Embedded Files
This is Tammy after she fell in the lake. Isn't she adorable!
STAFF PROFILE: MR.DURDEN
Rome Nickaboine and Sydney Bishop
Mr. Durden is a new staff member at HCIS this year. He teaches Math in room 313. We hope you learn something new about him through this interview!
Q: What made you choose HCIS?
A; “I wanted to teach math in the Duluth area. I like Duluth and I wanted to stay here. When they offered me the job I thought that I should take this seriously to figure out if it was a good fit, so I talked to my family members. When I first moved here, I wanted to work here because I could see it from the highway and I was curious what international school meant.”
Q: How long have you been teaching?
A: “I've been teaching for ten years now and two of those years were when I was a graduate student. At my grad school, they had an engineering program. Many students needed to take math so they took the math students and put them as teachers for engineering students.”
Q: Have you ever taught anything below high school?
A: “I used to teach middle school for three years. I would say that middle schoolers were very challenging. High schoolers seem easier to me.”
Q: Is it hard to be a teacher?
A: “I do hear from my colleagues that it is hard. For me, teaching has been really hard. I don't think that it's something that comes naturally to me but it's been easier for me with the students who are supportive. I think a lot of the time we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to achieve at a certain level.”
Q: What do you like about HCIS so far?
A: “It feels warm, that's the word that comes to mind. The students are warm, the staff are warm. The staff all eat together in that cozy room over there. It feels like there's a community.”
Q: What was your favorite subject in high school?
A: “My favorite subject by the end of high school was English. [Going into a math field] wasn't a hard decision for me because my parents are scientists and they are into analyzing and being able to get a deep understanding of how something works. With math, you're probably never going to understand something about the human condition that you could understand a little better by reading a poem or seeing a piece of art and you don't really have access to that in math, you can only really break things down. I still believe that there is beauty in it and even for someone who wants to be a poet, math can offer them something.”
A: “No! I didn't care much for math until I took calculus.”
Q: Have you always been good at math?
A: “For as long as I can remember, I've always been inquisitive about math. I remember in fourth grade I learned that one half times one half is less than one half and I became curious.”
Q: What is your dream vacation?
A: “I have cousins that are six and ten and it's a lot of fun to hang out with them. We pretend to go camping sometimes and it would be fun to take them camping for real sometime.”
Q: If you were being sentenced to death, what would you request as your last meal?
A: “One glazed donut.”
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: “I have a dog. She's a fluffy white dog. Her name is Tammy. She's very lovely and she keeps me good company.”
Q: If you could meet any person, real or fictional, dead or alive, who would it be?
A: “Albus Dumbledore. He always seems to speak from a place of integrity and passion. I would feel comfortable in Albus Dumbledore’s presence. I feel like I would have permission to be myself.”
Oásis Del Norte Review
Oásis Del Norte Review
Miirah O’Neill
Oasis Del Norte meaning, “Oasis Of The North” is a delicious Mexican restaurant in West Duluth on Superior St. Eduardo Sandoval Luna is from Mexico where his mom owns a restaurant called El Oasis, his inspiration for the name. Eduardo made the decision to come to Duluth to bring a little bit of home here. Now he has a successful food truck and restaurant serving us all, his mothers delicious recipes. My favorite things on the menu are their birria taco with fresh lime, cilantro, and diced onions. There is a range of options on their menu from quesadillas to walking tacos. They have many different options for meats you can choose for your meal, all very well prepared and tender. This is one of me and my brother’s favorite taco places in Duluth, it has become a burning hole in our pocket. When you walk into the restaurant you are greeted with beautiful colors and happy faces. I always enjoy ordering some elote on the side, a flavorful corn side dressed with parmesan, tajin, and mayo.Go to, oasisdelnorte.com to find a calendar for what next local event their food truck will be vending at next along with their menu.
