FLY-BYTIMES 2025-26
Lucy Wyman
Flinn Faulconer
GRADE INFLATION
When you get a test or a quiz back, what is the first thing you think when you see an 82/100, or a B- to a B? Well, back when the letter grading system was first introduced at Mount Holyoke College in 1897, that grade would be considered average or above average, while a C, would be a fair or low average grade. Ever wonder why there is no “E” on the grading scale? Well, if you were alive in 1897, which you probably weren’t, if you got a grade lower than 75%, that would be considered an E, or a failing grade. The original Mount Holyoke grading system goes as follows: A was 95-100%, B was 85-94% (Good), C was 76-84% (Fair), D was 75% (Barely Passed), and E was below 75% (Failed), and yes, a D was exactly 75%. Later, Mount Holyoke updated their grading system, swapping the E for the grade we have now, an F. They adjusted the B grade to 90%-94%, and the C grade to 85%-89%. So, technically, a B has always remained the average, but after the update, a B would require a higher percentage.
ANIMAL FACTS
Here are a few silly animal facts for you, the reader, to enjoy.
1.The first fact is that squirrels usually forget where their nuts are buried, which is how most nut trees are grown.
2.Another fact is that male seahorses can give birth. That’s it for the second fact.
3. Did you know that rats laugh when they’re tickled, especially on the back?
4.Also, Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins can, which is pretty crazy.
5 A super cool fact is that the Mantis Shrimp has claws that can accelerate faster than a .22 caliber bullet.
WHY DOES TRUMP WANT GREENLAND?
As you might know, if you ’ ve listened to the news, President Trump wants the Arctic island of Greenland to become part of the United States. Greenland is currently part of Denmark and has a population of fewer than 60,000 inhabitants, which is small for its size.
Reasons
One reason Trump wants Greenland is its location. It is close to Russia, and it could provide the US with early warnings if Russia ever sends missiles to the US, as Russia would send its missiles over the Arctic, where Greenland is. Greenland could also provide shorter shipping routes from America to Europe, since it’s closer to Europe than the contiguous U S There are also rare earth deposits in Greenland, and it has the 8th most in the world.
Downsides
There are also downsides to buying Greenland, like the risk it poses to NATO. The alliance that both the USA and Denmark are part of might collapse if America attacks Greenland, but this is unlikely Many countries are enraged by Trump’s push for Greenland, and some have reinforced their military presence in Greenland to prepare for a possible invasion. On top of that, Trump has threatened to increase tariffs on several NATO members to 25%, which could risk starting a trade war. The governments of Greenland and Denmark aren’t very happy with Trump’s idea, saying, “Greenland is not for sale,” and neither are Greenland's inhabitants. Protests have erupted in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, condemning the idea of America annexing Greenland, believing that American control of the island would destroy their culture.
MOST WATCHED MOVIES OF 2025
Everyone has watched a movie; if you somehow haven't, you have definitely heard of them. And because movies exist, there are movie theaters where you can watch movies on a bigger screen. So, have you ever wondered which movies made the most in 2025? Well, here is your answer (All stats in this article are provided by IMDB).
5. A Minecraft Movie
WE, yes, WE are all glad to see it here. In its opening weekend, it made $162,753,003. But internationally, it made $533,800,000. In total, it made $957,749,195.
4. Lilo and Stitch
I didn't watch it, but my sister did, and she really liked it. In its opening weekend, it made $146,016,175. Internationally, it made $613,492,186. In total, it made $1,037,270,317.
3. Avatar: Fire and Ash
I loved this movie. I saw this in 3D, and I believe it was the best of the three, with the best villains and final battle. It grossed $89,160,860 in its opening weekend, but $779,895,841 internationally. In total, it made $1,087,572,943
2. Zootopia 2
I watched this and thought it was a little worse than the first. I thought the villain wasn't as good but the main cast was better overall. It made $100,262,540 in its opening weekend and $1,226,292,662 internationally. In total it made $1,590,331,106
Ne Zha 2
I didn't watch this movie but according to everyone and the critics it's an amazing movie I don't have its stats for opening weekend or internationally, but in total it made $2,216,990,000.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
RECIPE
SERVINGS: 32 COOKIES
TIME: 30 MINUTES
SOURCE: ADAPTED FROM Smitten Kitchen
YIELD: 32 cookies with a 1.5-tablespoon scoop
Ingredients
1.3/4 cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
2 1 cup (190 grams) packed brown sugar
3 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
4.1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract (yes, really!)
