CUBS' COLUMN MAY 2020

By Mr. Carter

What a year 2020 has been! (And we're only 5 months in!) These are certainly difficult times for everyone - students, teachers, parents, principals. We all are trying to figure it out together while maintaining our social distance. I know many have questions about what next year will look like. I can truthfully say that I don't know all of the details. I do know that no matter what we have to do, your teachers and administration will be here for you. Whether we are learning over WiFi or working face to face, we'll be here for you. Whether we are staying 6 feet apart or sitting shoulder to shoulder in the lunchroom, we'll be here for you. Throughout this pandemic, it is important to remember those who mean the most to you and to understand that there are people counting on you. If you are going through a rough patch, whatever that looks like for you, do not hesitate to reach out and ask for help. We care greatly for each and every one of you, and one way or another, we'll be seeing all of you very, very soon. Stay safe this summer, help your parents and family members out around the house, and find something you can do to better yourself. Pick up a new hobby, learn something new, read a good book. Our motto for the 20-21 school year will be "Rise to the challenge." I can't wait to see all of you very soon and see how you will each rise to your own challenges in this coming year. Have a GREAT SUMMER!

Photos by Jack Artzner

Photos by Anya Gorin

By Bobby. St. Jean

On January 31st, February 1st, and February 2nd the cast and crew of Aladdin Jr. put on the show at the Jackson Performing Arts Center.

Kate Reindell who played Genie thought the musical went amazing. Her favorite thing about it was all the friendships. She said, “We all really bonded as a family”. Her favorite thing about playing the genie was the character. Just having all of those comedy, serious, and fun lines mixing them all together and bringing them to life.

Some of the backdrops were the interior of the palace and the exterior of the palace. We also had a backdrop for the cave of wonders. Then they had a projection backdrop for a “Whole New World” and when Aladdin goes to the Cave of Wonders. The main set piece was the market place.

The cast got to do another performance on February 22nd in Arts Extravaganza and performed to Friend Like Me.

By Cooper Dean

By Audrey Mathes

A long to be Free

Hello! My name is Azalea. I am an angel living in heaven, and I am Heaven’s gatekeeper. Being Heaven’s gatekeeper is not the most fun job. It’s actually very boring. I was actually forced into this job by my father, and it is actually his job! My father is not the nicest person. His words hurt like a knife was just stuck in my heart. His heart is full of sin and hatred. I don’t understand why he is still an angel. His wings are a shade of gray. My mother is Mother Nature. Although my dad told me she left us. I want to find her one day, but I have been cursed at this job for all of eternity. I wish I could be free! I wish I could do as I please! I wish I could be myself… My father has cursed me into never leaving heaven, and never to go on Earth or Hell. I never want to go to Hell, but I long to go to `Earth and explore! But alas… I am cursed here.

A normal day

Today is Monday, and I need to go to the Gate. I put on my attire: A silver belt embedded with blue topaz’s, a white shirt with silver armor at my shoulders with diamonds engraved in it. My pants are white jeans. I grab my staff and I fly out the door. I see the beauty of heaven in the clouds. It really is beautiful. I see God’s palace. It is a beautiful place, sparkling like diamonds.

I make it to the gate to find a demon trying to get through the gate. I fly down quickly throwing my staff at his chest. It knocked him down. I hold out my hand for my staff to come to my hand. It jolted into my hand. I closed my eyes to send a spell out to levitate him. I controlled him to make him fall in the crack between Heaven and Hell. In that crack is a place of prisoners. I hate doing it, but I must. I looked down as he fell into the dark abyss. I fall on my knees, still looking down. I absolutely hated this. Why can’t I simply be free to do as I please!? I then decided that I was going to escape this place. I will make it to earth.

I finished the job today, I walked into the house to see my father cooking dinner. He told me I was worthless. I walked up to my room a bit aggressively. I got dressed in a simple outfit and walked downstairs to eat. I began eating my supper as my father was staring at me. He knows.

