Newt for President...Yikes!

            We are currently in the midst of the race for the Republican nomination. The candidates include Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, John Huntsman, Michele Bachman, Rick Perry, and Ron Paul. For some reason, the American public has shown that they want to nominate anyone other than Mitt Romney, who is arguably the most qualified candidate. In the polls over the past few months, Romney has been behind Herman Cain, the pizza-god who, allegedly, sexually harasses women, and Newt Gingrich. Who’s the next leader in the polls? Rick Perry again?

            Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, was basically thrown out of Congress due to his lack of leadership skills and long list of personal problems. During his time as speaker, Congress had a record high level of arguments about nothing, and a record low level of constructive conversation. In fact, his lack of leadership led to a government shut down on two occasions.

             When not on Capitol Hill, Gingrich had even more problems. He asked for a divorce from his wife, who was also his high school geometry teacher, while she was in the hospital recovering from surgery. Did I mention she was suffering from cancer? He got married twice more after this escapade.

            Many people are willing to forget all of the Newt Gingrich scandals due to his knack for debating and public speaking. Although he is very articulate and has many good ideas, Gingrich has no executive functioning skills. After being practically banished from Congress, Gingrich set up a number of Republican think tanks that all fell apart.

            We cannot be fooled by Gingrich’s debating skills; his presidential qualities are only on the surface. Come on, America, stop kidding yourself.  It is time to accept the fact that there are no good Republican candidates for this primary, and realize that Mitt Romney is the lesser of all evils. -James M.

Transition from 6th to 7th Grade

I woke up at 7:15 on September 9^th, not sure what to expect in a new building. I thought back to my sixth grade year. Would seventh grade be as much fun? Would it be awful? Would it be as hard as everyone had said, with four hours of homework every night, tests and quizzes all the time, teachers not realizing how much work the others were giving and definitely no more “mental health days” (where I used to be able to convince my mom to let me have a break and take a day off)?  And what about grades?  That certainly was new, and not fun to think about. While preparing my backpack, I let my mind wander through my class schedule. I liked my classes and had good friends in each of them: a definite plus. That first day of seventh grade, I had no idea what to expect.

Now, with the first trimester finished, I realize how much I like the Upper School. Though I’m still unsure if the seven-day schedule makes sense, I love the new sense of freedom the Upper School gives. It’s fun to socialize with my friends in the hall, to play football on the big lawn, and to have the flexibility of study halls, art electives, and different club options. Athletically, it is great to have the opportunity to make varsity, JV, or an ISO (for me being squash). None of these options were available for us in the Middle School. Finally, the Upper School building is different from the Middle School, with its three floors, an elevator, and a big Commons area (definitely an upgrade from the Middle School in every way). Though I didn’t know what to expect in the Upper School, it has been a great experience and I look forward to the rest of this year and the next.-by Mason P.

Mascot Madness

        You have a problem when your mascot, the cougar, is more commonly used as an insult towards middle-aged divorcées than it is used to describe a large cat. Not only is our cougar the laughing stock of our school, but it has also sparked anger amongst many of our alumni. Those who went to Country School a few years ago remember when we were “The Blue Lightning” rather than “The Cougars. “ The first thing that came to my mind when thinking of this matter was, “I wonder what the alumni would think about the fact that we have painted a feline embodiment of shame in the middle of his basketball court?” so I asked them. All the alumni that I told about the change in mascot had the same reaction. First, they were surprised about the change, and then they were angry. After being informed that a cougar, according to dictionary.com, is “an older woman who seeks sexual relationships with much younger men,” they were even angrier.

            Obviously, there is not much of a choice. We must go back to being the frog that everyone at NCCS loved. Since when was our school off of Cougar Town Road? And when was the last Cougar Town Fair? No, let’s leave the term cougar to the screenwriters on the ABC network, and end the embarrassment that we have brought upon our school, and the anger we have roused in our alumni. -by James M.

