DIY GIFTS ON A STUDENT BUDGET

By: Sonam Choetso

The holiday season can get expensive fast, especially for students trying to find thoughtful gifts without emptying their wallets. Luckily, you don’t need a big budget to give something meaningful. Handmade gifts can feel more personal and special than store-bought ones. You could make friendship bracelets, create a small painting, or bake a batch of cookies and wrap them in pretty packaging. If you enjoy crafts, you can customize mugs with paint, decorate candles, or write a heartfelt letter to go along with your gift. These simple ideas show care and effort.

DIY gifts also give you the freedom to tailor something special for each person. Like a playlist of songs that remind you of your friend, or a scrapbook filled with shared memories, or a jar of positive notes for tough days can mean a lot. Small touches, like wrapping your present neatly and adding a handwritten tag, make simple gifts feel more special. The best part is that these projects are fun to make and easy to personalize. With some creativity, you can spread holiday cheer without spending much. Most meaningful gifts don’t have to cost a lot at all!

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD

By: Nico Dickhausen

The holiday season is upon us, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner. The traditional American Christmas consists of gift-giving, decorating the tree, and making food with family. But Christmas looks a lot different in different countries, for example. In Norway, it is a tradition to hide brooms on Christmas Eve. According to Norway folklore, witches and evil spirits come out and take the brooms to ride; hiding them prevents this. In Venezuela, it is a tradition to shut streets down and let citizens roller skate to church on Christmas morning. In Iceland, children will leave a shoe on their windowsill for 13 nights until Christmas. It is said that the 13 Yule Lads will leave gifts for good children and rotten potatoes for bad children. In Guatemala, it is a tradition to burn an effigy of the devil to cleanse the homes and streets of evil spirits. Did you know that after a successful market campaign in the 1970s, it is popular in Japan to eat fried chicken on Christmas Eve? We all celebrate the Holiday season differently, but I think it's important to keep in mind that we should cherish these moments together with our loved ones!

SLEEP

By John Pork

Most students I talk to about their sleep habits all seem to have the same response: “Yeah, I know I should go to bed sooner, but I have homework I need to finish,” or some just say they're on their phones or out late with friends. What a lot of people don't realize is how much missing sleep actually affects the way we think and feel during the day. When we don't get enough rest, the brain struggles to stay focused, which makes even simple classwork feel harder than it should.

Sleep is also important because it helps you store new information. If you study for a test while you're tired, you might understand everything, but without sleep, your brain doesn't organise those memories very well. That's one of the reasons teachers always say too “Get a good night’s rest!” before a big exam.

Lack of sleep affects a lot more than schoolwork. It can make people feel moody, stressed, or easily frustrated. Over time, not sleeping enough can even weaken the immune system, meaning students might get sick more often. Getting enough sleep isn’t always easy,  especially with busy schedules, but it makes a real difference.  Students who sleep well think more clearly, feel better, and usually perform stronger in school and daily life.

WHALE SHARKS

By Vivvenne McKinney

Whale sharks are one of the coolest “sharks” in my opinion because of the many qualities they have, including their very specific patterns they have on their backs, which is like an ID for other whale sharks; no two whale sharks share the same patterns.

They are my favorite sharks because of how majestic they are. They are filter feeders that cruise around the sea at a calming three miles per hour. They have an amazing lifespan of a whopping 70 - 100 years!

They are amazing creatures, and I feel that people could do more to help these creatures. They are endangered due to fisheries bycatch, being hunted, vessel strikes, and their habitat is degrading due to the change in climate and the amount of pollution there is in our oceans.

Their habitats can consist of tropical seas and surface temperatures of 70 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They are migratory creatures that can travel to some pretty cool places, like; The Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and the Philippines islands!

Whale sharks are typically solitary, but during the seasonal plankton bloom, they may gather into groups to feed on the plankton.

They are considered filter feeders because of the way they filter their food from the water they swallow in along with the food they eat. Their diet can consist of krill, fish larvae, jellyfish, and plankton.