I told him I was not hungry anymore, and I rushed upstairs. I tossed my precious possesions into a bag with some pairs of clothes, and I grabbed my staff. I heard my fathers stampeding footsteps come up the carpeted stairs, and I stabbed my staff at the window, making it crackle, making the light shine in many unique ways along my room. I heard my father’s hand turn the knob, and the door opened. I saw him slowly walk in, him obviously knowing how the next moments were going to unfold.

“Im sick of being treated like this!” I yelled at him, and I kicked the cracked glass, making an opening. I flew through, the glass cutting my wing a bit and scar across my eye. I kept on flying through the pain. I turned back to see my father, raging with bright red on his face. I turned back. I saw the portal glistening as it swirled with blue and green. I sped up my wings and next thing I knew, I was falling to Earth....

By Mason McGrew

We walked to where I saw the dead trees. I showed him one. “Roogus what happened to the trees?” I asked.

Then I got my answer. An upright seven foot tall pitch black wolfish beast covered in spikes. With a tail that ended in a sledge covered in spikes the spikes on the end of the tail were dripping with a very potent purple venom. It had glowing red eyes. Spikes shifted to the palm of its hand it stabbed me with them right through the chest. I screamed all I could feel was searing pain. I looked at my hands only to see black wires under my skin. Then all the sudden Roogus slammed into the beast knocking the spikes out of my chest bringing the tendrils with the beast. Roogus grabbed me he started running as he ran his legs shriveled up to become wings just like mine but of course blue. He flew off with me in his arms.

Chapter 11

An omen

We crashed through the ceiling of the government building. It had golden couches in every corner, a massive desk with compasses and a whole bunch of golden mugs. “Roogus what was that thing?” I asked.

Roogus remained silent with a look of pure terror on his face. He finally spoke after a full minute “That was a spikzer an old omen of the end of us.”

“Wait what wouldn't I have heard about the spikzers before then?” I asked.

“You are the first to ever survive an attack people have seen them but when attacked there is nothing left of them,” Roogus said.

“What do you mean nothing remains of them,” I asked getting even more nervous.

“Essentially once impaled by the spikes black vines go through you as you saw however most of them time before people even have a chance to scream the thing cuts their vocal cords. Then the person turns pitch black and is crushed into more spikes for the spikzer. If you are lucky it will either snap your neck or spine as you are killed,” Roogus said nervously.

“How do you know all this?” I asked.

“People have seen them kill some animals before with videos. A lot of videos all showing the same thing,” Roogus said.

After this a few hundred security guards with vests of kevlar and pistols and of course glowing red eyes burst through the doors followed by Bob. He marched up to us with a very self important manor.

Chapter 12

You're an idiot

“Hello Alpha and… what is that?” Bob asked.

“This is Roogus. He is a half stage now,” I said.

Roogus’es arms started to shift. “Now Roogus we have talked about this no killing,” Bob said as he reached out his hand to take control of Roogus.

Nothing happened to Roogus. His arms continued to shift becoming pointy and gaining a silver tinge. Bob got a look of panic in his eyes and yelled “positis munitionibus insuper formation.” (defensive formation)

As he said this his army of guards closed in around him. Then I looked back at Roogus’es arms they had turned into full on blades each a foot and a half long and bright silver. With golden markings etched in. Roogus marched towards Bob and his guards. Roogus stabbed through one of the guards. Then Bob yelled “mortem autem incredulus est infideliter.” (death to the traitor)

Spears formed on the guards. The guards drew diamond spears, with bronze handles. They tried to impale Roogus. They did so successfully however it didn't affect Roogus in the slightest. I reached out with my mind and had the guards stop attacking and made them clear a path for Roogus. Bob stood there in shock. Roogus jumped up and right as he was about to stab Bob crumpled into the same blue ooze as he was when he emerged from his stone case.

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If you missed the first part of the story in our previous edition, click HERE!

