Rockin' around the atrium
By Christa M., Features Editor

(Sung to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree")

Rockin' around the atrium in a single file line.
Dr. Nickisch informs us all, that we don't have too much time.
Rockin' around the atrium, we will soon have Christmas break.
Mr. Travis walks the halls wondrin' what music he will make.
You will get a somewhat queasy feeling when you hear Mr. Poremba sing,
Rockin' around the atrium in a Christmas candy haze.
Ev'ryone dancin' merrily 'cause we won't have school for days!

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Students plan holiday family fun
By Lyndsey M.

Christmas is a time of joy, a time to spend with your family, and a time to get presents. So, what are you doing for Christmas? Many students are going to their grandparents' houses or staying home.

Sixth grader Alyson D. is starting a new tradition. She will be visiting her aunt. She says she is looking forward to it.
Plus, after the traditional present opening and dinner, they are going to see the Radio City Rockettes perform.

Nick T., also in sixth grade, will be having a nice Christmas party with his family and friends. Nick admitted that it does get a little boring before dinner, but the food is great and the presents are better.

Nick's classmate, Abby Z. will be going to her aunts. They leave late on Christmas and have dinner when they arrive. After they eat, they give presents and stay up till midnight and then run all through house and grab as much Christmas stuff they can in a minute. She says "it's dumb," but I think it sounds fun.

Christa Cataudella, also in sixth grade, will be staying at home. Her family will be coming over and she is excited about that. She said, it's not a new tradition, but she enjoys it. Present opening is her favorite part of the day. She said she gets a lot of gifts, but could have more, and then eats dinner.

However you spend your holidays, I hope you all have fun. I intend to.

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How will you celebrate New Year's Eve 1999?
By Patrycja M.

New Year's Eve has always been a party night. But on December 31, 1999 there will be the biggest New Year's Eve party in history, probably the biggest party of any kind in history. Every year we celebrate the change from one year to the next. An even bigger event is a change of decade. A change from one century to the next is considered huge. A change from one millennium to the next is going to be a gigantic event.

Many people already have plans for spending New Year's Eve. There are many places a person could say goodbye to this millennium and greet the new one. For example, in London will be the Millennium Wheel measuring five hundred feet in diameter. Riders on the wheel will have a thirty-mile view.

Or for something a little warmer, you could join the Camel Caravan in Egypt. That would only cost you about $2,000, not counting airfare. But even if you could afford it, you can't go because it's all booked up.

Try the supersonic Concord, the world's most luxurious airplane, and zip through the time zones as the new millennium approaches. That will only set you back a mere $70,000.

A more affordable spot is the Holiday Inn in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Normally this spot isn't exactly a "tourist trap," but it will be the first city on the North American continent to meet the new millennium.

There will also be celebrations at the Great Wall of China, Red Square in Moscow, the Acropolis in Athens, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

There are a lot of places to party on December 31, 1999, but they are probably too far away, too expensive, or filled up already. The number one New Year's Eve celebration site in the U.S., and quite possibly the entire world, is our own Times Square in New York City.

Why not go there, since there are still hotels within walking distance, rather than watch the ball drop on TV at home. No one can really tell yet how many people will show up, but the celebration has a big chance of getting more people than the Times Square celebration that greeted the end of World War II.

Of course, not everyone agrees on the right date to celebrate the new millennium. Many people say that the next millennium won't actually begin until 2001. There have been arguments about this going on for some time.

It is very troubling for some people to think that they are going to celebrate the millennium a year early. Of course, that is a pretty pointless argument. Research has proven that the calendar is actually some three to six years late. So we won't be celebrating the millennium early, the millennium has actually already passed.

The millennium will not begin at the same time all over the world. The world is divided into twenty-four different time zones. So when people are popping the champagne corks in Australia, people in Chicago will still have more than twelve hours to prepare for their party.

Officially, the millennium will begin at the International Date Line, an imaginary line that runs jaggedly from pole to pole, mostly through the Pacific Ocean. To the East of the line it is one day earlier than the West. Every day begins at this imaginary line; the second millennium will also begin at this line.

The International Date Line is, of course, imaginary, but it is very symbolic. As a powerful symbol, it cannot, and will not be ignored. Cruise ships and air flights will be right on that line when the new millennium arrives. Wherever daybreak will be seen first on one of the islands around New Zealand and Australia is where the millennium will begin. Where will you be?

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Who were the ten most significant people during the last 200 years?
By Allie G.

I asked eight adults, parents and teachers, who they thought were the most significant historical figures from 1799 to 1999. The people interviewed had a hard time thinking of whom they wanted to pick. Several commented, "I have to think of ten!?" Once they got going, however, I had to tell them when to stop! Here is a list of the people they selected.

10. Jonas Salk (1914-1995) - Made the polio vaccine.
9. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) - Stood up for civil rights for African Americans and became a model around the world.
8. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) - American founding father who contributed through his inventions.
7. Wilbur (1867-1912) and Orville (1871-1948) Wright - Built the first successful airplane.
6. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) - American founding father who wrote the Declaration of Independence.
5. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) - Facist leader who started World War II.
4. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) - Discovered the theory of general relativity, which is the basis of much of modern physics. E=MC2 proves that you can convert energy to mass and mass to energy.
3. Madame Curie (1867-1934) - Physicist, who with her husband, discovered radiation, which was a great help to medicine.
2. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) - Great American president who ended slavery and preserved the Union.
And the man who received the most first place votes? for historical significance in the last two hundred years was THOMAS EDISON (1847-1931) - He invented the light bulb!

I would like to thank the following people for giving me their time: Susan G., Richard G., Mary Lou G., Shirlene G., Mr. Koenig, Mr. Cousineau, Mrs. Laughlin, and Dr. Nickisch.

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Co2 racing sweeps the web
By Matt C.

Flash, bang, zoom to the moon. Co2 cars are sweeping the school and thanks to Mr. Cousineau's website, Co2 cars will be more popular with schools across the nation. It is an extremely well designed site. It is located at www.cooz.com/co2. It is so good that it even got an award from the education-world.com web site.

One of the best features of www.cooz.com/co2 is the speed calculator. You enter in your time within a thousandth of a second and how long your track is and it tells you how fast in m.p.h. your car is going. Mr. Cousineau also included pictures of some cars made at Peacock last year.

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