1

SPE

CIA

L R

EPO

RT

2013

ASB

OFF

ICER

SJu

ne 8

, 201

2 •

Volu

me

2, N

o. 2

2

3

the4.7magazine

4 | News_PMS Track Team_Google Glasses

6 | Book Review_The Adventures of Vladimir Todd

7 | ASB Elections 2012

8 | Storytime_Bleeding Love

11 | Race to the Presidency

12 | Comics_April Showers bring May Flowers

The 4.7 MagazineEditors in Chief and Founders: Arthur Hwang and Bryce FanAdvisor: Ms. Jill Butler4.7 Officers: Karen Chang, Secretary, Aashna Avachat, Public Relations/Marketing, Mary Nino, Treasurer, Jimmy Kim, WebmasterStudent Editors: Jimmy Kim, Amy Zhao, Zhi Yang Tan, 4.7 Journalists: Amy Cho, Rhea Macocha, Aashna Avachat, Gabriela Miller, Sonali Rajurkar, Arambh Ahuja, Eunice Trinh, Nathan Daniel, Allison Chen, Marc Gauthier, Rashika Sunku, Heidi Shen, Amy Zhao, Kellie Xie, Emily Lin, Jennifer D’Addabbo, Alex Rocha, Emily Ma, Jungyoon Yu, Vishant Gandhi, Adam Yu, Gianna Barletta©2012 The 4.7 Magazine All Rights Reserved

FEATURED STORIES

4 | PMS Track TeamRashika Sunku

5 | Google GlassesVishant Gandhi

7 | Bleeding LoveEmily Lin

11 | Race to the PresidencyZhi Yang Tan

Get your opinions published.

Write to us at the4point7@gmail.com

Fantastic Five: ASB Election 2012 Winners | Not Pictured: Jennifer Jia, VP

4

News

Campaigning Has Paid Off

PMS Track Teamby Rashika Sunku, 4.7 journalist

“On your marks, get set, GO!” Listen up, Panthers, it’s time for track. If you’re interested in showing off your skill in sprints, relays, long distance, etc. or improving your stamina in running, track is the club for you. The club is open for any Pleasanton Middle School Panther, like you. So, come over to the Pleasanton Middle track every day after school and train for track meets with fellow Panthers.

According to seventh grader Jennifer Jia, track is enjoyable for a number of reasons. She said, “It helps me with endurance in running miles and other long distances, and track teaches me to keep pushing it to the finish line. I was also encouraged to join because my friends were going to be there by my side training for meets.” Then I asked what her favorite part about track was. Jennifer responded, “I like track meets because there are other schools in Pleasanton and Dublin that compete and it gives me an opportunity to make new friends and meet new people.” Since she brought up track meets, I wondered what she competed in and what she liked so much about them. She said, “ I like track meets because it gives you an idea of where you stand or rank among other people your age and since we have only had one meet so far, it’s good to know where your weak areas are and improve them. I competed in the mile for the last meet, on the bright side I got my best time but sadly she didn’t place.”

They had some phenomenal results from the last meet where six schools competed: Harvest Park Middle School, Hart Middle School, Pleasanton Middle School, Sunol Glen, Fallon Middle School, and California School for the Deaf. Here are the results:

• Tami Kwong: 1st – 100 meters &1st – 200 meters• Andrew Helmers: 2nd – 800 meters• James West: 1st – 100 meters• Gabe Alviar: 1st – 100 meters & 1st – 200 meters• Sam Frost: 1st – Mile• Dylan Dantzig: 2nd – Mile (best time - 5:22)• Kaitlin Cartwright: 3rd – Mile / 1st – Sixth Grade Mile• Leila Shafi: 2nd – Mile• 6th grade boys’ team: 2nd – 4x1• 7th grade girls' “A” team: 2nd – 4x1• 7th grade girls' “B” team: 4th – 4x1• 7th grade boys' team: 1st - 4x4

Photos: Rashika Sunku for the 4.7

5Photos: Ron Paul 2012

News

by Vishant Gandhi, 4.7 journalist!! Technology is at the tip of our fingers now, but what if it was right in front of our eyes? Google is working on a type of glasses that is integrated with all of the cool features of Google Plus (basically Facebook for Google) and Gmail. With these glasses we would be able to navigate real time, let other people see what we see with a video chat, and be able to keep up with the social network.

