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College Application Process

By: Maya Stoilova

Seniors talk a lot when we are in the cafeteria, often about college. The soon approaching deadlines are causing many seniors to become impatient about waiting to send their applications to their dream colleges.  Meanwhile, juniors are beginning to write their first college essays. In order to help them, here is some advice:

  • DO think about your career goals before you start researching, applying, or writing.
  • DON’T wait until late November in your senior year to start caring about college!
  • DO ask yourself the questions “What school do I want to attend? Where should it be? What do I want to study? What will my essay be about?”
  • DON’T just apply to the popular and trendy schools. There are many other excellent schools that you probably haven’t heard of.
  • DO go and ask for help in the college counseling office (and, in case you also have an agent, make sure to keep your college counselor and your agent in touch).
  • DON’T miss the deadlines!
  • DO show your real self in the application (and remember – if you don’t get in, then the school probably wasn’t the right fit for you).
  • DON’T try to present yourself as a completely different person when writing your essay. Remember to speak (in this case – write) from the heart.
  • DO make your college application process an adventure (travel, visit, see).
  • DON’T overwork yourself.
  • DO get rest, enjoy Boston and your last year in high school!
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CATS Food Waste Challenge

By: Maria Monterio Attie and Nicholas Mikellides

Food waste is a very serious global issue that happens all over the globe. After witnessing the food waste issue in the CATS Boston dining hall, it became quite apparent that the United States is one of the most wasteful countries in regards to food.  When our teacher, Mr. Walecka, assigned us a Contemporary Issues project to raise awareness of about a global issue our topic was obvious. We chose to tackle the food waste issue at CATS and make students, faculty, and staff more conscious about this serious issue.

How did you decide to raise awareness for this issue?

In order to raise awareness, we concluded that the best option would be to show to the community at CATS how much food we actually waste. Once we received the support of Mr. Angell, Mr. Pendley, and the Aramark team, we created the idea to weigh the food waste from CATS for a two week stretch. The first week we decided the students would not be aware of the project, whereas the second week we would make students aware. We ended up discovering that we waste around 675 pounds of food in five days. We then compiled this information and create a video to put on the advisory homeroom announcements. After displaying the results, we started a campaign to create as little food waste as possible for another five days.

What were the results of the campaign?

Unfortunately, the results were not as good as we expected. The CATS community wasted 670 pounds of food during the second five day food challenge span. There was only a difference of a mere five pounds.

Why did the results not change?

After analyzing the unfortunate results, we started wondering why the waste continued to be practically the same. After talking to some of the students and teachers, we concluded that the waste continued the same due to the lack of community serious towards the issue and because some people were not “used to” the cafeteria food.
What can the CATS community do to solve this issue?

The CATS community could be more conscious about what they are wasting and why they are wasting the food in the first place. After this presentation, we could talk to the cafeteria and propose recipes and cooking styles many of our students are used to eating. Our final solution would be to have a house competition and whoever wastes the least amount of food would win house points.

Conclusion

Finally, it is our conclusion that the CATS community contributes greatly to the problem of food waste. It is really important for us to initiate change amongst all of our international students from all over the world. If people here become more conscious of this serious issue, they will, hopefully, spread this idea to different countries and help create less food waste.

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Thanksgiving Break at CATS

By: Livia Qeli

With Halloween season ending, November and Thanksgiving have arrived! Thanksgiving is an American holiday that was originally celebrated to give thanks for a successful harvest. Nowadays it has become a tradition which all American families celebrate each year by having a plentiful Thanksgiving dinner.

Many CATS students are choosing to leave school or explore America for the four golden days of break, but many students chose to stay on campus. If you are choosing to stay on campus, do not fear, as you will be able to experience a classic Thanksgiving dinner on November 24 right here. There will be turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce galore provided by the school. As we will have a long break, here are a few ideas of things you can do here on campus:

  1. Catch up on sleep: you’ve had 3 long months of school with few breaks and plenty of homework. This is your time to wind down and chill out. Forget about exams and rejoice in the warmth of your blanket.
  2. Have a movies night in your dorm or a sing along: what is better than watching movies with your friends and some warm buttered popcorn while it’s cold outside? Pretty much nothing compares.
  3. Sign out to see Boston. The city will be busy with people, many sights to see and Thanksgiving themed activities.

Have fun, be responsible but most important don’t forget to be thankful!

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Men’s Fashion According to CATS Students!

By: Nuray Salina

Fashion is a very spectacular avenue for self-expression. We often watch changes in female trends and fashion, but we might rarely notice the evolution of male fashion. Some people argue that men should not follow fashion, because they say, men have fewer choices on how to dress.  But, I disagree. There are some at CATS Academy Boston who agree with me.

