Luke Evans, Gandalf played by Ian McKellen. give any gold up because he was infected with Dragon sickness (he becomes very greedy and protective of ALL the gold). This upsets everyone. A battle then breaks out. A battle that ends in destruction and fatal casualties for all involved. The special effects are the best you can get. From the Orcs to the dragon it looks as if it is all real. This Hobbit will have you sitting at the edge of your seat the whole movie. In this movie, the dwarves finally reach the Lonely Mountain. There is just one problem when they arrived; everyone wanted a piece of the gold. Thorin Oakenshield would not Thorne Horoscopes Fall 2014 Aries (Mar. 21-April 19) Find someone special and hang out at the movies Cancer (June 22-July 22) You show your abilities to your friends and family in the next few weeks. Everyone is impressed! Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Find time to relax with family and enjoy the cold weather together. Capricorn (Dec22-Jan 19) Spend some time with you and a good book or some hot chocolate and think about your future. Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is a good time to change the way your bedroom is set up Leo (July 23-Aug 22) Be positive and say something nice about everyone. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) People want to hang out with you because you are so much fun! Enjoy the attention. Aquarius (jan 20-Feb 18) Great news is on its way. Share the news with everyone. Gemini (May 21 June 21) Time to make major room changes in your house. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept.23) You are going to be on a roll this month in school, home and with friends. Enjoy! Sagittarius(Nov22 Dec 21 How can it be? You are awesome and a fun person to be around. Pisces (Feb 19 Mar 20) You hard work in school is really paying off. Keep up the good work! L I O N S R O A R W I N T E R

5 PA G E 5 Snapple Cap Facts By Gianna Todaro 1. More Siberian tigers live in zoos than in the wild. 2. Jousting is the official sport of Maryland. 3. South Carolina is home to the first tea farm in the U.S. 4. George Washington had false teeth made of gold, ivory, and lead-but never wood. 5. A group of a dozen or more cows is called a 'flink.' 6. The common garden worm has five pairs of hearts. 7. Lobsters can live up to 50 years. 8. Harry S. Truman's middle name is S. 9.The average koala sleeps 22 hours each day. 10. Astronauts actually get taller when in space. History of Thanksgiving By Vincent Monaco Grade What Holiday Do You Like More? Christmas or Thanks- Christmas Thanksgiving Christmas wins but it has to be noted the main reason was because the break from school was longer. The students said the food on Thanksgiving is better! :) Hold on to your memories of Thorne. Make sure you order In 1621, Colonists from Plymouth and Wampanoag Indians/ Native Americans had a feast in fall. Why we have it in November you ask? Well, it started when The President of the United States (Abraham Lincoln) changed the date during the civil war (1863). For two centuries, Thanksgiving was celebrated all over the New World. It Started when a ship named the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth with 102 passengers. Most of the passengers were religious separatists or as we know them today, pilgrims. They wanted to go to the New World for freedom so they can practice their own religion. They landed near Cape Cod after 66 day s on sea. They arrived at Massachusetts Bay, They are known for making the colony in Plymouth. When the winter arrived at Plymouth, Most of the passengers aboard the Mayflower stayed on the ship for fear of the new, untamed world and disease. The Mayflower was not enough to keep the pilgrims from the brutal diseases of the winter. Only half of the original passengers survived their first winter. When Spring arrived, They met a Native American tribe named the Abenaki. November, 1621, the Pilgrims and the native tribe had a feast (Thanksgiving) to celebrate their great alliance. This is how Thanksgiving started.

6 THORNE See us on the MIDDLE web at: SCHOOL P A G E 6 Photo by Dalia Habiby The Lions Roar Staff Advisor C. Giordano THORNE MIDDLE SCHOOL Advisor Christine Giordano THE LIONS ROAR STAFF COME AND JOIN THE NEWS- PAPER STAFF. CHECK THE SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR MEETINGS. EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Gianna Todaro Hailey Drake Erica Caposello Gianna Grosso Anthony Miotto Amanda Krand Patrick Fuchs Vincent Monuco Laura Scalarcio Kayla Scalercio Arly Vera-Lopez Jaime Rourke Ella Pickering Aiden Falzon Emily Yeager Morgan Palmer ALL STUDENTS OF THE THORNE COMMUNITY CAN MAKE CREATIVE SUBMISSIONS TO THE NEWSPAPER. FEEL FREE TO DROP ARTWORK, POETRY, COMICS, CARTOONS, IN THE BOX OUTSIDE OF ROOM #114, OR YOUR SUBMISSION TO : giordanoc@middletownk12.org