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Holiday themed Recipe
With the holidays coming up quickly, get in the spirit with these Hot Cocoa Cookies!
1 cup(2 sticks) of salted butter
1 cup Sugar
⅔ cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
3 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour
¾ cup Hot Cocoa Mix
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1 cup Mallow Bites
Allow butter to soften to room temperature before putting it in a large mixing bowl to combine with sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, hot cocoa mix and baking soda; slowly incorporate to wet ingredients. Once combined into a dough-like consistency, add in chocolate chips and mallow bites. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for 30 min, separate on a baking sheet and bake in a 350° preheated oven for 9-11 min.
BHS Student and Faculty Holiday Traditions
Taral Dave ‘26
As the holiday season approaches, families worldwide prepare to celebrate diverse traditions. Whether observing Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, or Diwali, each celebration offers a unique blend of customs and practices.
These celebrations reflect rich cultural heritage, bringing communities and families together through shared experiences and cherished practices.
These traditions, whether passed down or newly formed, make the holidays extra special.
For many, the holidays are a time to meet with loved ones.
Personal Finance teacher Mrs. Black shares that she hosts a “Top Turkey Contest” at her house annually. Her family gathers and engages in a series of exciting games during Thanksgiving, with a reward for the winner.
Since gathering loved ones together during the holiday season is a wonderful way to celebrate, History teacher Mr. Collison has started hosting Christmas Eve at his house.
Holiday traditions reflect the rich cultural diversity of global celebrations. From the Jewish tradition of playing dreidel and lighting the menorah during Hanukkah, to the Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinese communities featuring red envelope gifts and lion dances, each culture brings unique customs to the festive season.
“My mom would hide a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree for the person who found it to get an extra present,” Mr. Collison said.
Bethel High School student Madden Grace ‘25 added that her family shares the same tradition, but with a twist: “Finding the pickle means unwrapping your gifts first.”
Fun traditions bring more cheer to the holiday season, especially when they involve food.
BHS student Claire Famularo ‘26 plans to make a Yule Log this year, while Julia Macomber ‘26 shared that her family eats apple dumplings on Christmas morning for breakfast.
Whether through fun games, quality time or festive foods, holiday traditions create a sense of belonging and joy. These time-honored, shared experiences bring families closer together and help make the holiday season memorable for everyone.
Reflecting on the Korea Research Project
Yashvi 25-Bhavsar
Research: one of the most desirable experiences for STEM students. While most research opportunities come during undergraduate years, getting involved in high school can be extremely beneficial. At Bethel High School, some students got the opportunity to develop research projects alongside peers from South Korea.
In May, two research groups formed and paired with two groups of Korean students at different high schools to begin working on self-guided projects, with Mr. Turek as a supporting teacher.
Unlike last year, research groups chose their own topics this time.
"I participated the year before and this time we got the opportunity to choose what we wanted to research and that was a much better incentive to participate," said Chiru Akkili ‘26.
The results were two vastly different projects: one team focused on coding, using statistical tests on tree density to mitigate forest fire damage, while the other studied algae growth and simulated ocean acidification conditions.
"As someone interested in the STEM field, I think this is a great experience for potential research. It's like the college experience we don't get as much as high school students," said junior Talia Anastasakis.
Both Akkili and Anastasakis noted their theoretical knowledge being supplemented by practical, hands-on learning.
"You learned in the classroom and then you applied it to real life," Akkili said.
The collaboration with Korean students was a sharing of knowledge, rather than a joint research project. Korean students focused on the complex Callaway Quantum Theory and how the sfumato technique used by artists is seen in real life.
For students aspiring to join the Korea Research Project or conduct their own research, Akkili and Anastasakis strongly advise having concrete plans and strict schedules, as participation requires a large time commitment. Akkili noted his team spending 30 minutes working one day and eight hours the next to obtain results. Anastasakis has dedicated all her free periods to refining and developing the project.
Anastasakis emphasized having a strong interest in your topic.
"Make sure you are dedicated," she said. "If you're working on a group project, make sure your members are as well and contribute an equal amount."
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