Gabriel Bol Deng

On October 27, 2011 Gabriel Bol Deng came to talk to the Upper School about his experience in Sudan becoming one of the Lost Boys, and shared some important life lessons with us.

Gabriel Bol Deng is a man originally from a village in South Sudan. When he was 10 years old, the North Sudanese Arab militiamen led a violent attack on his village. Everyone who didn’t escape was killed and most of Mr. Dengs’s family died. However, Mr. Deng was able to escape and had to walk for four months in order to reach safety in Ethiopia. His journey was extraordinarily difficult and he was fighting to survive, crossing the Nile River filled with crocodiles and crossing the desert. After living at an Ethiopian refugee camp, he then moved to Kenya (because of war), and eventually became an educated man working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In 2001 Mr. Deng was able to come to the United States, a wonderful opportunity that the USA gave him and other Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan. He then went on to become a successful educator.

In 2007 Mr. Deng went back to Sudan in search of any family members left after the violent political turmoil. While there, he worked on his movie “Rebuilding Hope.” This movie features Mr. Deng looking at schools in Sudan and figuring out ways he could improve the education there. It also showed him reuniting with his family whom he had not seen since his village was ambushed when he was 10. When he returned to America, he founded ‘Helping Offer Primary Education (HOPE) for Ariang.’ HOPE for Ariang has “a mission to provide educational opportunities and health services to Sudanese people adversely affected by political turmoil in Sudan.” (www.hopeforariang.org) Not only does HOPE for Ariang build schools for villages and provide necessary tools for the schools, they also make sure the students are fed, have clean water, and have gotten necessary vaccines. Mr. Deng and other people like him were called the “Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan,” and he is sharing his experience as a ‘lost boy’ with others, and providing education to those who have been affected by what has happened in Sudan.

Whilst fighting for his life during the political turmoil in Sudan, Gabriel Bol Deng remembered important life virtues his parents taught to him. He said that he particularly remembered his father saying, “You have the power to move a mountain.” The theme ‘moving your mountain’ stayed with him throughout his journey and was a very important step mentally for his survival. ‘Moving your mountain’ means that whatever big obstacle you have in your life, with hope, courage, and resilience you can always overcome the obstacles. Mr. Deng’s Mom and Dad had a huge influence in his life, and their wisdom and advice saved him. He said that his parents told him, “Life is about making good decisions.” Multiple times this advice saved him in situations of life or death. He made it clear that in any circumstances you are in, making good decisions is most important. Lastly, the final principal advice that he shared with us was that you are unable to control only 10% of your life. The other 90% is within your control, so don’t let the 10% determine the outcome. 

Gabriel Bol Deng’s story was extraordinary, and makes us put our lives into perspective. His story taught us to believe in our dreams, work hard to achieve, and be appreciative and grateful for what we have.

If you would like to inquire further about Gabriel Bol Deng and his non-profit organization Hope for Ariang, his website is www.hopeforariang.org

- By Virginia M.

Interview With Brandon S.

I’m here with Brandon S., star running back of the Cougars:

How do you feel about the game on the 15^th? We played well; we rose to the occasion after our brutal previous losses.

If you had to pick an MVP for the game, who would it be? Sean M. played an outstanding game of football.

You just had a game against GCDS. What are your thoughts on this game? They’re a good team; it was a good game, and I hope to play them again in the future.

Coke or Pepsi? Neither; I hate soda.

What NFL teams do you like? I only like the Patriots.

 Who’s your favorite NBA player? LeBron James is the greatest player alive.

Yankees or Red Sox? Yankees.

Any shout outs? KK, the coaches, the fans, and the rest of Cougar Nation...

- By James M.

How Green Are You?

Water Conservation Quiz from the National Geographic

1.What generally accounts for the greatest use of household water?

            Dishwasher

            Shower

            Washing machine

            Landscaping

2.How many gallons does the average washing machine use per load?

            8

            25

            41

            64

3.True/False.  Taking a bath saves more water than a shower?