THE KRAMPUS

By: Sonam Choetso 

The Krampus is a half-demon, half-goat creature who punished naughty children during Christmas. He is depicted in many ways, but common features include dark fur, usually black, horns, a long, pointed tongue that often drops out, and one singular hoof. The Krampus carries chains and a basket to capture children, as well as a whip to hit the children. He is portrayed as the evil counterpart of St. Nicholas. While St. Nicholas rewards children for their good behavior, Krampus punishes the naughty children. In countries like Germany and Austria, people throw a parade for the creature, which is known as Krampuslauf. It takes place on December 5th, the night before St. Nicholas Day. Performers dress up as the Krampus and try to scare or fool around with the audience. There is also a performer dressed up as a priest who often leads the parade. Krampuslauf is a beloved event that brings in many tourists interested in experiencing this unique tradition.

HATE. LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I HATE BBQ SAUCE. 

By Mr. Corn Sweat. 

You cannot fathom the unending froth of animosity that flows from my being in regards to barbecue sauce. You see, it is not the type of hatred where I actively seek to annihilate any trace of its existence. Let me make it clear, I will not actively persecute you for enjoying barbecue sauce. I respect your taste, even if it is wretched. Instead, I’m left in a state of visceral disgusts whenever this fiendish concoction is in my presence. It is not the taste of barbecue sauce that causes me to recoil. Even the repugnant, vomit-like sight of barbecue sauce is not what deters me from consuming it. The lion does not concern himself with the flavor of barbecue sauce. In fact, I have never consumed a single drop of this despicable tonic. To do that, I would have to get over the smell. 

Before I can even think of the sight, or taste, or texture of barbecue sauce, the odor assaults my nostrils with a never-ending torrent of hellishness. I would rather marinate in the wafting cloud from a firing squad of skunks than be locked in close proximity with the affront to nature that is the smell of barbecue sauce. There are plenty of unkind scents, but none except that of barbecue sauce have vexed me so thoroughly to the extent that I needed to write an entire article on it.

 Above all, I want to meet the person who invented this little slice of Dante’s Inferno (assuming it’s not Satan himself). I want to study this person’s brain. What factors would lead a person to not only combine the ingredients to form this crime against humanity, but also share it with others? Is sadism to blame for Sweet Baby Ray’s? The answer to these questions will, in all likelihood, never be known. The origin of barbecue sauce is disputed. For this, I am thankful. The uncertainty leaves the comforting thought that maybe barbecue sauce is not of human origin. Perhaps barbecue sauce begat itself and perpetuates for the purpose of tormenting us. Perhaps barbecue sauce is divine punishment for humanity’s hubris. In any case, my philosophy involving barbecue sauce remains the same: avoiding it at all costs.

FAT BIKING SEASON

Doubletooth Grizzly

Alright folks, the wait is up! It is finally fat biking season. Fill up em tires, get those pogies on, and pull out your winter gear! This is an introduction to fat biking for people that are at all interested in this sport. Maybe you read my last article and wanted to learn more. Firstly fat biking is hugely beneficial; you get some great exercise and it’s pretty much a full body workout. Secondly, it is really good for your mental health. If you despise winter every year and are in a seasonal dread, finding something fun to do during that season can greatly improve your daily mood. And believe me, fat biking will put a huge smile on your face! 

So if you want to give fat biking a try, you’ll need to wear the proper clothing to stay warm. You’ll need a base layer that is moisture wicking such as polyester or merino wool. You don’t want sweat getting trapped causing you to over heat or having it freeze later. Then you want some insulation. Like a light weight down puffer jacket. One that will fit to your body well. For your outer layer you want a jacket that protects you from the wind and that is water resistant as well. Like a wind breaker, but if you can find a jacket that also has a bit of extra insulation to it, that’s even better. Now for the pants. You’ll want either some snow pants that fit nicely to your body, or some fleece lined pants. A lot of ski pants work too, just as long as they aren’t baggy. Make sure you have some thick wool socks to keep your tootsies toasty. And pretty much any winter boot should work, as long as they aren’t too clunky. Now for gloves; you’ll want some gloves that free the first three fingers including the thumb. That way you can shift gears and brake. Lastly for the head. You’re gonna want a gator and a ski mask. And then some goggles or sunglasses, just make sure they don’t fog up when you have the ski mask on. 

