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.