Google has not yet released information about when these glasses will be out, or how much they will cost. The public have seen field testers, but they all look a little bit bulkier than everyday normal glasses. Although, the glasses have received some pessimistic comments from netizens, Google has shown that this can be the future. If you want to know more go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=9c6W4CCU9M4 and watch the video. In the video there is a story told in first person about a person living their normal life, and he use Google Glasses to navigate himself through the city, text his friend, video chat his girlfriend, and even check the weather. I think that pretty soon these glasses will be like Terminator glasses. If Google can make self-driving cars why can’t they put a mini computer into glasses for everyday use?

���������

6Photos: The Adventures of Vladimir Todd

Book Review

Generally, since the series has been released about vampires and werewolves, you’ve probably tried to avoid those types of books. Believe me, I’ve been doing that too.

But, the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer is just another vampire story. A good one too. Vladimir Tod has been hiding his secret life of being a vampire from the day he was born. Vlad is actually half vampire, half human. Tomas Tod, his father was made an outlaw after breaking the sacred law being affiliated with a human, besides drinking their blood. Tomas feared that the Elysian council was going to hunt him down with his family. After awhile, everything looks like its going fine, nobody was suspecting the Tods’ as vampires or hunting them down. Until his parents died in an

unexpected fire and a teacher disappears without any of his belongings. Now the council is after Vlad, being the mistake of his father.

Though for Vlad, it seems like he’s having problems with his normal life, rather than his vampire life. In Bathory Junior High, bullies pushes him around, his principal watching his every move, and his crush prefers his best friend instead of him.

This book is short, but well done with humorous points from a vampire point of view. If you haven’t read a vampire book yet, this book is a good one to start with.

The Adventures Of Vladimir ToddKaren Chang, 4.7 Journalist

7

Campaigning Has Paid Off

ASB ELECTIONS 2012by Bryce Fan, 4.7 editor in chief!

! On April 27th, 2012, Pleasanton Middle School hosted its annual ASB Elections. As in previous years, a total of five positions were up for grab: Secretary, Treasurer, Spirit Commissioner, President, and Vice President. ! Just like last year, this year’s elections were just as exciting. The campus created a competitive and enthusiastic atmosphere along with lots of colorful, bright posters. “I thought all of the posters were really well done and all of them caught my eye,” said 8th Grader Zhi Yang Tan. “All of them were either unique or had something cool about them.” ! This year, there were only three candidates for Treasurer. Emily Ma, Hamza Naqvi, and Sai Wignarajah were three strong candidates. All of their speeches were exceptionally well done, and I was pretty impressed with their plans for next year financially. Moreover, the position of Spirit Commissioner had two candidates: Sammy Sadler, Isabella Freschi, and Audrey Yin. Both candidates seemed like they had lots of spirit. In all honesty, the race seemed awfully close, and no winner was really evident at any time throughout the election.

Additionally, Bailey Musto and Lucy Zhang brawled out for the position of Secretary. Both seemed extremely organized and enthusiastic.! The race for the top of the ASB hierarchy: President - had six strong candidates. Noelle McNamara, Amanda Chin, Jennifer Jia, Thomas Gallagher, Vishant Gandhi, and Tanvi Antoo all displayed phenomenal compassion and concern for the school and the position ! Truthfully, this year’s elections seemed awfully close. The 4.7 applauds all candidates for a truly phenomenal job this year. However, in the end, the following candidates proved victorious:

PRESIDENTThomas Gallagher

VICE PRESIDENTJennifer Jia

SECRETARYBailey Musto

SPIRIT COMMISSIONERSammy Sadler

TREASURERSai Wignarajah

"The presidency is sometimes a demanding job. Because, as cool-sounding it can be, everybody's eyes are on you. They think the president's going to solve all their problems, and if I don't listen to them, they think I'm the source of all their problems. Listening to 12 hundred different opinions at the same time can be hard—but that's the part of my job. I'm glad that all of this year's candidates who ran for office were the most dedicated and spirited people I've ever seen. No matter what the results were, all of them are and will be leaders at this school. I congratulate all the winners, the ASB Officers of 2013—I'm sure they'll continue the work we have done and make PMS even better than it is now. Best wishes to them."

