By Ariana Wright and Lisa Thao

And the Clubs Begin

NOVEMBER 2013

Were two months into another year of education and so far we can say that its been a great one! We have a spacious building to ourselves, homecoming rocked, and our school is growing by the day. It gets better, too! This school year three new clubs have started at ITA. That brings our club total up to six, an amazing number that our school can definitely be proud of. To get the word out about these clubs and their incredible growth, were doing a full feature on each of the clubs and all that they do. In this article, youll find Student Council, NHS, our Roar Newspaper, Yearbook, and more! Flip over to page 4 and immerse yourself in the extracurricular activities sprouting up in our school. Once youre done, we encourage you to support them, join them, or, if anything else, let everyone know about them!

Pro-Activate. I dare you.

So I procrastinated the other day. Actually it was all last week. Or was it all last month? I cant remember. All I know is that I totally lived it up.

By Anders Engnell

See Clubs on page 4

Featured Inside:
Gravity Movie Review
By Josh Davis, Page 6

Robotics is Catching Fire

By Pachience Booker, Page 2

Give your friends a Shout-Out! Page 3

And if you know me, you might think that the last five sentences are a total fib (since when does Anders live it up?), but its all true. I procrastinated like a pro and partied like a rock star. The best part, though, is that I learned a lot along the way about motivation, friends, and the kind of life worth living.
See Pro-Activate on page 8

He who opens a school door closes a prison. Victor Hugo

SCHOOL NEWS November Edition

went to UNICEF, one of the leading international organizations against human trafficking. All 20 ITA students there had a great experience championing the cause against modern slavery and eating up Halloween nights recommended 1,000 grams of sugar. In total, Student Council raised a grand two hundred dollars for UNICEF, all of which will be put to use freeing people from the bonds of human trafficking. The event was such a success that Student Council plans to host one again in February! Be on the look out for this event. When it arrives, invite all of your friends out for a great night and the opportunity to set modern slaves free. As you may already know, ITA is expanding and growing like never before. And with this growth comes new opportunities and programs. For example, a new and modern computer coding club has been formed here at ITA. Headed by Josh Davis, the computer coding club takes place every Monday after school in Mr. Ballards class. This club is for anybody interested in a computer-related career and could give you experience to be one step ahead of the job competition. Its also a fun experience. In this club, you will learn how to operate multiple systems that are used for creating websites. These programs include Java script,

Student Council and Cracking the Code Buckners Caf Team Up to at the Computer Club Take out Modern Slavery By Joshua Stimage
By Anders Engnell
You may not know it, but every year millions of men, women, girls, and boys are forced into human trafficking, the modern form of slavery. They are traded, beaten, abused, and used for whatever the slavers purposes are. Without hope, without choice, and without help, most of the trafficked slaves dont live longer than seven years. Thats why on October 31st, Halloween night, the ITA Student Council hosted a Fight Human Trafficking night at Buckners Caf, as you might have heard over the announcements at our school. From 6 pm to 8 pm that night, ITA students and Pontiac residents loaded up on sweets, treats, and ice cream in support of the cause. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds

work flash, and HTML. All the above are a form of programming language- the language which the computer understands so it can display what you want to see. To join this club, please contact Joshua Davis at mzdrvd96@gmail.com. The club meets Mondays after school. Transportation is not provided, so make sure you have your own ride available.

The Robotics Team is Catching Fire!

By Pachience Booker Pontiacs robotics team the Wings Of Fire - recently won their first award of the 2013 OCCRA competitions! Competing at Birmingham Seaholm High School on November 2nd, the Wings of Fire beat out almost the whole field of competitors to place 3rd. The team isnt satisfied with just one win though. At their next competition at Clawson High School on Thursday, the 14rd of November, theyre going to fight to win it all! Members of the robotics team are super excited and are ready to crush the competition! Their legendary pep and team spirit will be on full display, so be there to share the fun and victory with the team! So don't forget guys! 6 PM at Clawson High School on Thursday, November 23rd. Be there and support your team in all of your purple gear. Go Wings of Fire!

Catchy Quotes from the team:

"We are going to win!" - Donovan Hernandez "Make the best of every situation and every situation will be the best for you." - Nadia Adams

ITA Sophomore Rubi Rodriguez serves ice cream to senior Benjamin Slade.

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November Edition

Hey!
Give your friends a Shout-Out in the Roar! Send in your ShoutOuts to roarnewspaper1 @gmail.com and theyll be published in the December Edition!
Answer to Joke 3.: By completing the SCARE.