ARTIST OF THE MONTH
ASH HIBBS
Kathy Joan
Ash is an artist at Harbor City, and ever since she was little she had a knack for all things creative: drawing, painting, and even writing. Though writing was her main passion as a girl, she was an avid reader, and in that mix she watched many movies, which inspired her visually to become an artist, saying that she liked the idea of being able to express emotion or a theme through a certain presentation, which led her to turn to art after writing proved to not be her true passion.
She prefers painting over drawing and hopes to improve her skill in sculpting. She is most comfortable with painting saying, “I think that paint is the only one that feels like I can just be quiet in my head when I’m doing something,” she then says that drawing can feel self-critical because of its lack of dimension, painting focuses more on building something up to an end product, while sketching is all about erase and reshape. Drawing leads her mind to wander, which can often bring frustration about the piece and other things in her head. “Painting feels more like a puzzle to me, like trying to put something together, where drawing doesn’t come as naturally — you know, I have to think about everything and I don’t like that.”
Her work environment stresses quiet and peaceful settings, she prefers to work at night when midday doesn’t prove to be very fruitful. She prefers to do art during winter, when things are more secluded than the sunnier months.”[winter] being, not isolated necessarily, but it does feel quieter and, you know, it's not like you can really go to the beach or anything. So it's more secluded and you spend more time indoors. It’s nice to have both means of self expression.”
We then spoke about what it is like to be creative in the midwest of all places. Of course we have our stars like Prince and whoever, but with the rise of aesthetics like midwestern gothic or midwest emo for the music scene, has really shown that creative people in the midwest pick at lint to find inspiration in such an empty place (so much so that the emptiness became the inspiration) and since most of our years are taken up by winter it can be very dark, which can inspire the more emotional aspect of art.
Though art is all about creativity, there is still this pressure to be seen as normal, and with new ideas of art it is very difficult for older, more traditional people to appreciate it. Which can become very discouraging for impressional or insecure artists and force them to put themselves into boxes that limit their creativity.
In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about artists only being able to make good work when they are sad or “insane” because of the rise in the tortured artists that made their way to the top.
When asked about it, she said, “I definitely disagree, I think that you can be very very happy and make art. I mean, everybody has some level of strain in their life no matter what. There is not a soul on this earth who has never experienced some level of hardship to some degree. And yeah, I like to make art to get stuff out but it's also a lot of the time, you know, you like making a pretty picture. It feels good to make something that you can show other people and you put into the world.”
CRYPTID OF THE MONTH
YETI
Ivy Laumeyer
Legends of “wild” humanoid beings wandering the rough and untamed landscapes in the harshest and least explored corners of the world have existed for centuries. All across Europe,Asia,and down into Africa stories of these beings have been told but this month we will focus on the Yeti. In a region where tigers, bears, and other wildlife live the rumors of the Yetis have lived separately within the folklore of the area. Although there are many terms within the language of the Himalayan peoples the term that is instantly recognizable is yeti. The etymology of the term originates from both the Sherpa language with the joining of the words yah (rock/cliff) teh (animal) and the Sanskrit word yaksha (hairy being with superhuman strength). The belief in the yeti has existed before the creation of Buddhism as a “Glacier Being” worshiped by the Lepcha people as a God of the Hunt. The cryptid was also adopted into Tibetan Buddhism as an animal that was “human enough” to be able to on occasion follow Dharma and even become the disciples or helpers of religious figures. Their role in the religion was seen as being one of both being a guardian against evil but also being an enforcer of Dharma which often meant seeing one was a bad omen. When the yeti first became widely known to the rest of the world is in 1832 when James Prinsep a scholar living in India kept the journal of a British hiker in which he found an account of a large, hairy, bipedal creature he encountered which ran away upon being seen along with a recorded account from the Romans which told of cave dwelling “satyrs” living in India's mountains. Since this time there have been many sightings of the creature(s) itself or footprints in the snow discovered by