Issue 4, Volume 12

Seventh graders create
volcanoes
Arts students learn to think
outside of the box
Basketball players hope to
play after middle school
Students participate in
National Novel Writing
Month
Learn about some of the
new teachers this year
Team Avengers raises
money for the Make A Wish
foundation
5 helpful tips to reduce
stress

ART STUDENTS
THINK
OUTSIDE OF THE
Story by Hari Patel
Every single student hunches
over their art masterpiece under
the overhead spot lights.
They tightly hold their pencil
as they lightly shade the object
attentively. The spot light brings
out the definite image and the
minuscule details in it. The hard
and soft pencil strokes can be
seen over the rough, white
newspaper.
The young artists then,
carefully trace the pencil strokes
with Sharpie. The screeches of
BOX
the Sharpie only annoys few
student artists. The young artists
are desperate to complete the
masterpiece but don't want to
have any flaw in it.
Mrs. Michelle Proffit’s eighth
grade Mixed Media class is
currently working on an mediumsized
jar that shows one's
personality and what they enjoy
doing in their pastime.
Jars with basketballs to jars
with flowers, everyone’s jar is
different.
Jake Paris, eighth grade, said
that art is not just a way to do a
art piece, but more importantly, a
way to express one’s inner
feelings.
The thought-through design
in each and every students’ art
pieces brings out some sort of
creativity in the person who
gazes at it.
“Art...art is magnificent. It is
an easy way to show your
creativity,” Robert Fry, eighth
grade, said.
Some individuals at Clay also
wish to think outside the box
and achieve something more
than they are capable of.
“I have great sentiment for
the emotional aspect of art. The
passion is indescribable. I just
want to do something that makes
myself proud,” Mike Crawford,
eighth grade, said.
Art class is not only a place
to express yourself, students can
also make great friendships and
relationships.
“Personally, art is a class
where I can enjoy doing
something I love while hanging
out and talking with some
friends,” Paris said.
The inspiration of the
students to have such
an inclination towards art is in
their everyday lives. Art is a way
to reduce stress and to expand
their creativity.
As Pablo Picasso has stated
on multiple occasions, “Every
child is an artist. The problem is
to remain an artist in our busy
lives.”
According to the research from the Getty
Institutes of Arts, a person who looks at any
pieces of art for twenty straight minutes, has a
20% improvement on the Indiana University
Creative Brain Test.
(Top left) Jake Paris, eighth
grade, sketches out his different
ideas for his art piece. (Top right)
Abby Vernon, eighth grade,
applies her second layer of water
color paint. (Bottom Left) Grace
Evans, eighth grade, paints her
landscape during the winter.
(Bottom right) Michael Crawford,
eighth grade, draws his landscape
with a pencil. Photos by Spencer
Pickering and Hari Patel

Students,
Teachers
Participate
in National
Novel
Writing
Month
By Sam Burkhard
Once upon a time, a
program was made where
people could write their own
books.
That program is
called NaNoWriMo,
or more formally
known as National
Novel Writing Month.
It occurs during
t h e m o n t h o f
November and was
first started in 1999.
S c h o o l s a n d
people all around have
participated in it, and as of
last year, Clay is taking part in
NaNoWriMo.
Anyone can enter into
NaNoWriMo, and this year,
46 students from Clay
participated, but only 26
reached their word-count
goal.
The word-count goal for
students is chosen, and it can
be between 15,000 and 30,000
words. For teachers and
adults, the goal is 50,000
words. Last year, only eight
people participated in
NaNoWriMo, and only three
of those reached their word
goal.
Mr. Brandon Britcher is
an eighth grade language arts
teacher for team Legends, and
this year he participated in
NaNoWriMo.
B r i t c h e r
“It's very fun as
long as you don't
stress yourself out
or take it too
seriously.”
Willaims said.
wrote a
f a n t a s y
book about
t w o
characters
who must
c h o o s e
b e t w e e n
light and
darkness. As of now, the
unofficial title of his book is
“A Gathering Darkness.”
Britcher and other
language arts teachers gave
students the option
to either do
NaNoWriMo or an
i n d e p e n d e n t
project.
“ W e u s e d
NaNoWriMo to
help students gain
valuable writing
skills,” Britcher
said.
C o l t r a n e
Kamikura and Rex
Williams are eighth
grade students who
c h o s e t o d o
N a N o W r i M o .
Kamikura wrote a
book and finished it on
November 27 with a grand
total of 20,241 words, his
word goal was 20,000.
“ P a c e y o u r s e l f , ”
Kamikura recommends.
Rex Williams wrote
“Batman Vs. Mechagodzilla.”
It is about Batman and
mechagodzilla learning the
power of friendship.
Williams also finished his
book just before the end of
November and he finished
with 20,315 words, just over
his 20,000 word goal. He said
would recommend students
Certificate that people who reached their word
count goal will receive.
to do NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo seems to
get more and more popular
each year, and it's easy to see
why.
For the people who reach
their goal, they will get a
certificate and a paperback
version of their own book,
Kamikura and Williams will
both be getting those.
Give NaNoWriMo a try,
it could make you an author.
“Give it a shot. You will
learn a lot,” Britcher said.