Now the last thing you need is a fat bike. And they are pretty pricey. But you can always rent one to see if you would want to get into this sport. A great place for this is Hartley Nature Center. They have some great fat bikes and I don’t think they are too expensive to rent. They also have a lot of trails right there so you don’t need to transport the bike anywhere. Well, now all you need to do is go for it. I believe in you!

MOVIE REVIEW: WICKED 

By:Sammie Coffee-Prose

In honor of the release of Wicked: For Good This Is the Review of the first part of the story. The Story of Wicked is based on a book written by Gregory Miguire titled Wicked: The Life And Times of the Wicked Witch of The West. The story is the prequel to the ever-popular book and movie titled The Wonderful Wizard of OZ. In 2003 The book by Gregory Miguire was adapted into the Tony Award winning musical Wicked starring Idina Menzel as Elfaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Gleinda. In 2024 the studio Warner Brothers adapted the broadway show into a movie releasing in two parts one year apart. The movie was a fairly accurate adaptation of the broadway show, with some notable changes that in my opinion were wonderful interpretations of the original. My favorite change made from musical to movie was adding the scene with young Elfaba and young Nessarose because it gives more life to the characters and shows how much Elfaba cares for her sister. One other choice that the casting team made that makes me very happy is that they cast Marissa Bode as the first Nessarose who is actually a wheelchair user! In the play they always used able bodied actresses to play a disabled woman and I think that it is so cool that they cared enough to cast someone who uses a wheelchair as Nessarose. Overall I think that the team making Wicked did very well and I am very excited to watch the second part to see what they have done with it.

SPIRIT WEEK 

By: Zach Lawnmower

I don’t usually participate in all the different spirit week days, but I like to see what people can come up with. One of my favorite days we usually have for spirit week is anything but a backpack day, which I unfortunately haven’t done because I can never find anything to use (hopefully next year I can lock in). I also like how teachers have their own thing for spirit week, and sometimes you have to guess it, like on Monday when all the teachers wore fanny packs, and on Tuesday they used weird stuff for water bottles (Ms Runia had a blender as a water bottle). However, my favorite thing about spirit week this year was the pumpkin contest. I didn’t help make any of the pumpkins, but I was really impressed by how good a lot of them were. They were all really creative, too. 

RABBIT LOOKING AT YOU.

By: Josey Johnston

Crouched behind a daisy

Ears mistaken for fuzzy petals

It knows it shouldn’t be here

Mud stains its cheeks

Like dried-up bloody tears

Tears in its eyes

Tears in its fur

Tears in its leaves

It knows it shouldn’t be here

Outside its hutch

Outside its pot

Outside its ribcage

Hunting for answers

Like its moments from starving

It knows it shouldn’t be here

Watching the ducks fail to fly

Watching the crickets fail to chime

Watching the chimes cricket and duck

Under its supporting nail in the supporting beams

Watching you fly

Inside the tears in its ears

Inside the falling petals

Hunting your answers

To save for future meals

It knows it shouldn’t be here

Eating its leaves

Eating its supporting soil

Picking its petals and pulling its fur

Scattered fabric white in an unused nest

It knows it shouldn’t be here

The daisy catches wind like dandelion seeds

The rabbit parts with its parts with it

It knew it shouldn’t be here.