5.1 teaspoon kosher salt
6.1 large egg
7.1 large egg yolk
8 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
9 2 cups (265 grams) all-purpose flour
10.2 cups (1 12-ounce bag) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
1.Heat oven: To 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 Make the cookie dough: Place melted butter in a large bowl and add both sugars, vanilla, and salt Whisk to combine Add egg and yolk and mix Add baking soda and whisk thoroughly into the batter several additional times around and across the bowl even after it appears to have disappeared. Switch to a spoon or flexible spatula and mix in flour, followed by the chocolate chips.
3.You can bake the cookies right away, or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 to 2 days. To make it easier to scoop, remove from the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before baking the cookies
4 Bake the cookies: Scoop cookies to your desired size I’m using a #40 or 1 5-tablespoon scoop and arrange on the prepared baking sheet with room for the cookies to spread. Bake in a preheated oven for 9 to 12 minutes for small cookies. Take the cookies out when the edges are a deep golden brown but the centers still look underbaked. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
5 f you’d like, you can drop the tray of warm cookies from a few inches over your counter onto the countertop once or twice as they come out of the oven to create more of a rippled appearance on top of the cookies.
LEO RODIN
BENEFITS OF AI
Do you think AI is good or bad?
1. Enhanced Healthcare
One benefit of AI is better healthcare. AI can enhance diagnostics, personalize treatments, automate administration, and improve surgical precision. This leads to better patient outcomes, reduced clinician burnout, faster drug discovery, and increased operational efficiency.
2. Advanced Transportation
Ever heard of Waymo? Some benefits of AI transportation are fewer accidents, smoother traffic flow, better fuel efficiency, reduced car exhaust, and streamlined logistics for businesses.
3. Enhanced Cybersecurity
The benefits with AI for security is boosts threat detection, automates responses, and frees up analysts by learning patterns, detecting anomalies in real-time, and handling repetitive tasks like log analysis, offering faster, more accurate, and scalable protection against sophisticated, evolving cyber threats, including phishing and malware, and strengthening overall defense by reducing human error and enabling proactive risk mitigation.
Now tha
LUCA OTTLEY
SUPERMAN COMIC SELLS FOR RECORD $9.12 MILLION
An extremely rare comic book was sold for $9.12 million in late November. It’s the first issue of the comic book series “Superman”, which features the famous superhero. Superman is one of the most famous superheroes of all time. The character was created by two students, Jerry Siegel and JoeShuster, who went to Glenville High School in 1933. The first superman comic published was in 1938 and in fact the comic wasn't called superman, it was actually called “Action Comics,” but then changed to its current name superman. Even though the comic was over 80 years old the group that sold the comic said it was the best copy of “Superman #1” that they’d ever seen. The comic was sold for $9.12 million which was the highest price ever paid for a comic book! The previous record was set last year, and sold for $6 million! Can you imagine finding a comic book that was worth more than $9 million! Even though The one that bought the comic has requested to stay anonymous, people are still baffled about how much it sold for.
SAMSON ROSENHECK
WHY
DOGS ARE GREAT
Dogs are extraordinary animals. They can learn a lot in a short time. Dogs can be of multiple shapes and sizes. Did you know that the most bought treat for dogs in the US is Milk–Bone
Original Biscuits? Here are some more fun facts about dogs you might want to know:
The most popular dog is the “French Bulldog.”
Dogs sweat through their paws.
Dogs can sense human emotions and illnesses.
Dogs can hear what's happening more than half a mile away.
Dogs can have emotions in their sleep.
I hope that by reading this article, you learned something new.
THREE TIPS TO START YOUR SWIM PROJECT
Three tips for how to start your SPLASH/SWIM project
The WNS capstone project, Solutionary Work In Motion, or SWIM, is a big part of every middle schooler's 7th and 8th grade years. Due to the anxiety surrounding the project, I’ve put together a list to help your Splash project get off to a good start
Picking
a topic
You may think this is blatantly obvious, but let me explain. Your project topic is one of the most important steps, and it’s important to find a topic that all of your group members agree on. Even if you don’t have a preference, you should try hard to find a topic you ’ re interested in. Ending up with a topic that you find boring will make the whole project much less enjoyable.
Finding multiple organizations
Some groups are able to find an organization first try, which is great! However, there is a chance your first choice won’t work out, and maybe not even your second or third choices. Because of this, it’s important to find at least five organizations to contact, just to be safe.
Sending follow-up emails/ Making follow-up phone calls
I know it’s tedious and can seem unnecessary, but send follow-up emails! When you send these emails, it lets the organization know you ’ re committed to working with them.
Hopefully these suggestions can help you have a successful SWIM project, good luck!
AYA SCHERR
Editor’s Note
Yayyy another issue is done! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed Issue 4 of the Fly-By Times! Issue 5 is on the way, so keep an eye out. Thanks for reading!
- Lucy Wyman
Done with the first semester and halfway through the school year! Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this issue of the Fly-By Times
- Aya Scherr