-ARTHUR HWANG, current ASB PresidentPhotos: Bryce Fan & Arthur Hwang for the 4.7

8

Storytime

Prologue! "No, please, don't go!" She cried as she clung onto his robe. Ethan sighed and pulled Charlotte into his arms. ! "The country needs me. It’s required for men over eighteen of age to fight in the war-"! "No! I need you more!" She tightened her arms around him as if he was going to slip right out of her fingers. Which he was. She thought about all the good times she had spent with him. When Charlotte settled down, Ethan broke away, holding her shoulders tightly. He gazed right into her despairing eyes and whispered reassuringly,! "Don't worry about me. Just take care of yourself and don't ever forget me, all right? Stay safe." ! She nodded hesitantly and replied, "How could I ever forget you?"! He shrugged his shoulders and said, "A lot of things are possible. I have to go now, Lotti. Remember what I said. I love you, good bye." He turned away and strode towards the door, leaving her sitting next to a cold, empty fireplace.

Chapter 1! Charlotte couldn't sleep that night. She lay in bed thinking back to last week.! The sun crept out from behind the hills as its sun rays struck through the forest trees. Charlotte awakened and turned her head to see Ethan asleep next to her. She smiled before rolling out of bed to start making breakfast. Ten minutes later, a groggy Ethan got up to the smell of eggs. After sleepily shuffling to the kitchen, he plopped into a chair and began

blankly spooning eggs into his mouth, missing sometimes. This made Charlotte laugh. After Ethan was finally awake enough to realize what he was doing, he hastily thanked Charlotte for the wonderful breakfast. As they were finishing their meal, they heard hoof beats in the distance. Charlotte's green eyes flickered at Ethan’s, confusion clear in her eyes.! The town's officials didn't ride to people's cabins often. They only came when they needed to arrest someone or when something grave happened to close family members. ! When the hoof beats came to a stop, footsteps could be heard crunching along the gravel until it reached the front door. Next came a sharp rapping noise that echoed eerily through the now silent kitchen. Ethan slowly rose from his chair and cautiously approached the door. He unlocked it and opened it, stepping outside to talk with the officials. ! Charlotte laid down her fork, a sickening feeling started to gnaw at her stomach. She jumped slightly when the door opened again to reveal Ethan, safe and sound. But his eyes betrayed him. He stumbled back into the room and plopped down into his chair. He put his head in his hands and stared at his empty plate. ! After a moment or two, Charlotte whispered, “What happened?” ! “War has come,” he replied hollowly, “and I have no choice but to be there.”! Tears streaked Charlotte’s face at the memory and she cried herself to sleep.

Chapter 2! “Get ya apples! Get ya apples! Ripe ‘n sweet!” Charlotte strolled through the town’s market to

take her mind off of things. Columbus, Ohio was a small, pleasant town. Ethan wanted to live someplace where there were trees all around so they can enjoy the wildlife. ! As she walked through the crowds of people, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention.! “Help needed from women! Help needed from women to help care for the injured on the battlefield!” Charlotte wandered over to know more. “Hello there! Are you interested in becoming a battlefield nurse for the Union? If so, please sign here for registration. Thank y’all.” A woman thrust a piece of paper and a quill into Charlotte’s hands before yelling again. ! She scanned at the list and signed her name. As she signed her name, thoughts whirled in her head. If she became a battlefield nurse, she could see Ethan. Did he know that she could volunteer as a nurse? But it didn’t matter. She knew that Ethan would need her and she would be there for him.! With that satisfying thought, she scurried away to make plans for her stay on the battlefield.

Chapter 3! Ethan fell into his cot with only a moment’s relief. He had finally made his way to the tent that he was assigned to. He had passed by some drunken soldiers who had thrown pebbles at him and called him “fresh fish1”, but he had ignored them and moved on. ! He thought back to a few days ago when he was walking though the market. He had seen that

BLEEDING Love

9

women could volunteer to be nurses on the battlefield and knew that he had to keep Charlotte away from the war. Charlotte would do anything to be with him and he had to keep her from any danger the war could bring. So whenever something ran out in the cabin, he volunteered to go to the market to supply it. He hoped that he wasn’t too obvious. Before he left to serve for the war, he had also made sure that there was no reason for his Lotti to go to the market. He hoped that she knew that it was for her own good.

Chapter 4! The trees began to softly sigh as the sun peaked over the hills in a bright new dawn. Birds began to chirp, filling the silent morning with song. Suddenly, a shrill battle cry rang out. Ethan arose from his sleep and stumbled to get his uniform on. ! It had been almost a year since he had been home. He missed Lotti so much. He missed seeing her bright face first thing in the morning when she made him breakfast. He missed seeing her flawless olive skin that accentuated her pecan shaped green eyes. He missed playing with her long wavy locks of brown hair that hung loose down her back. He would give up anything to see her again. But he knew he had to concentrate in the battles because the sooner the Union won, the sooner he could get back home to Lotti. ! All the battles that he’d been through so far had worn him out. He was lucky to escape and stay alive in the battle today. He didn’t know how much longer his luck would last. ! The Union army lost their last battle, the Battle of Harpers Ferry, and what was left was sent to Antietam for an when they were together upcoming battle. They had been assigned a new general, General McClellan. ! The general stepped out of his tent with a rifle in hand. Swarms

of soldiers rushed toward the battlefield with a roar of defiance. He could hear many soldiers say, “The battle has come!” Ethan ran to follow the soldiers.

