Ecliptic Times Holiday Special

Ecliptic Times:
The Life, Times, and Happenings of the Sophomores of MHS (During Winter Break)
Holiday Special
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Happy Holidays to all y'all

Contributors (Awesome People)
Nope!

Paper News. News that you can use.
For all of you who missed the Times two Fridays ago, I sincerely apologize. I fully intended to have a Mega Holiday Issue but, in my stupidity, did not voice my intentions until I realized what I had not put. (Got that?) So anyway, I hope you enjoy this issue. Please enjoy this candy cane as an apology.



In further news, this is going to be the last issue of the year. Imma make some New Year's Resolutions about my updates, which I think you will be pretty happy about. By which I mean I'll update every day. Thanks for reading!

School Life
We have been having Winter Break, if you haven't noticed, which means there is no school. Hope you enjoyed all your presents!

Bragger's Box
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I could brag about my presents... but that wouldn't be part of the season nor make anyone feel good. If YOU, however, would like to brag about your presents, please let me know and I'll put you up here.
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Contests
Jusin Vu and Joseph Ou are both tied with one point. Whoever gets today's will WIN!
Also, a bit on how the money will be doled out.

• With only one person, all money goes to him.
• With two people, the money is divided evenly without anyone getting more. For exaple, if Jim and Joe both have the same number of points in the 5$ contest, they'd both get 2$ with 1$ left over.
• With three people, follow the same rules for two people. If Jim, Joe, and Jake all have the same number of points, they'd each get 1$ with 2$ left over.
  
• All left over money from a contest goes into the next contest's pool. So if a bunch of people tie, the next contest would be really big!

Anyway, keep those guidelines in mind so your not all "OMG I WON WEARS MY 5$ OMGOMGOMG" or whatever you people do in those situations.

Distractions. Links for the procrastinators.
You should be able to find plenty to do today. But if not, please feel free to take a look at the Epic Battle G-docs again. They're really coming along quite nicely, but none are yet completed.
Characters
Dungeons and Monsters
Sample Battles
Rules
Battle Sheet
Rules (Justin, could you fill this part out? I don't have the file. Just use the old one for now.)

Story Time
Chapter One, part 4
It was his best childhood friend, Renault. And was pointing a knife right at Jaroa. "Don't move..." said Renault threateningly, "or I'll run you through here and now. Now here's what we're going to do. You're going to place the blindfold around your eyes. And you're going to move. And you won't peek unless you want to die, got it?" Jaroa gulped.
"Renault..." he started. No response. "Renault... why are you doing this? What's happened to you? Don't you remember who I am? Jaroa! We used to be best friends!" A flicker of doubt passed across Renault's face.
"What am I..." he began. Then the moment passed, and his face once again turned hard. "Put it around your eyes. NOW. And no more talking, or I will kill you, going against her orders."
Her? Jaroa wondered. "But I..."
And then all he knew was pain. He felt the blade burning where it had entered his body, but it also felt as if all his skin was on fire. He tried changing and, with a chill, found he could not. His vision began to fade.
"Next time," said Renault, "follow orders."
And then the world turned black.

Best Quotes Heard on Campus
Today I am proud to announce the first series of Calvinisms. You all know Calvin Yan, and these are just a few of his best quotes I have heard.
"I HATE TREES!"
"TWILIGHT SUCKS!"
"I LOVE CHEETOS!!!!"
"I always speak Words of Wisdom"
"CUPCAKE JUICE!"
"YOU CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT!"


Words of Wisdom indeed.

Rants and Raves
This week's rant: The Paper by me!
What. Is. My. Problem?! Why do I ALWAYS end up missing my updates?! Does anyone even read this?! AM I JUST WASTING MY TIME? At least I smile when I Google "Ecliptic Times" and my site is the first to come up. That always makes me feel good. But who in the WORLD is going to ever Google "Ecliptic Times?!" The thing is, guys, that no one besides sophomores at MHS is ever going to read this. It doesn't correspond to their lives. Man, it barely even corresponds to YOUR lives?! What is this point of this newspaper anyway? Why do I even keep it up? Why did I start it in the first place? These are all questions I find myself asking myself frequently. And then I remember... it will be great on my college apps. XD. Dylan out.

- E-Hero

Interview
Sharon Roth

Ecliptic Times: Hello Ms. Roth. How are you today?
Ms. Roth: Fine, thank you.
T: Ok, let's start off with some basics. How long have you been teaching?
R: 19 years.
T: What subjects do you teach?
R: I have taught everything from 7th-12th grade English, I have taught history, and I currently am teaching high-school English.
T: What is your favorite book to teach? Why?
R: Hmmm... that's a tough one. Can I name my favorite unit?
T: Go ahead.
R: My favorite unit to teach is the Shakespeare unit, because there is just so much material. Videos, the history of the time, the plays to read... the plays in particular are fun, becuase not only are they great stories, but their themes still resonate with society today. Shakespeare understood people, and people do not change.
T: Do you have any tips for students on how to do well in school?
R: Stay organized, stay organized, stay organized. Keep a daily planner and write everything down in it, and make sure you have a reliable time and place to do your homework that you can always count on for some quiet studying. In addition, get together with friends who are also studying. Work together, and you'll be surprised by how much you start to understand.
T: What are some of the best excuses you've heard from students?
R: Let's see... There was one student who said they couldn't do their homework because they never made it home. Another good one was the student who left his backpack at his grandmother's and her house burned down. I let him off the hook. Finally, there was a girl who said it was impossible to study in her house because her mom had had twins, and she could barely even sleep with all the crying. I understood that one two, knowing all too well how a baby can change around a household.
T: What is your favorite teaching memory?
R: There was once a student who was failing my class. After a while, his grandfather, who was retired, started coming in every day. It was perfectly fine with the school, as the grandfather had gone through all the proper steps. And every day, he just sat in the back of the class listening to me and making sure his grandson stayed on track. At the end of the school year, the student passed with a B. But the best part was that, at the end of the Shakespeare unit, the grandfather came up and spoke with me after class. He said that I had taught the unit so well, and he had been so fascinated, that he was going to go home and learn and read all the Shakespeare that he could. He said it was all thanks to my wonderful teaching. That stands out in my mind as my favorite teaching moment because not only was I able to help the students, but I was able to teach a fully grown man and excite his passion in learning, due to my teaching.
T: Are you excited for break? What are your plans? (Note: I quicly realized the first question was stupid.)
R:[laughs] Who isn't? My plans are to fly down to Hawaii on a private jet flown by my husband, and spend break relaxing in the sun of the islands and in the comfort of our own Hawaiian home, which we own. It's going to be perfect weather for a perfect vacation, too!
T: Is there a question you've always wanted to be asked in an interview?
R: Nope! [Note: This threw me a bit off guard, as I was planning for the last question to be the question she wanted to be asked. But it looks like she beat me this time.]
T: Alright... any last words before I go?
R: I've never even wanted to be interviewed before! This will be the only interview I'm going to have this entire school year.
T: Thank you for your time. Goodbye!

AP World Study Guide
You guys don't need one. It's break! (Also, I'm too lazy to make one.)

Closing Thoughts
This was a pretty epic issue, all in all.

fin

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Where in the world did this come from?

It's really hard, so I'll give you a hint. Look over all of the links I've ever given you. If you hurry, you should still be able to see it on the front page of the site.