climbers and explorers. The most interesting evidence was brought forth when Edmund Hillary and journalist Desmond Doug heard a rumor of a temple in the remote mountains of Nepal that was home to a supposed yeti “scalp”. After traveling there and making the deal with the people of the village they agreed to let him take the scalp to be studied as long as a monk travels with them to be the guardian of the scalp. It was found by testing to be made of the hide of a goat-antelope and hair of at least three different known species. During the journey the monk was interviewed and told a newspaper “We dont believe in giraffes and lions in Nepal because there aren’t any there. Likewise you don’t believe in Yetis because there are none in your country.” As with other other cryptids, footprints remain the most talked about and discovered evidence to attempt to lend some form of credibility to the legend of the yeti. There are many famous examples brought forth that at first seem to lend truth to the claims but slowly they have been disproven in one way or another. These often include misidentification of tracks, hoaxes, and animal tracks that have in some way melted or deteriorated into a yeti like shape. But at least one case has not yet been soundly disproven. John Angelo Jackson who was a mountaineering leader of the 1954 Snowman Expedition trekked from Everest to Kanchenjunga and photographed many tracks believed to be yetis. Most of these photographs have been identified but there were a fair many photos of typical yeti tracks which were neither identifiable or disproven. Some species that have been offered as examples for misidentification include the Langur Monkey, The Tibetan Blue Bear, or The Himalayan Brown Bear. As popularity and profitability grew from the legends it is also said that some sightings may be deliberate hoaxes. Not to mention the fact that there would have to be a fair few creatures to maintain the gene pool and given the often cited height of seven to eight feet tall it's hard for many to believe that they have been as elusive as they are. Although much of science has disproved most of the yeti sightings throughout its recorded history there is always a part of the human brain that wants such creatures to exist and will continue to look for such signs.
BACK TO SCHOOL (SHOOTINGS)
Sacha M
It’s back to school season; the season of anxiety and expectation. For most of history, the anxiety has been trivial -Will your teachers be cool? Will you have classes or lunch with your friends? Will you sit next to someone new?- but in our modern era students are faced with a new fear; back to school season means a higher likelihood of school shootings. There have been 23 school shootings so far in 2024, killing 50 people. In 2023, 63 people were killed as a result of a school shooting, a comforting contrast to the gruesome 140 in 2022. Since the rise of school shootings in 2021, the numbers seem to be falling, but not fast enough. Coupled with this, an overwhelming majority of school shooters are between the ages of 12-18, using guns obtained illegally. At the time I write this article (September 5th) the latest school shooting was less than 24 hours ago. The shooter, a 14 year old boy, walked into a school in Georgia, with an illegally obtained AR-15 rifle and opened fire into a classroom killing 4 people (2 teachers and 2 students) and critically injuring another 9.
Students in the US are dying, and our “thoughts and prayers” aren’t enough. Other countries have been able to stop school shootings by stricter gun controls and bans. Children are able to obtain firearms from parents or older siblings, often without their permission because the firearms aren't properly stowed, or the gun owner isn’t mentally fit to own the gun and gives it to the child willingly. Stronger gun control would prevent this. The purchase of firearms should be better regulated, and automated rifles (AR’s) shouldn't be allowed to be possessed by the public. The second amendment, written over 200 years ago, doesn’t include any protections on weapons of mass murder like automated rifles, and the possession of them is in direct opposition to the first amendment and our right to life.
Children are dying. Parents kiss their 5 year olds goodbye in the morning and wonder if it's the last time they’ll see their kid. Teachers go to school in the morning prepared to use themselves as a shield for their students. Doors are locked and students practice sheltering in place and barricading the doors, and, thousands of miles away, legislators so far removed from the incident post their thoughts and prayers on social media without any attempt to put an actual stop to anything. This doesn’t need to happen, and we know what to do. Protest, talk to legislators, do something to stop this from happening. The power is in our hands. As Senator McEwen said during her talk at school two weeks ago, the best way to get change is to campaign for it. Write letters, put pressure on our legislators. This can be stopped.