School News: Club Edition

Student Council
Student Council is sponsored by Ms. Williams and Presided by Anders Engnell .This has been ITAs fourth year of Student Council. Student Council has been focusing on fundraising for the schools activities and other special events. With the help of Ms. Williams and the ITA staff and students, they are now donating canned goods for those who are less fortunate and cant afford a Thanksgiving dinner. All Student Council meetings are Wednesday morning in Ms. Williams room unless announced otherwise. Talk to Ms. Williams or Anders Engnell if you would like to join.

November Edition

International Technology Academy now has six unique and growing clubs for students to join. So here are the updates:
In May of 2013, the National Honor Society had its first induction ceremony for ITA students. It was an exciting moment. Student lit candles and signed their names onto the NHS book to become inducted in the NHS.bAs school began in September, NHS has been active with their meetings to get things organized. So far, NHS came up with a brilliant idea of having ITA shirts for spirit day. It was an amazing sale to start off with! NHSs next big idea is an ITA School Store, stocked full with snacks and school supplies. They hope to open it ASAP.

National Honor Society

The Roar Newspaper

The Roar newspaper began in January of 2013 but really started to pick up speed at the beginning of this semester. The newspaper club currently has about 20 members. Within this, each of the members is placed in a specific department, whether it be for entertainment, school news and activities, or foreign news. Each department has an editor, writers, and photographers. We all work diligently to produce a beautifully finished product, such as this one you are reading. So far we have had two published issues distributed in school: the October edition and this November edition. If you want to join, talk to Anders Engnell and he will provide you with an application.

Yearbook Club
We are excited to announce International Technology Academys first Yearbook Club! Alexis Wright and Lisa Thao have partnered up to publish a yearbook for the ITA school, along with the help of other students. At their meetings, they have been laying out the plan for the yearbook. Designs, sections, and ideas about what should be in a yearbook have been planned out and made ready to share with the Yearbook sponsor, Mr. Ballard. They have also gotten a step ahead by finding companies to help lay out this yearbook. If you want to join, talk to Alexis Wright or Lisa Thao.

Coding Club
The Coding Club, hosted by Joshua Davis, takes place directly after school on Mondays. There are currently about six members. The club is located in Mr. Ballards classroom. I recently caught up with Joshua to learn what coding club has to offer- "We are currently learning HTML, which is used to make websites. Over time, we will venture into other coding languages such as Java and JavaScript." The club concludes at 3pm, and you must have your own transportation.

Science Club
The sole purpose of the science club is to aid ITA students in acquiring extended science knowledge that would not normally be found in the curriculum, some of which includes food science, engineering, and STEM. Science club gears towards everyday situations and explores various careers in these science fields. Join Anders Engnell, the Science Club director, and eight other students in the lab downstairs to expand your knowledge and skills in the art of science. Remember that the science club meets every other Thursday after school.

ENTERTAINMENT
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
By Josh Davis The Book Thief, Nov. 8th The critically acclaimed book The Book Thief is now coming to the big screen from those that made Life of Pi. The release date is set on November 8th. This movie tells about a young girl named Liesel Meminger. She lives during the time of World War II. When she is 9 years old, she moves in with a foster care family in Germany and begins to find a passion for books. She continues to find books and steal them so she can share them with other people. She does this while hiding a Jewish refugee from the Nazis. This movie is one that will be a must-see or a bust. It is has an interesting feel to it and is definitely something to look at if youre into drama or war movies.

November Edition

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire Cause I am a champion and youre gonna hear me roar. Katy Perry

Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Nov. 22nd Coming soon to the big screen is the new movie The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. This movie is based on Suzanne Collins famous series of books. The release date is November 22nd. This movie is the sequel to the first and is all about rebellion. Within this movie, the main two characters, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, are coming back from winning the 74th Hunger Games. The fact that they won sparks a rebellion. To stop this rebellion, President Snow creates the 75th Hungers Games, otherwise known as the Quarter Quell. With this, all past victors will have to come back and fight to the death, or so it seems. Catch this exciting sequel when you have the chance and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Disneys Frozen, Nov. 27th Disneys new movie Frozen will hopefully become another classic. This movie is starring Kristen Bell and Jonathan Groff, and is set to release November 27th, the day before Thanksgiving. In this movie there is a girl named Anna and a guy named Kristoff who get help from a reindeer to break a spell made by Annas sister, Elsa. Elsa is the snow Queen and the spell is making it so that winter is never ending. On this journey they come across all kinds of things, like danger at every turn, mystical trolls, and even a talking snowman. This movie looks really funny and perfect for children. If you have been to the movies recently you most likely have seen a trailer for this movie, but if you havent you can watch it on Youtube at Frozen Trailer.

