What do YOU want to see in the next issue of the Morgan Insider?

Interview with a NASA Engineer 

Abbiey Rabel-Fulp

Emily K. Rabel is a NASA engineer; her official title is Procurement Officer at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. One of her most recent projects involved a chemical challenge to the ISS fire cartridges, aimed at preventing fires on the International Space Station. 

Also, in 2023, she received NASA's Snoopy Award, which is an award given by an astronaut. To celebrate a mission success or a safe flight, only a couple are given per year, with only 1% of NASA employees eligible for this award. The award includes a sterling silver lapel pin that has flown in space, a commendation letter, and a certificate. 

Interview

What was your dream job when you were in elementary/middle school? 

“An engineer. I did not know what that meant at the time, all I knew was that my dad was an engineer.”

What did you major in in college? 

“Chemical, 4 years, which is not the normal length, with it normally being 5-8 years."

What college did you go to?

“University of Washington”  

How long have you worked at NASA

“18 years of working in the field with NASA, and 5 years of officially working for NASA”

What is your favorite thing about working for NASA?

“Seeing my hard work in news reports or commercials, and knowing that I made it”.

What is your least favorite thing about working for NASA?

“I really don't have a least favorite thing about working for NASA.” 

If there was anything you could change about your career, what would you choose? 

“Safety, because we send people up in space, and I wish we would think more about whether we are making the choices because of safety or something else.”

What does it feel like when you know that your work is helping people in space and helping the furtherance of science?

“It feels really good.”

What is your favorite project you have worked on, and why?

“The first project I designed was a water bag. A dozen were in use when we first started it and 300 are now being used... With the new moon project going on (sending 4 astronauts to circle the moon in April 2026/the Artemis II and the Artemis III in 2027) they are going to be updating the design of it so it can be used for the project.”

What is your least favorite project? 

“I don't think I have one. There are some projects where my team did not work together, or it was frustrating, but there are no projects that I would consider my least favorite.”

If you could change your job, would you?

“No, I like my job.” 

Do you prefer to work on a team or by yourself?

“Team. There are some things you could do by yourself, but most of the time you need other people to help and contribute ideas.”

Source

• NASA

What to do in the Snow

Ava Henson

Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on, let’s go and play!

It’s finally December! Christmas is right around the corner, and snow is dumping from the skies. Even though it’s freezing outdoors, there are still plenty of activities to do out in the chilly air! Continue reading for some fun ideas for a holiday winter wonderland experience.

Morgan Art Showcase

Brooke McCormick

Attention all artists! 

Have you ever wanted to show off your art to real people who will actually see it? Well, now you can! All you need to do is click the poll with this announcement, leave a picture of your art, and it may be included in the next issue of the Morgan Insider for the school to see! 

Rules:

• You can only enter ONE piece of art. Choose wisely!

• You can do digital art or paper art. 

• Everything must be school-appropriate. No gore, violence, or anything like that; otherwise, it will not be included. 

• Make sure it is easy to see.

• It cannot be a comic strip/page. 

• Lined paper is allowed, but it is recommended to use a plain piece of white paper.

• Do NOT steal/pirate/claim anyone else's art! This is your talent only!

Art Submission

Submit your original artwork HERE. 

Remember, this is just a showcase, not a competition. None of the art submitted will be judged, just shared with MMS students through the Morgan Insider.

Thank you for reading our submission and learning more about your peers and friends who were happy to share with you! If you'd like to be featured in the next student spotlight, please let us know! 

Mounts of Mayhem

Minecraft Update

Kemper Mays and Caden Irish

The "Mounts of Mayhem" Minecraft update is Minecraft’s fourth major update, with multiple sources suggesting that a December 2025 release is likely, with some indicating it may coincide with last year’s holiday update. Although the release notes are not yet available, there is still plenty to discuss regarding this upcoming update!

Spear (Weapon)

The spear is a new weapon that will be introduced in Minecraft, featuring two different attack methods. The first is a jab, a basic stab that is, well, a jab. The second is a charge attack, where you can charge into enemies, dealing more damage the faster you go, making it a valuable tool for killing enemies, whether on horseback or in aerial combat. The spear is also the cheapest weapon, being crafted with two sticks and one diamond for a diamond spear.

Nautilus (Mob)

The nautilus is a new passive mob that will roam the oceans. These guys are tempted, tamed, and bred using pufferfish, and once tamed, you can put a saddle on them and ride off into the sunset (kind of). When on the nautilus, you get an effect called “Breath of the Nautilus”, and it’s basically just infinite water-breathing. There’s also a dash ability that allows you to, well, dash forward, making underwater travel much faster. There’s also its zombie nautilus counterpart, which is basically just a regular nautilus ridden by a drowned with a trident. After killing its drowned rider, you can tame the zombie nautilus with the exact same thing as the regular nautilus. The real difference between the two is that the zombie nautilus burns in sunlight, so you’ll need to put nautilus armour on it. More on that later.

Zombie-Horse (Mob)

The zombie horse isn’t really new (only appearing in creative via commands and spawn eggs), but it’s new to survival, so it counts. This mob is a new passive mob, being ridden by a zombie-horseman, which is just a regular zombie holding a spear. You may not think that this is much of a threat, right? Wrong. It will most likely end your hardcore world before day 100, and it does have a chance to kill you late game. If you manage to kill the zombie rider, you can tame the zombie horse. It burns in the sun, so you’ll need to put horse armour on it.

Nautilus Armour (Armour type) 

There is not much to talk about the Natilus armour; it works much like horse armour. The nautilus armour is tiered, from copper to netherite, and to get netherite nautilus armour (much like most things), you need to use a smithing table and, using a netherite upgrade template, can upgrade it from diamond to netherite.