WARRIORS Throomf TWOOMF REVIEW: GOTHAM SEASON 2

By: The Warriors Throomf

 (Throomf was busy </3)

This season had the highest highs (Theo Galavan exploding) and the lowest lows (Theo Galavan trying to aura farm). The difference between Theo Galavan and every other Gotham villain is that Galavan is BOOORING. He doesn’t even have a good motivation for being evil. When I say ‘good’ I don’t mean that the reason has to be compelling but at the very least it should be entertaining. Galvan’s reason is a stupid blood feud out of a period drama. Galavan is unironically beefing with a 13-year-old orphan. And losing. Badly. 

On the contrary, Edward Nygma’s villain arc is truly entertaining. Absolute cinema. We still haven’t gotten to see him adopt the green suit and question mark cane but he’s doing the goofy schemes and funny plots. He’s making the riddles. Shoutout to Edward Nygma. All my homies love Edward Nygma. 

Unfortunately this is Jim’s chopped arc. The only aura Jim has this season is when he teams up with the Penguin to take down Galavan. He ends up in a scenario similar to The Shawshank Redemption due to Edward for a while but by the end of the season he’s more-or-less back to the status quo. 

Oswald Cobblepot is still Gotham’s princess. Best character. Responsible for blowing up Galavan with a bazooka which is the single most relieving moment I’ve ever experienced in a show. While Jim is going through The Shawshank Redemption, Oswald is going through A Clockwork Orange thanks to the overarching villain of this season; Hugo Strange. Hugo Strange is just kinda neat to me. 

Overall I’d rate the season 3.5 Galavans getting blown up with a bazooka out of 5 Galvans running for mayor.

Gotham season two. Where do I even start? First off, there were a lot of really good things about it. For one, the actor for Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) gets many chances to show off his amazing skills. One scene that really stood out to me was in episode 10, Rise of the Villains: The Son of Gotham (dir. Rob Bailey) when Bruce hatches a plot with the goal of getting more information on the murder of his parents. The trick includes him pretending to be on his way to be tortured and the fear and panic felt very real as a viewer. His plan worked and he goes to find the monster who pulled the trigger on his parents only to find a man. It is such an impactful scene where the hitman is basically asking Bruce to kill him saying he’s too much of a coward but that he’s tired. There is also so much going on for both The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) and The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith). The Penguin gets his mind messed up during his stay in Arkham and has a little Cinderella arc, dead father, evil stepmother and stepsiblings, and all. He eventually gets back to his old self, and let me tell you: they regretted vexing him… The Riddler, Edward Nygma, finally gets the girl… for a little bit, and when he loses her (kills her by accident), he loses it. Ed ends up in Arkham after causing many issues for the GCPD, including framing Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) for murder. 

Now that we’ve discussed the story lines that interest me, we also have to acknowledge the main plot of season two: Theo Galavan (James Frain) and his stupid blood feud with a literal child. I just hate him. He wasn't fun to hate, I just wanted him off my screen. His whole thing is that his family was disgraced by the Waynes like, 200 years ago and I guess he’s still salty. His convoluted plan is to stage a bunch of disasters so he can save the day, get elected mayor, and kill Bruce Wayne, the 13-14 year old. The only plus side of his existence is that we get to see him get killed twice and it is so satisfying every time. 

I’ll be so honest, this article is just scratching the surface, this show really has so much going on at all times. I mean, I haven’t even talked about Fish Mooney and her epic new abilities. As much as I joke and say this show is terrible, I genuinely think it’s worth a watch if you’re curious. Gotham is far from a perfect show, but perfect does not equal good, or entertaining, both words I would use to describe Gotham (most of the time, Theo Galavan, I hate you).

15 CHRISTMAS SONGS

By: Nico Dickhausen

Christmas time is here, as well as the Christmas music. I personally love this time of year because of the music and the joy I get from being with family and friends. I love music in general, but I think there's a lot of joy in Christmas music. I usually listen to Christmas music while decorating my house and drinking coffee or hot chocolate. My favorite thing about Christmas time is listening to music while spending time with family. Whether it be cooking or baking, opening presents, or watching a Christmas movie. But overall, I think we should cherish the times we have together, no matter the presents or food we get out of it.