Lorras Jokes!
1. What do you get when you cross geometry with McDonalds?
2. If there are ten copycats in a boat and one jumps out how many are left?

3. How does a ghost solve a quadratic equation?

4. What do you call a crushed angle?

Find the answers hidden in the newspaper!

ENTERTAINMENT Continued November

Scary Secrets
How do you make a game freaky?
By Ryan Robinson
Many video games can be considered a form of art. Many video game sub genres require different things to make them perfect. Scary games, specifically, require many different aspects that make them scary. There needs to be a dark, eerie atmosphere accompanied by setting, music, and different situations. There also needs to be a terrifying enemy, whether it be monsters, zombies, mutants, or the dark itself. There are many different feelings that need to be invoked to make a game truly scary. Finally there needs to be a good, solid plot. If there is a game full of jumpscare it doesnt have the same lasting, horrifying effect that keeps you up for days, maybe weeks. The atmosphere is crucial to a scary game. The atmosphere includes the setting, music, and situation. Walking through an abandoned doll factory full of insane serial killers is a great setting for terror. Music that accents certain moments really assists in setting the atmosphere. It is not only the music but it is the lack of music that helps to strike terror into the player. Enemies are incredibly important to a scary game. The enemy needs to be psychologically scarring. Enemies like pyramid head Slenderman stay in your head. They may go away for a while but they come back when you are trying to sleep. Alan Wake does a very good job at creating a scary enemy because the enemy is the darkness that possesses people. Playing Alan Wake at night gives you an on-edge feeling. Thats why Alan Wake is dubbed the psychological thriller. One feeling that is important to a scary game is a feeling of intimidation. The feeling of no-matter-howpowerful-you-are-the-enemyis-a-lot-more-powerfu-thanyou. The other most important feeling to a scary game is the feeling of helplessness. Alan Wake nails both of these on the head. Many other games use these two feelings to make themselves truly scary. The final thing that a scary game needs is a good plot. At least a backstory can suffice, or even some folklore that it is based off of. The folklore that Slenderman is based off of is what truly makes it scary. Overall though, it is all of these that make a scary game scary: atmosphere, music, enemies, the plot, and the psychological terror. Thanks for reading, and keep on gaming. By Josh Davis

Edition

Gravity Movie Review

makes you feel every second the movie is playing. Throughout the Gravity is a movie for all ages and whole movie there is always a this is earns a well-deserved 3 stars. never going to end well feeling and When you first see the trailer for the every time something happens, like a movie you might be thinking this is meteor shower, there is always dumb and we all know Sandra Bullock something else following right will die in space, but it turns out behind. It doesnt take you off your theres more to it than that. This movie primarily encompasses Sandra seat but it definitely keeps you on Bullocks journey through space as a your seats edge. medical engineer collecting data. She I choose to give this movie a 3 also has two partners in the movie, stars because it isnt all that one of them being George Clooney interesting in the beginning and it who is a veteran astronaut planning takes a while to build the plot well on retiring after this mission. This movie is a lot better if you see and get engaging. I also think that Clooney should have a bigger role in it in 3-D or IMAX because the extra dimension experience adds more the movie because the movie is, depth and realism to the movie. The basically, a Sandra Bullock movie. I sci-fi feel the movie has is made that think, overall, the feel and energy of much better when you see it in 3-D. I the movie is great, the quality and would say if youre a fan of thrillers but you also like scientific things this special effects are awesome, and the impact it gives is good. I would say would be a good movie for you. The after I saw the trailer and then movie in a way encompasses a part of what an actual astronaut has to go watched the movie I was highly through in space and it shows how impressed, but if I were to just go see dangerous it can really be. the movie on a whim I probably The thriller aspect of the movie would not be as ecstatic over the comes from the way the movie movie.