Camel Husk (Mob) 

The Camel husk is a new passive mob, much like the Zombie Nautilus and the Zombie horse. It’s an undead camel, and if you want to ride it, you need to face either a husk holding a spear, a parched (More on that in the next paragraph), or, if you're unlucky, both of them. Try not to kill the camel husk if you want to ride it, as that may happen in your struggle not to die. However, killing its riders allows you to saddle up and ride it. It’s also tempted by rabbit’s foot.

Parched (Mob)

The parched, the husk of skeletons, and my new favourite mob in Minecraft. The parched is a new skeleton only spawning in desert nights, and like its cousin skeletons (specifically the stray and the bogged), it shoots dipped arrows, this kind dulling the sword that you're currently holding, and weakening your attacks (It’s weakness arrows, that’s what it shoots). Unlike all the other types of skeletons (that hate sunlight), the parched does not burn up in sunlight, making your next search for a desert temple more hostile than you might think.

Smaller things

• Netherite horse armour is now a thing.

• Horses can now swim

• Copper Nuggets are now a thing

• Spawn egg sorting in the creative menu

• The zombie horse texture has had a slight change

• Piglins now carry gold spears

• The baby nautilus exists

The Mounts of Mayhem update will be an update that makes adventuring much easier, but also much deadlier. So be on the lookout, because it’s coming soon. In the meantime, vote on your favorite new Minecraft mob in the upcoming Minecraft update: Mounts of Mayhem by clicking HERE. 

If you want more information, check out these sources.

Sources

• https://www.bisecthosting.com/blog/minecraft-mounts-of-mayhem-release-date-spear-zombie-nautilus

• https://azat.tv/en/minecraft-mounts-of-mayhem-unleashes-nautilus-spear-zombie-horse/

• https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/minecraft-adding-two-desert-based-135355704.html !LAG WARNING!

• Google Images

These interviews may give you some idea of what stuff there is for you to do in the winter, or the Morgan students' views on Christmas presents. Or maybe it's just stuff they like doing! Say whatever you like about winter, but it is truly one of the most unique and amazing times of the year.

Crazy Questions Part 3

Bridger Thompson

This is the last time I’m doing one of these, and for good reason. Just be warned, this article disclaims all responsibility for any unprecedented forms of depression, delusions, suicidal thoughts, or lack of faith in humanity. Read at your own discretion because some of these questions are really good, and some are really bad, but all of them will make you laugh.

Question 1: What would happen if a bouncy ball the size of the moon crashed into Earth? - Kemper Mays

This would have catastrophic effects, simply because a bouncy ball the size of the moon wouldn't have the same bounciness quality as a normal bouncy ball. When a normal bouncy ball hits the ground, it spreads a tiny amount of energy into the ground and goes back up into the air. At this size, it would dissipate all of its energy into the Earth and stay there, therefore making this experiment a planet-ending catastrophe.

Question 2: Could you swallow a foot whole? - Anonymous

So, you're entering the stage of life where intrusive thoughts carry much more sway than normal. So you decide to find out what it would be like to commit cannibalism, yay, fun. You then somehow find a foot while walking down the street, “Oh boy”, says your mind as you pick it up. You then proceed to cram it down your throat. As your gas reflex triggers, you decide that this might not have been a good idea, but hey, you've gotten this far, probably best to see it through. As you attempt to swallow, you hear something crack, followed by a sharp pain in your neck. You wake up in the hospital, a random pedestrian passed you on the street and called the police. You learn that you broke your esophagus and are going to the psych ward after you heal. What a fun life decision you've made.

Question 3: What would happen if every toy in the world came to life and were bloodthirsty - Alyssa Mabry

Here is a list of toys, and how each of them could make us suffer.

• Choking hazards/batteries and electronics: jump down our throats to choke us out and electrocute us

• LEGO bricks: place themself underneath our feet

• Jumpropes: insta-whips

• High-powered laser pointers: used for blinding victims

• All humanoid toys: the foundation for a new civilisation of toys

In short, we should be glad that Toy Story isn't real.

Question 4: Why do our brains remember that we forgot something, but we can’t remember what that thing is? -  Anonymous

This annoying part of life is due to partial reconditioning. When something happens to us, it creates neural pathways, allowing us to remember general things, such as packing clothes, but not specifically packing six shirts. A part of your brain also monitors memories, allowing you to be alerted when your memory has holes. There is no cure for this ailment, but you should pay better attention if you want to avoid this.

Question 5: How could you lick your own elbow  - Caden Irish

This would be a fun world record, and it would be super easy; all you have to do is (don’t actually do this) amputate your arm… 

Thank you for reading. This is the last time I'm doing one of these, and these really are fun, though I do wish you would ask Google for answers to your crazy questions from now on.

Clothes

Asking for clothes in your Christmas wishlist is essential. Here are some brands that offer good quality and cute clothing.

• Princess polly 

• H & M

• Zara

• Aeropostale 

• American eagle

• Pacsun 

• Hollister 

• Urban outfitters 

• Edikted

• Nike 

• Lululemon

Shoes 

Again, shoes are essential. Here are some brands currently trending.

• New Balance 

• Nike 

• Adidas 

• Birkenstock ( not great shoes for winter)

• Uggs

Jewelry 

Jewelry can be a fun accessory that makes a boring outfit pop, such as necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets. Here are some brands you can look at.

• Tiffany & Co

• Kendra Scott 

• David Yurman 

There are definitely many more things that you can ask for, but these are just a few ideas. I hope you put them on your list.