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

2 . Last Christmas - Wham!

3 . White Christmas - Bing Crosby

4. Rocking Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee

5. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Michael Buble

6. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams 

7. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Dean Martin

8. Holly Jolly Christmas - Michael Bublé

9. Merry Christmas Baby! - Otis Redding

10. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley 

11. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

12. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra

13. Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande

14. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano 

15. Happy X-Mas - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

WARRIORS Throomf TWOOMF TRIVIA (MINUS THE MUSIC AND THE THROOMF) 

By Warriors Twoomf (Throomf was busy). 

1. What is the smallest country by area in Africa? 

2. What fairy tale is the film Frozen (2013) inspired by? 

3. Which bird species has the lowest amount of feathers? Bonus points if you can guess how many they have.  

4. Approximately how deep is the deepest point of Lake Superior in meters? 

5. Not including Superior, how many sister cities does Duluth have? 

6. How many cards does a standard deck of Uno have (2 answers)?

7. Before co-creating Gorillaz, Damon Albarn was the main vocalist for what rock band?

8. The spiciness of food is measured on what scale?

9: What creature has 300 teeth and 32 brains?

10. What historical conflict inspired the hit series Game of Thrones?

11. What is the word for a creature that subsists off of blood?

12: The name of a common unisex/gender neutral medieval garment.

13: What is the historical precursor to the corset?

14: What was carved during halloween before pumpkins became the tradition?

15: In the infamous 2012 “Burgerking Foot Lettuce” event, what city did the incident occur in?

ANSWERS 

1A. Seychelles with a total area of 446 square kilometers. 

2A. The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. 

3A. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird with only 940 feathers. 

4A. Lake Superior’s deepest point is approximately 406 meters deep. 

5A. Four: Ohara Isumi-City, Petrozavodsk, Ranya, and Växjö. 

6A. 108 or 112 if it was made after 2018. 

7A. Damon Albarn was the main vocalist for Blur. 

8A. The Scoville scale.

9A. Leeches :)

10A: The War of The Roses.

11A: Sanguivore. 

12A: Houppelande.

13A: Stays.

14A: Radishes.

15A: Mayfield Heights, Ohio

OREO CAKE RECIPE

  Yields: 16 serving(s), PrepTime: 15mins, Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

13 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos (about 5 oz.)

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

3 cups white chocolate chips (about 18 oz.)

1 Tbsp. salted butter

2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Directions:

1: Line an 8-by-8-inch or 9-by-9-inch baking dish with foil or parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Set aside. 

2: Put the cookies in a zip-top plastic bag and roughly crush them with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Remove 1/2 cup of the cookies from the bag and reserve them in a bowl for topping. Continue to crush the remaining cookies in the bag until finely crushed; set aside. 

3: Over a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water, combine the sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. 

4: Fold in the finely crushed cookies. Immediately transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, using an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Top with the coarsely crushed cookies, pressing them slightly into the surface. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set. Lift the fudge from the dish using the foil overhang as handles, transfer to a cutting board, and slice into 16 squares.

WINTER ADVENTURES 

Doubletooth Grizzly

Do you ever just hate winter? So much so that you stay inside all winter and curse its name? We have it rough here in Duluth! But dreading each winter isn’t any way to live, folks. I am here to tell you that there are ways to make the winter season fun and fulfilling. But if you read the rest of this article, you have to promise to try one of them. For your first activity option, we have hiking. This option is great because you don’t need any special equipment. Just your standard outdoor winter apparel. The only thing is you might want to go after a couple of days of snowfall. Otherwise, the snow could be deep and hard to walk through, and your feet would possibly get cold really fast. A great winter hiking option is on the Hartley trails. 