4. How many gallons of water are wasted each year in an average household due to leaky household pipes?

            3,000

            5,000

            9,000

            11,000

           

5. According to the National Climatic Data Center, which of the following states has not experienced drought between March 2009 and February 2010?

            Virginia          

            South Dakota

            Louisiana

            Michigan

Homecoming

During a sunny Saturday on October 15^th, New Canaan Country School had its first homecoming thanks to CJ Y. and Olivia C. who brought this idea to Mr. Bazemore at the end of last year. The day started with a varsity soccer game vs. the French American School of NY. The second game was varsity football vs. Long Island Lutheran and the day finished off with a varsity field hockey game vs. Choate.

Varsity soccer started off the day with an early morning game. Goals were scored by Andrew E., Kyle D. and Samuel P. The game went back and forth, but in the end, French American pulled out with the win. They played a well-fought game that ended with NCCS scoring three and French American scoring four goals.

During the second game, NCCS played Long Island Lutheran. This game was very exciting as it came right down to the wire. At the beginning of the game, the Cougars were trailing 6-0, but they marched down the field and evened the score at 6 all. Lutheran struck again and NCCS scored again. It was late in the game and Lutheran was driving; NCCS had a lot of momentum going into the end of the fourth quarter. With great coverage by CJ Y. and Sean M., CJ Y. came up with the interception for a touchdown that sealed the victory for the Cougars. 

Varsity field hockey won 3-0 vs. Choate. Varsity field hockey fought hard and came through with the win. Emma S., Juli S., and Olivia C. scored for the Cougars.

- By Henry C.

Google to “help” (buy out) Yahoo

         Leaks and rumors are fueling the mist behind the Google-Yahoo merger.  The past few weekends it has been speculated Google will help private equity firms purchase Yahoo (NYSE: 16.35.) Google, having over 68% of the search market, would combine with Yahoo to have internet market share of over 80%. Google (NYSE: 588.49) released strong third quarter results. Although Yahoo would not be a part of Google, its investment would push the stock up into the six hundred range, very good for a Silicon Valley internet firm. -By Alec B.

Outdoor Action Trip

           This year the class of 2012 was able to experience OAT.  It was a new adventure for all of us, and we are grateful that this trip brought us even closer together. Through challenging hikes and freeze-dried food, we were able to work as one through the Appalachian Trail.  In total we hiked 20 miles.  It was tough terrain, but the singing and laughing usually kept us occupied.  The heavy backpacks were also a challenge.  These backpacks were full of the necessary supplies we would need for the week ahead. 

            For some of us, the nights were the worst part.  Shelters and tarps were available, but sleeping under the tarp was challenging.  The wind in the night would blow my group’s tarp out of the ground.  The sounds of raccoons also haunted us in the night.  It seemed like every time I heard a twig snap, I would wake up!  Knowing that we were all together made the spookiness of the night not as frightening.

            The three days of hiking was truly a great time.  The second day of hiking was the longest of the week.  On this day we would hike ten miles.  Although it was a hard hike, we were all together and we made the best of it. 

            I would say that OAT was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at Country School.  I’ve never felt closer to my classmates than I did after the Outdoor Action Trip.  Even through the stress of climbing a mountain, and several injuries, I’m so happy to have been a member of the Jupiter Squad. - By Olivia S.

World is going up in flames: Europe’s problems are now our problems

With more procrastination coming from European finance ministers to shore up the worsening debt issues in Greece and other weaker European nations, the US is getting beat up by the backlash. The more Europe waits, the longer it will take the Dow Jones to get back to pre-2008 conditions.  The Dow now stand around 12,000, a disappointing number, but after rallying 2,000 points in the last few months 12,000 is nothing but amazing. It isn’t the US’s fault Europe’s horrible debt numbers loom over the US like a tidal wave ready to knock out the weak American economy.