By Ethan Tonni, guest writer

George arrived at Camp Green Lake with an uneasy feeling, you know... when you’re about to vomit and you feel nauseous. The guard led George to Mr. Sir, but before I continue with the Grain story. I should introduce you to George Grain! He is 14 and his hometown is Barbertown, New Orleans. His favorite foods are pizza, stuffed peppers, cheeseburgers, tacos, and quesadillas. He loves playing video games or being on computers, either hacking or mostly that. He HATES sports or working really hard to achieve something. His biggest fear is Hurricanes! His best friends are Cameron, Dan, Mike, Quidey, Jane, and Enra. He has lots of allergies including Grass, Dog’s, itches when he works or outside a lot or more. He lives with his Mom, Dad, and a Cat, he also has a Grandma and a Grandpa. He also likes to smile for no reason! He hacked into Chase Bank to withdraw about $4,000,000 out of the vault. But the Chase Firewall detected the computer and he got arrested, he didn’t get the money though. He went to Court and he then had been given a choice between jail or Camp Green Lake, George chose Green Lake and that’s how he got there. Now… let’s get back to the story.

As the guard led, George to Mr. Sir George had asked if he could have anything to drink. It was a long drive up to Camp Green Lake. It was about 11 hours. But finally, as soon as the guard opened that door. He felt an envelope of cold, fresh air right in his face. But he still felt that unpleasant feeling. They finally end at the door and the guard says in a low voice, “Alright here you go, George. You can enter now.”

“Well, thanks,” George replied sadly.

The guard stays there as George enters. When George saw Mr. Sir he thought he looked like a face that got smashed with an Iron and got a tan! He kept it to himself because he thought he was already in enough trouble. Mr. Sir said with a little bit of a scratchy, scary, tempting voice, “So, George Grain, That’s you right?”

“Ye… yes, th… that’s me,” George announced in a scared, mumbling voice.

“So, do you see this delicious, cold, freezing Pepsi?” Mr. Sir said in Medi-tone.

“YES PLEASE!!” George shouted that the whole world could’ve heard him if he wasn’t there.

“Then take it…” Mr. Sir said in a soft voice.

George was about to open it and Mr. Sir shouted, “STOP! STOP RIGHT NOW! GIVE THAT BOTTLE OF PEPSI TO THAT GUARD AND THEN I’LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER ONE! THEN GIVE THAT ONE TO THE BUS DRIVER! NOW!” everyone in Camp Green Lake could hear him.

George started tearing up and hid his tears, he did what Mr. Sir said and returned back to his office.

As soon as George sat down, Mr. Sir puffed a large puff of smoke right in his face.

“UGH!” yelled George.

“Well you better get used to it WEASEL,” said Mr. Sir. He then stood up and was going to show George around Camp Green Lake. But first Mr. Sir made George put on a jumpsuit and put his clothes in a backpack in a locker, Mr. Sir said: “Alright, George, you are in Group B, your leader for Group B is Mr. Joggerfine.” “HEY! MR.JOGGERFINE! WHERE ARE YOU!” yelled Mr. Sir.

Mr. Joggerfine appeared and said that he could take George for the rest of the tour around “Green Lake”. Mr. Joggerfine takes George and tours him around when they finally got to their cabin Joggerfine said “Alright, look. Before we go here I have to tell you something… I’m going to help you, I know what happened to you and what you tried to do for your family. Also these people like nicknames so they’ll pick one for you, got it?”

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By Summer McFee

By Summer McFee

By Tyson Gamble

Cubs' Column is a school newspaper published by the students of Jackson Memorial Middle School in Jackson Township, Ohio. Students are encouraged to contribute stories, photos, cartoons, and letters to the editor. Click here for more information.

Email: jem2jc@bearworks.jackson.sparcc.org
Website: https://www.jackson.stark.k12.oh.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=6497
Location: Jackson Memorial Middle School, Mudbrook Street Northwest, Massillon, OH, USA
Phone: 330 830-8034