Miss Caitlin Engel
Seventh Grade
Wellness Teacher
Ms. Katie Reel
Electives Teacher
Digital Learning
Meet some of the new teachers here at Clay

EAT, SLEEP, BREATHE
BASKETBALL
B
lake Mouton,
eighth grade,
p l a y s o n a
basketball team every
weekend with some of his
friends, and also plays on the
team here at Clay.
“I just really like playing basketball because it gives
me a place to relax, as well as exercise,” he said.
He also hopes to play after middle school, too.
Because of the number of students at Carmel High
School, it is a challenge to make the team.
“I love the game, and would love to play at the
next level,” Moulton said. “It is dream to make it to
the NBA or even a college team.”
Only 20 percent of high school basketball players
make it to the college level, and less than one percent
of college basketball players make it to the NBA,
where the average career is four to five years.
Hari Patel, eighth grade, is also on the Clay team,
and hopes to play after middle school.
“It is nice to play basketball on this level, but next
year it will be very challenging to play at the next
level,” he said.
Patel has played basketball for many years, and
hopes to play in the future. Although the Carmel High
School team is challenging to make, there are also
many players that have made it to higher levels from
Carmel High School.
Most recently Ryan Cline, Carmel High School
grad, is a freshman playing on the Purdue basketball
team. Another player from Carmel that made it to the
NBA is Josh McRoberts. He plays for the Miami Heat.
Patel and Moulton both hope to continue playing
in the future and hope to play at the next level, and
have a successful season this year for Clay.
Between school work, basketball, and family time,
Moulton said it is all about learning how to divide his
time between them.
“At first, it was hard to get everything in during
the day that I needed to, but over time I developed a
good life skill. Now, I can divide time between my
favorite things in life.”
With the stress of playing on two basketball teams,
Patel and Moulton not only conquer learning how to
divide their time between the two, but excel on both
teams and strive to be better players, and team leaders.
Story by Spencer Pickering
Blake Moulton warms up for a home game against
crosstown rival Carmel Middle. Photo by Collin Freeman
Hari Patel shuts down Carmel’s offense at home. Photo
by Kerlos Dawoud

Team Avengers raises money for Make-A-Wish foundation
Story by Lexi Calvert and Kelsie James
This year, Team Avengers decided to raise money
to help the Make a Wish foundation.
To get started, the students pitched ideas they
could use to help reach their overall financial goal.
Students sold suckers, thankful notes, and some
kids even went to the extreme lengths of making their
own items, like rice crispy treats, and sold them during
Core+.
Mrs. Kelly Speidel, sixth grade science teacher and
team leader, said that this was great for the kids to do
something kind for others.
“I sold suckers, helped my friends sell rice crispy
treats, and donated money,” Maddie Stacy, sixth
grade, said. “The importance of this is to help (sick)
kids our age feel normal like everyone else — make
them happy.”
According to the Make A Wish foundation
website, an average wish is granted every 37 minutes.
The foundation gets over 27,000 wish requests
from kids who have been diagnosed with a medical
condition.
Make A Wish granted over 14,000 wishes last
year, a record for them.
The student goal was $5,000, but students
ended up raising $6,203.
The Clay Classic is Clay Middle School’s student
newspaper. It is written, photographed, edited, and
designed by the students in Mr. Evan Williams’
newspaper classes. The newspaper comes out
twice a quarter. You can also find updates about
Clay on Twitter: @ClayClassic and visit us at
www.clayclassic.today
Clay Middle School
5150 E. 12sixth St.
Carmel, IN 46011
Administration:
Mr. Todd Crosby, principal
Mr. Mark Smith, assistant principal
Mrs. Lori Harmas, assistant principal
Mr. John Corcoran, Jr., activities director