Chapter 5! By now, Charlotte was used to the blood and the wretched cries of pain. She was used to seeing the amputated arms and legs of wounded soldiers. She was used to seeing soldiers dying of diseases that had eaten them inside out. But she wasn’t used to the fact that Ethan wasn’t by her side. She missed Ethan so much. She missed seeing his messy, brown hair and bright blue eyes. She missed feeling that protectiveness from his six foot frame. His electrifying smile would always send shivers down her spine. She asked and searched for him through being a nurse. She tried to chase after him, looking at records of battles he was sent into. But she would always come short, she was always so close, and yet so far.! She had made many friends while being a nurse for the Union army. Friends such as Clara Barton. They had bonded very well when they were together to tend recent amputations. She learned how to be self-dependent and strong like Clara. ! When the nurses were telegraphed to go to Antietam, her stomach fluttered a little. She had heard that most of the Union’s army was going to be at Antietam, and her heart pounded with hope. She finally had a chance to find Ethan. ! When she arrived at Antietam, she scanned the scattered tents all around in the vast forest. She sighed. It could take days to find Ethan here; there were more than a hundred tents. ! She scouted around to find a good place to set up her tent. After everything was set up and organized, she laid down a couple of sheets on the ground for the night’s rest. Something in the back of her

mind told her that she was going to need a good night’s sleep for tomorrow. And she hoped it was for a good thing.

Chapter 6! “Wake up! The battle started!” Clara yelled through her tent. to wake up. Charlotte squinted trying to ward off the filtered sunlight that drifted in. Suddenly Charlotte jerked in an upright position, remembering where she was. She hastily thanked Clara and quickly changed into her nurse outfit. She hustled to her station, waiting for the injured soldiers to arrive. The battle seemed to be uglier than other battles. She hoped that Ethan was safe.

Chapter 7! Bullets began to whistle through the branches and nip at the trees from all around. Explosions and yelling echoed from every direction. Ethan scrambled to get behind a tree. He pulled on his sleeve and wiped at his brow. ! The battle was vigorous and gruesome. His whole body ached from dodging all the cannon balls and ducking away from falling trees. It was past midday by now and the Confederate army wouldn’t back down. ! “Watch out!” He hurled himself away from the tree as a cannon exploded where he had just been standing.! “Y’all right?” He looked up at his savior. The soldier pulled him up to his feet. The soldier was told from General McClellan to tell him to go to the Stonebridge next to Antietam Creek. Ethan nodded his head and gave his thanks as he swiftly made his way there. He found his friends standing by waiting for the next order. ! When he first arrived in the army, he was sorted by his state. He had seen many of his fellow neighbors and stayed with them.

10Photos: Courtesy of Yearbook and 4.7

! “Any success?” Ethan asked.! “Nope. We’re goin’ try to take over the bridge again. If we get it, then we can get all the whiskey we want. Now how’s that, eh?” His buddy nudged his ribs as he replied with a weak smile. ! General McClellan came on horseback to stand near the colonel that was in charge of the Stonebridge. ! “You’ve got to get the bridge!” he bellowed, savagely. “You’ve got to get the bridge!” ! “Yes sir! I’ll do my best!” the colonel replied. The general passionately gestured at the bridge then galloped away. The colonel pointed to the group of men.! “You lot! Go Section C! I can see it weakening there. You get ‘em real good.” Ethan and his friends raced to that section and joined in on the fight.! From there it had been a real blur. The Union army surged forward, only to be pushed back. Ethan reloaded his rifle and shot at the Confederate soldiers. He knew that this was a hopeless battle. Although the Union Army outnumbered them by five to one, the Confederate Army somehow managed to keep them back. There were so many soldiers being killed all around him. It was just a bloody mess. Dead bodies lied all over the ground. This was the bloodiest battle he’d ever seen. ! “Ethan! The general won’t bring in more recruits!” His friend yelled, fighting beside him.! “But we’ll die!” Ethan shouted. ! His friend glanced at Ethan and replied, “Then we better die in glory.” Ethan’s heart sank. He may never see Lotti again. So he would fight for Lotti and his country. Suddenly, adrenaline pumped through his body and he took out his artillery sword. He whispered his