Entertainment Special November

Edition

The Top 3 Scariest Games in Existence

By Ryan Robinson
#3: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
I havent played this game much, but I know enough to be freaked out by it. Its a survival horror game set in a castle with sideways mouthed monsters. Going near the monsters causes you to go insane, which will eventually kill you. Youre not just trying to survive; youre trying to save your mind from the darkness around you. Reprint of Ryan Robinsons Article in the October Edition: The Top 5 Scariest Games in Existence death. Its for the Wii, and the Wiimote is your flashlight and the nunchuck moves you around so you can avoid death. However, in a game like this there really isnt anything you can do to prevent dying. Scariest part of the game: The gameplay style of the Wii amplifies the horror experience. The scariest part of the game is when you hear the death rattle. This is basically a courteous message from the game to you. The message reads: you might as well give up now because you are officially screwed and are going to die... HAVE FUN. The correct response to the death rattle is to ball up in a corner and sob lightly. entirety of the Silent Hill extravaganza was all a guilt trip to make you remember what you did. It was a reminder of the awful sin you committed. This brings us to... HIM

Scariest part of the game: Pyramid Head

Probably one of the most infamously iconic yet terrifying characters in all of gaming, Pyramid Head (yes thats his name) is the big baddie of big baddies in Silent Hill 2. He is dressed as a butcher with a bloodied apron and a humongous pyramid on his head. For a weapon, he drags around an enormous cleaver that is so big he HAS to drag it from place to place, making a sound worse than a chalkboard rubbing against another chalkboard into a microphone giving feedback. But, this isnt the worst part of pyramid head. The scary thing is his purpose. James felt so guilty he believed he needed to be punished by someone or something for his sins. Thats where this executioner comes in. Pyramid Head doesnt get to James, but he sure punishes everyone else for what James did. Well that ends my list of top 3 scariest games. For those of you who have read, thanks. For those of you who havent... My self-esteem thanks you. Keep on Gaming!

Scariest Part of the game: Theres a

flooded corridor with a monster that can hear your footsteps. You cannot see the monster but you have to jump from box to box to get through. If you fall off of the boxes the monster will charge after you. Panic then takes over your thoughts as you try every possible thing to get OUT OF THE WATER.

#2: Ju-On: The Grudge

This is a survival horror game based on the movies of the same name. You probably are thinking of the American Grudge movies, but dont. The original Japanese movies and manga titled JU-ON are much more terrifying. Thats why some company decided to base a game off of those terrifying Japanese-made things. For those of you who dont know much about the Grudge, its that movie with the creepy meowing kid and the lady with the death rattle. And for those of you that are still confused, its the movie with the black haired baby thing that got kicked in one of the Scary Movie films. There really isnt an objective to this game, you just walk around the house and try not to have an unfortunate

#1: Silent Hill 2

All of the preceding games showcase different aspects of scariness. But whether it is adrenalin-inducing action, creepy enemies and atmosphere, disturbingness and a thrilling plot, this next game has it all. Silent Hill 2 is about the creepy tale of James Sunderland. At the start of the game, he receives a letter from his 3-years deceased wife, in which she tells him to go to Silent Hill. You arrive in Silent Hill, meet some people, and they all die. You also fight some monsters. Ill remind you that your wife died of illness 3 years prior to the games events. After you fight some monsters, you enter a dark room with a television. You sit and watch a video that has a bigger plot twist than the sixth sense. You find out that being incapable of watching your wife suffer from illness any longer, you put her out of her misery. The

Editorial : Pro-Activate
It was like a journey through some unexplored territory, unknown to the usual all-homework man. While I dont advise that you all procrastinate (please, dont!), the experiences I had and the things I learned kind of shook up a lot of what I thought life was about. It started simple, you know, just a minute here, an hour there. I took more time on social networks and spent more time checking out sports websites while I was doing homework. Then I just kind of stopped doing anything at all. I only completed assignments a day before they were due (normal, I know, but remember this is Anders) and I just barely studied. This went on for almost two weeks. And to tell the truth, it was freeing. I had all this awesome free time and nothing to do but hang out with friends and goof off. Skipping work was a great feeling, at least for a while. Pretty soon work started to pile up on my schedule. I was still living it up, but things got hectic. I was jumping in between being lazy for half a day and then trying to do 3 hours of homework in half an hour. As you might think, it was a disaster. I totally trashed some assignments (even got a D- on a test). So I was having a ton of fun, but I wasnt doing quality work. I wasnt improving myself either, like trying to be cooler with people or getting better at anything. Strangely enough, I was going forward in time but not going forward as a person, in who I was. I was a stagnant guy, not moving in a straight direction, and I was even falling back. I felt lazy and unmotivated and I hated it. I decided that I would end my procrastination And I horribly and miserably failed. I almost believe that I failed more at ending my procrastination than I failed at getting work done when I did procrastinate. I hit something like the Berlin Wall. Id sit down to do work, and end up with 2 hours of the Stephen