For your second option, we have snowshoeing! Much like hiking, but you can hike in the deep and keep your feet warmer and drier. Just imagine you’re trudging down the trail. You’re starting to get cold, so you find a log to sit on and you pull out your trusty little backpacking stove to heat up some water. The water starts to tremble with heat, so you turn off the 

gas and pour the water into your 16-oz thermos and mix it with apple cider powder. That’ll keep you warm and happy! 

Another great option is cross-country skiing. Which note is not downhill skiing. Cross-country is long, mostly flat distances. And there are two different kinds. Classic, which is just sliding your feet forward in a rhythm. And skate, which is my personal favorite. It's pretty much the same motion as ice skating, or rollerblading. Classic is more easy-going, and skate is more intense. But both are fun. 

My last activity to get you outside during the winter is fat biking. This is my favorite thing to do in the winter. It’s literally mountain biking, but your tires are bigger for better traction in the snow. As you ride, you feel as though you are gliding over a cloud. There are a lot of fat bikers in Duluth, and we have over 100 miles of trails, and most of them are groomed over the winter. The great thing about each of these activities is that they are pretty easy to try out. You can go to Hartley Nature Center and rent snowshoes, cross-country skis, and fat bikes for the day. Therefore, if you hate winter and want to give winter another chance, go to Hartley Nature Center and go on an adventure!

SENIOR PROFILE

(Ft. Gideon Kairos & Grandma Debbie)

By, Olivianna 

What are your college and career plans?

-LSC for trades, I wanna be an electrician.

What kind of extracurricular activities are you into?

-Mountain biking and fat tire biking,

Drinking coffee, 

Family and friend activities, 

and wood working. 

Another memorable experience is when we got to shave my friend bald at school. 

What is one memorable high school experience you remember?

-Getting old empty applesauce containers and filling them with food, then putting them in lockers and letting it rot all year… Cooking food on radiators because in my old school things sometimes just wouldn’t work so we would put the food on the radiators to warm it up, and track practice, and during that going to cub foods everyday and sometimes buying donuts and running around town for track. Another memorable experience is when we got to shave my friend bald at school.

What is your most proud accomplishment that no one else knows about?

- I wouldn't say this is my most proud accomplishment because I feel like the most proud accomplishment would be more personal, but a proud accomplishment I have is saving up all my money for about 6 or 7 months to buy a fat bike in time for winter. I biked all winter and it was really fun

If you were a disney character who would you be, and who would your best friend be?

My best friend Trenton would be Christoph and I would be Sven from Frozen. That was actually Trenton’s answer. 

If there was a movie created about your life, whose part would you play?

(Can’t be you!)

-Grandpa or grandma and be retired and chill.

What is the biggest lesson you learned?

-The biggest lesson I have probably learned is to not let anxiety control you, and don't care so much what other people think of you. And I think a lot of the time those two things work hand and hand with each other. Obviously don't let that be an excuse to be rude or a not so nice person. Life is a lot more comfortable if you're not viewing yourself in 3rd person all the time. 

What advice do you have for the younger classmen?

-Life can suck, lock in and make sure to have fun and don’t worry too much about grades, and make sure to enjoy times in life, but work hard.

December Horoscopes

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Aries, get off that dang phone and read a book for FUN!

Taurus (April 20-May 20)      

Taurus, how many red items of clothing do you have? Get a few more!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Gemini, your family wants to hear about that new show you’re watching. Tell them all about it!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Cancer, it’s getting cold, try a polar plunge, they’re good for you. Or so I’ve heard, I’m not a doctor.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Leo, school is hard, but you’ve got this! If you need help, reach out; people want to help you.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Virgo, get a jobbbbbbb (If you already have a job: good job, you’re ahead of the game)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Libra, go see a play, support the arts!

  Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Scorpio, a Taurus you know is going to make some unwise purchases; you must stop them.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Sagittarius, someone close to you is secretly a superhero. If you figure it out, you mustn't tell a soul.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Capricorn, start learning the flute, trust, it will pay off.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)

Aquarius, whatever you do: don’t get on a plane this month.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20) 

Pisces, go. to. the. doctors.