love to Lotti and started to slash madly at Confederate soldiers. He didn’t feel all the bullets grazing at his skin or swords cutting at his skin. He just kept on fighting. Suddenly there was an explosion near him that threw him off balance. As he hit the ground, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head then fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter 8! Soldiers flooded the nursing tents as doctors and nurses struggled to treat them. Charlotte had seen Clara so close to the battlefield, cradling a soldier’s head in her lap, that a bullet grazed at her sleeve. ! “He needs medical help right away. He seemed to hit his head hard when a grenade exploded next to him and hurled him in the air. He seems to be unconscious.” ! Charlotte turned her head to see a nurse consulting with a doctor and beside them was a man that lied on the bed. There was so much dried blood and dirt that covered his body. She walked over to see him. He seemed so familiar. Suddenly it clicked. It was Ethan, lying unconscious.

Chapter 9! A few hours later, the doctor came out with a pained expression on his face. ! “I’m sorry. He couldn’t make it. He had too much blood lost and there was too much internal bleeding inside his brain. I’m sorry,” the doctor moved away from the tent to give Charlotte space. She rushed into the tent to see a pale Ethan.! “NO! No, no. Ethan! No!” She screamed. Her heart shattered into a million pieces as she clung onto his limp arm. She sobbed and fell to the floor. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Nothing pained her more than to see her love dead. She could

not believe that Ethan was dead. All of her hope of raising a family and being happily married to Ethan was lost. Nothing will ever be the same again.

Epilogue! “I love you, Ethan. I loved the times where you would just sit by me and hold me in your strong arms. I loved it when you would call me Lotti. Why did you have to go? Why did you have to leave me here? I still love you though. I will forever love you. Goodbye.” Charlotte kissed her fingers and pressed them to his grave. She laid some red roses next to his grave remembering that it was his favorite flower. She stood up and gave Ethan’s grave one last look. It had been four years since Ethan died and she came to visit his grave every week. From a distance, Ethan watched her link arms with another man and slowly walked away. A smile made a way to his face. She had found happiness again.! “I love you too, Lotti. Goodbye,” Ethan turned his back and started to walk in the other direction.

The End

Author’s Note! Thank you so much for reading my story! I have to thank Mrs. Rinetti for helping me edit my story and giving me great input to make this story as close as I could make it to the real event. I would also like to thank Kellie Xie for editing my story and making it flow. And of course, I would like to thank all the readers who read this story! Have a great end of the year and enjoy your summer!

- Emily Lin

Bleeding Love

11

by Zhi Yang Tan, 4.7 journalist

Mitt Romney is stepping up his game. With the recent drop-outs of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, he's now the assumed candidate of the Republican party. He's had a long and hard campaign; but there's still more in store.

Both Mr. Romney and Barack Obama will have to work hard over the summer if they want to be elected president in November. The biggest problem on everyone's mind is the economy, and both candidates have their own way of dealing with it. The key to the president's re-election is to remind Americans that the current problem is because of the Bush administration, and that he's trying his hardest to fix it. However, as he has done in debates, Mr. Romney is advocating that the president has been spending too much

money to be helping the economy. Americans currently seem to be split on this issue, with both candidates at around a 50% chance of winning. However, both candidates have a few extra tricks up their sleeves.

The war on terror is another hotly contested topic, and the Commander in Chief’s actions during his term to combat terror are very convincing. He was the one who was in charge of the troops that killed Osama bin Laden, and is currently trying to pull as many troops out of the Middle East as possible. Many Democrats and Republicans are calling Mr. Romney out on the fact that he stated that he would send more troops to attack terrorists, which would result in even more unnecessary deaths.

However, Mr. Romney's economic background appeals

to far more people than the president's. Over his 3 1/2year term, the president's administration has brought the national debt to more than $15 trillion dollars, gas prices to more than $4, and the unemployment rate to 8.2%. On the other hand, while working at the Salt Lake City Olympics, Mr. Romney created one of the most successful Olympic games of all time, turning what was a huge money waster into a profitable event. The thought of having four more years of having the country sink further into debt will make many people turn to a more conservative person.

Over the next six months, this election will become much more than who we pick to hold the title of president. The election will become the turning point for America.

V.S.

Race to the Presidency

Photos: Associated Press

12