November Edition
down the gutter all the way past due date and beyond. Instead, I think we should pro-activate. As pro-activaters, we wouldnt live our lives in a textbook, but wed finish our work to save time for the stuff that matters, like hanging out with friends or eating dinner with our family. We would activate our lives on purpose, having fun and doing work. The ProActivate Movement wouldnt turn us into nerds. We would just be people living up life in all the different ways we could, including living it up in the classroom. Im officially a Pro-Activater. Want to be one too? If you have any comments or questions, you can talk to Anders Engnell in person or email him at roarnewspaper1 @gmail.com

Colbert Show and March Madness under my belt. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldnt get work finished. The wall in my mind blocked me from any motivation to get on top of my homework. It took another week to get back into my normal flow, which is doing around 4-6 hours of homework a day (yeah, you can laugh at the nerd). While I gained a lot as far as fun goes, my procrastination set back my life and a lot of the things that I wanted to do, and I didnt feel any better after it all. In the end, I didnt gain anything from my trip down Procrastination Alley. I had fun, but the laziness that permeated my being and the hit my reputation took from the poor work I turned were bad enough to make the fun seem worthless. It made me feel like I was worthless. Thats why I want to start a different movement, the Pro-Activate Movement. In our school, the big thing seems to be procrastination. Many of us push assignments

Answer to Joke 4. : A Rectangle (a WRECKED-angle)

Coming to the Roar

Life

November Edition

is hard. School and College are tough. People are confusing.

and I have no answers...

So I ask Melody Lane!

Follow Melody Lane on Twitter and ask any question you like. Then get ready for a practical, for-real answer to be posted to your tweet! Your tweet and Melody Lanes answer may even be published in the Roar! @MelodyLane_

Teacher Profile: Mrs. Nitoski November Edition

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William Arthur Ward
Position: Middle School Social Studies Teacher at International Technology Academy Teaching Experience: Two years outside Pontiac and twelve years at Pontiac High School

Teaching Philosophy
All kids can succeed, but they must learn the skills necessary for success. Give them the skills and tools they need and let them grow.

In Focus
Mrs. Nitoskis Journey Teacher
ITA and the Pontiac Robotics team know Mrs. Nitoski as a uniquely intelligent and inspiring teacher. All she is now, though, Mrs. Nitoski credits to years of dedication to learning the right skills and working diligently and consistently. In high school, actually, Mrs. Nitoski didnt

earned it. A few years after to Becoming a Great high school, she found her academic rhythm and earned care about her grades or a Bachelors Degree before even apply herself in school. going on to notch a 4.0 grade I had a 2.5 average point average for her throughout all four years, Masters. she says with a playful smile. Today, Mrs. Nitoski has The intelligence was there, taught high school social she notes, but she didnt studies for 13 years and has a have the skills and work ethic long list of students who to do well. have been inspired by her Mrs. Nitoski can smile teaching. What was the about her high school years change? Learning the skills now. She has more than for success was the

difference, as Mrs. Nitoski tells her student daily. Mrs. Nitoski remembers, I learned how to organize. I took notes. As a student, Mrs. Nitoski used to not have any systems to learn with. She was on the battlefield of academics without weapons and ammunition. Knowing this, Mrs. Nitoskis goal now is to give her students all that she didnt have in high school so that they can go on to succeed in college and life.

Favorite Teaching Moment

One time, I doubted whether I could teach or not. I asked: should I be here? Then three things happened in one day. The first was a little thank-you card given to me by one of the freshman girls in my first hour expressing how much she learned from me. Later, one of my boys wrote for an assignment that I was teaching the students skills that they could use for life. Then one of the kids who

always stayed in the back told me that he loved my class and was learning so much. I believe things happen in threes, and so those three really confirmed what I was doing and told me I should stay in teaching.

Answer to Joke 1.: A PLANE Cheeseburger

Events and Announcements

November Edition

Every moment and every event of everyones life on earth plants something in his or her soul. Thomas Merton

November 20th, (Wednesday) End of Second Marking Period and Half-Day November 23rd (Saturday) Wings of Fire Robotics County Championships at Brandon High School November 28th-29th, (Thursday and Friday) No School Thanksgiving Break December 11th, (Wednesday) No School
Answer to Joke 2.: None because they are all copycats!

Week of December 16th-20th The Roar December Edition is Published!

McNeal Complete Auto Repair:

248-857-9696 Towing: 248-240-4874 Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Waterford, Clarkston, Rochester, and Oakland County.

The Best Wrench In Town!

Join Us!

November Edition

Want to become a part of the Roar Newspaper?

Talk to Anders Engnell in person or e-mail him at roarnewspaper1@gmail.com