The European problem is not being solved. Even after protests by the G20 to fix the issues, Europe is taking its sweet time.  Excuse the stereotype, but they are having afternoon tea and crumpets. It’s getting dangerous - the contagion has changed from continental to global. In a matter of weeks, we might not recognize the world’s economies. But, it’s not all negative: there are two outcomes to these problems.  One is Europe solves its problems and the US continues solid gains on an uphill road to recovery. Or Europe doesn’t solve its problems, which could result in the final split in a cracking Eurozone and the end of a prosperous, relatively peaceful era in Europe.  -By Alec B.

NCCS Honors 9/11

          Ten years ago, on September 11^th, 2001, our community experienced one of the darkest days in American history. Terrorists hijacked four planes and used them to attack our nation. One plane hit the Pentagon, two hit the World Trade Centers, and the last crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Not only did those planes take down the twin towers, but they shook the rest of the nation as well. Our community suffered especially. All of us have friends and family who live or work in New York City. Also, most of us know someone who was lost on September 11^th. This day will never be forgotten, and even ten years later we remember 9/11 as if it had happened yesterday.

            On September 11^th, 2011, the tenth anniversary of 9/11, our school honored the event that occurred ten years earlier. 9/11 became a point of focus in English and history classes. Also, we gathered on the 9^th grade lawn to have a moment of silence for those lost on September 11^th. Ten years later we still remember the tragedy that the September of 2001 bore. Although it was awful, 9/11 is a day that will be remembered forever, and will be a constant reminder of what the United States is fighting to stop. 

– By James M.

Modern Family’s Sidesplitting Premier

       After sweeping the Emmy awards on September 18^th, the popular show Modern Family had to wow audiences on its September 21 premier. Of course, the hilarious show that no one can resist was successful in its one hour, two-episode premiere. To kick off the fall season, the Dunphy, Pritchett, and Tucker-Pritchett families traveled to a “Dude Ranch” in Wyoming. In this episode, all three families had to deal with many issues. Claire Dunphy was upset because her older daughter, Haley, brought her boyfriend on the trip, who then proposes later on in the episode. Phil was using the vacation to impress Jay and prove that he is manly. Haley was upset at her mother, as many teenagers are, because she thinks Claire is over-possessive about Dylan, and Alex was having mixed emotions of her own when a boy she does not like “steals” her first kiss. In the Pritchett family, Jay was upset because the cowboy was hitting on his wife, Gloria, who was oblivious. Finally, Mitchell was frustrated because he decided that if he was going to raise a boy, he had to be manlier himself, which led him to setting off one of Luke’s fireworks. I loved this episode, and I thought it was an exceptional start to a brand new season.

            To conclude a night of comedy, there was a second episode that was even funnier than the first. The purpose of this episode was for Cam and Mitchell to announce to the rest of the family their decision to adopt a boy. The only problem was that Lily was opposed to sharing her dads because Cam coddled her and she picked up a sharing issue from Mitchell. Then, in the Dunphy family, Claire was trying to prove to her family that she was right about everything while her family was making fun of her. Lastly, Manny was struggling with the fact that he stole a locket from a girl and could not bring himself to admit it, but Jay predicts this and embarrasses him. After watching these two episodes, my stomach hurt and my throat was hoarse from laughing too much. If you do not already watch Modern Family, you need to, and I cannot wait to see the ridiculous variety of stories unfold in this upcoming season. - By Charlotte Z.

Steve Jobs Obituary

         On October 5^th, 2011, the world lost one of the greatest minds in history. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple and Pixar, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, but although he is gone, his legacy lives on. Steve Jobs revolutionized the way we watch movies, use our phones, and listen to music. He has touched all of our lives. Many of us would be lost without our iPhones, iPods, and MacBooks. Not to mention that most of us have seen a Pixar movie. We have Steve Jobs to thank for all of these great inventions.

         Not only has he changed the world through his inventions, but he has also changed many lives by being a genuinely nice person. Many of you may remember “project red,” in which Apple sold red products and gave a percentage of the profits to charity. Through his inventions, philanthropy, and genius, Steve Jobs truly has “put a dent in the universe,” and he will be greatly missed.-By James Maguire