I talked to four well known and fashionable male CATS students who make radically different style choices.  I sought their fashion advice. Here is what they recommended:

  1. Do not be afraid to experiment. If you got bored with your everyday appearance, maybe it is time to change something like your hairstyle?

Look at famous actors and models, for instance, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman or David Beckham, whose haircuts are very stylish and elegant. Would they look as good without their distinctive hairstyles?

  1. Find your style. Try to figure out what kind of clothes fit you well and make you look your best.

Some guys like wearing oversized hoodies and baggy jeans that really don’t fit them. A reexamination of style might be needed.   It is easy to look better in an usual shirt with classic pants. The best way to find your style is to go to the shops and try on different clothes. Take a friend and let them help determine your style.

If you are looking for stylish and fashionable clothes, you might find them in shops such as Anti Social Social Club, Supreme, Hugo Boss, Boy London, Thrasher, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Zara and Kenneth Cole. These shops offer a big choice of fashionable clothes for young men.

  1. Add accessories to your outfits, but they should be tasteful, not extra-large.

Fashionable accessories should not be big like the giant jewelry some entertainers wear. Good watches, stylish sunglasses, luxurious cufflinks or a classic black hat are excellent examples of what to consider.  It could be whatever you want.

Men’s fashion is every bit as important as women’s.  So, men should try to make an effort to look good and up-to-date. But, also keep in mind that, “Style is what you carry within yourself, not what you buy,” according to Stefano Gabbana.

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Successful Haunted House Debuts

By: Amber Nguyen

“On October 31st, CATS Academy opened its door into a sinister hotel with a disturbing story. The grand construction housed only the elite, and its guests never left. They were forever bound inside the decaying walls of the hotel as the horrifying truth surfaced.”

The storyline was introduced as one of CATS’ Student Government event projects, specifically for Halloween. The basement of the school became the haunted destination while students and teachers became the spirits that walked its hallways. Walls were put up to form a path, and decorations turned every corner to fuel nightmares.

The tour began every fifteen minutes as the tour guide headed the unaware visitors through each room with distinctive themes. The most common fears came to life as guests ran from clowns, psychopaths, demons and the unknown lurking in the dark. Screams were heard throughout the tour as hurried footsteps and dimly lit rooms created a suffocating atmosphere that threatened even the sternest spirit. After the tour, terrified visitors parted as they left the terror of the basement with quickened heartbeats. Some stated that the experience would likely stay with them for the night.

The success of the haunted house was the outcome from weeks of preparation, building the cast, acting and decorating. It was a tremendous amount of work for the talented Student Government and the dedicated faculty, led by Professor Mike, to complete in a limited amount of time. Some were playing a role in the haunted house and others took part in the construction itself. In the midst of the school’s Halloween Spirit, the haunted house was an event that many could hardly forget.

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A Senior’s Aspirations

By: Aleksandra Chernysheva

Unfortunately time at CATS passes by very quickly and almost imperceptibly. Although it is just the beginning of November, when many may assume (fairly enough) that there is a lot of time ahead to worry about the end of the school year, they not exactly correct. I think that most of the seniors would agree with me, that time seems short. We are the ones who must choose colleges, decide which exams to take, and complete all our applications. This is the time of the year, when seniors are crafting their future and what they aspire to accomplish in their future lives. What are their college aspirations? Why? Are they anxious and nervous about leaving high school behind or are they well-prepared to confidently step into the new life that the college is offering? These are the kinds of questions that I wanted to explore, which is why I talked to a CATS senior.

Many of us would agree that senior, Alice Nguyen, from Vietnam is one of the most remarkable students at CATS Academy Boston. Since her arrival, she has been an integral part of our community.  She constantly challenges herself academically and is welcoming and friendly to all. She is also one of the best student-writers who deserves to be considered for the English Award 2017.

What are her senior aspirations?

“For college I’d like to be in an academically rigorous environment, where the students are all eager to learn and to help others learn. In college, I want to be busy 24/7 with internships, academics, and extracurricular activities. College is the time for me to challenge myself and get the most out of my experience.

I’m passionate about creative writing, so I’d like to join literary magazines and journals, book clubs, and any writing workshops. I also hope to explore other disciplines that would let me explore more about myself. ”

Is she nervous or confident about her forthcoming college experience?

“I’m really, really excited to go to college. I mean, I love CATS, but college is a whole new horizon to immerse myself in, and it’s always exciting to think about new places and new journeys. However I am certainly not ready, even worried and stressed out at times, because my early decision deadline is approaching. It’s comforting to know that I’m doing my best to prepare and challenge myself.”

I am sure that a lot of seniors are in the same position as Alice, and we wish them all the best of luck. We hope that you all achieve your goals! To the class of 2019, prepare yourselves! It’s coming for you too, maybe even sooner than you expect.

 

 

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Habits of An “A” Student

By: Howard Ng

Being mediocre isn’t the type of student you should be. You know that you have potential and the aptitude to succeed academically in every subject. But, maybe some of you reading this have not yet reached your full potential. Who doesn’t want to wake up and see their Engrade filled with A’s? You should keep in mind that “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” (~Lao Tzu), thus one step follows another. If you follow these suggestions and work hard, they can help you become someone that excels.

  1. Manage your time, write down your assignment
  • You might think you can remember all of the assignments your teacher gives you, but don’t be surprised when you suddenly forget about all of it the next day. If you are someone that has had the experience of having no clue what the homework was, then you know that needs to change. Instead of losing points for missing the due date, which brings your grade down, simply get a planner or some kind of notebook to write down every assignment that your teacher gives. Stop wasting your time, write it down.
  1. “Humility is how you get better” (Mr. O’Donnell)
  • At all times, stay humble. Put yourself in a position to learn in each class you attend. Keep an open mind and always be open to new ideas and better ways of doing things. Your opinion about the way things should go may or may not be the best. Accept both accolades and correction with grace.
  1. “ Cope with failure effectively”
  • When your grade in a particular class drops significantly such as if you were to get a 65/100 or an equivalent grade that is very adverse, the effort that you put into the class should increase, not decrease. You shouldn’t blame your teacher for a bad grade, you should consider your mistakes and learn from them. A bad grade should not deter your personal determination to rise to the top.
  1. “ Set goals, always know where you are going”
  • In order to get anywhere, you must set goals. When you do, then, at all times, you will be certain of where you are headed and what you want to do in the future. By setting a goal you tell yourself to do your best to achieve it. With a goal in your head, let’s say… get an “A” average in your Algebra II class, you will keep on thinking about this goal wherever you go.  The goal will truly get into your mind. You will start functioning to do everything you can to meet it, which is a great way achieve the grade you want.

These habits can easy be adopted by every student here at CATS.  If you develop these habits and use them every day, you will be on the road to become that “A” student.

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DECA Club Mission Statement Letter

“Every meeting starts with our mission, which is the intense and never-ending learning. Learning that shows our main purpose as a club to have a significant imprint on the school’s community by organizing and participating in competitions and fund-raising sales. These events allow us and the surrounding community to daily challenge ourselves, to collaborate with the one another, and last but not least – to have fun gaining important knowledge for the future, especially in the areas of finance and marketing.”

This is the mission statement we, the DECA members, came up with after getting inspired by endless talks with our advisor, Mr. O’Donnell, by the enthusiasm in our peers’ eyes, and by the smell of the brand new DECA textbooks. A mission statement that embodies our goals and values as a group, or more specifically as members of the two sections of these year’s DECA, the first section being the marketing committee, led by Anastasia, and second one – the Finance committee, led by Long. These committees are meant to encourage and help students develop in the areas they are interested in by working on interesting projects and participating in competitions. Additionally, the DECA members like to collaborate in the organization of new fun events for the CATS community such as donut and pizza sales. Lastly, as our president, Minh Tran, mentioned, the DECA club this year will successfully bond the school’s community together by organizing interactive activities and cheering up our spirit by winning awards from regional and hopefully national competitions.

On behalf of DECA Club,

DECA Secretary, Maya Stoilova

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Preparations for Halloween 2017

By: Nuray Salina

Halloween had always been my favorite holiday throughout my childhood. Staying in the United States gives all CATS students an opportunity to completely understand the holiday.

It appears as if most Americans start their preparations for the holiday 1 month in advance to Halloween. They make an effort to decorate their houses and plan their Halloween costumes.

CATS Academy Boston’s preparations for the Halloween are in full swing. The school, led by the Student Government and Professor Mike, is constructing a Haunted House. Other activities include arranging a Halloween Fashion competition, a movie night, and other sorts of  entertainment for the students of our school. New ideas, personal creativity, and excitement amongst friends are the guarantee of  a successful Halloween experience.

Here are some recommendations I have for you to get into the spirit this Halloween season:

  1. Decorating your room as soon as it is possible. Buy, for example, several pumkin-lamps for your table, a skeleton in your closet, fake spiders and other frightenening items.
  2. Invite your friends to watch scary movies in the There are a lot of very scary movies now. Most of them are definitely worth the watch.
  3. Visit Boston after Halloween weekends. The city will be decorated in Halloween decor.

I hope that you will enjoy this celebration, especially if it is your first Halloween in the USA. Have fun and enjoy yourself!

 

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