ALL ABOUT THE PEREGRINE FALCON (The coolest bird)
Nadia Latvala
Fall migration is coming up for many birds, including the amazing Peregrine Falcon. Peregrine Falcons are about the size of a crow, and can range from 14.2 to 19.3 inches in length (from the tip of their beak to the tip of their tail), with a wingspan of 39.4 to 43.3 inches. Peregrine Falcons are found on every continent, except Antarctica, and are the world's fastest diving bird. Generally they fly at 25 to 34 miles per hour, but they can reach speeds of 112 miles per hour when pursuing prey, and can drop at almost 200 miles per hour while hunting. This makes the Peregrine Falcon one of the fastest animals in the world!
So, where can you look for this bird? Peregrine Falcons are found in various places, like forests, mountains, valleys, cities, coastlines, and even deserts. In our area we may see them on cliffs or ledges, by lakes, or rivers. In urban areas, they can be found on tall buildings, water towers, or other tall structures. Last year, one was spotted by the DECC. At Hawk Ridge the majority of these birds pass through during mid September to early October on their way to Central America, South America, or Mexico, although some may overwinter in the US.
Unfortunately, in the past they have run into major roadblocks. In 1965 it was concluded that the bird's population was in major decline around the world, and in 1969 the US, Canada, and Mexico were asked to do what they could to protect the bird. In 1970 the bird was listed as endangered in the US, but why were their populations declining so much? As it turns out, an insecticide called DDT was commonly used on farms and contaminated bugs that small birds ate, which the falcons preyed on, with the poison. Over time, the toxins built up in their body which left their egg shells brittle due to a lack of calcium. By 1972 they had basically vanished from the eastern US, and their numbers were quickly declining in the west. The use of DDT was banned by the US EPA the same year. From 1974 to 1997 4,000 Peregrine Falcons who were bred in captivity were released into the wild. In 1999 the bird was finally released from the US endangered species list, and is currently considered a special concern species in Minnesota according to the Minnesota DNR.
Are You An Artist? Want Your Art Featured in the Newspaper? Email Either Sacha (smozenter@harborcityschool.org)
Or
Mrs. Erdahl (rerdahl@harborcityschool.org)
with Photos!
(please note all art will be printed in black and white)
THE HAUNTED SHIP IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
Kaylin Roushar
Must be 16+
As September comes to a close and our first month of school is over, next comes the grand old month of October!
Halloween awaits on the 31st, but other Halloween events occur throughout the month!
The most popular one is ‘The Haunted Ship’ which takes place on the William Irvin, down at the canal across from the movie theater, during the whole month of October! Whether you’ve been on it or worked on it, oftentimes we’re understaffed when it comes to volunteers!
It’s a large ship with lots of rooms! We need a lot of people! We have costumes, make-up artists, and ‘lead actors’ which are scare actors that take charge of different sections of the ship and can help you know what to do!
Wanna volunteer but don’t know how? It’s easy!
Though they’ll explain a majority of things I’m saying when you get there, it’s nice to know things ahead of time!
First things first, for legal reasons, you cannot be under the age of 16. You need to be in the age range of 16,17 and 18+ Sorry freshman! The child labor laws are protecting you! Bummer :(
If you are 16+ but not 18+ you will need to pick up a form + waiver and get your parents or guardian to sign it. If you are 18 then you can sign it yourself.
If you’re at the proper age and have the time, all you need to do is head on down to the ship before 4:30 (on a day when it is explicitly open. Otherwise no one will be there!), because that's when costume picking and make up begins. Depending on the room you choose/end up with(if you’re late) will determine when you get into makeup, and what it’ll look like. They put a lot of effort into every look, so don’t get impatient! Waiting for makeup gives you time to do schoolwork, talk to friends, or relax. There is also a small closet-like room in the employee’s only lobby. If you bring your backpack after school, you’ll likely want to put your stuff in there! It only has 2 keys, which both belong to the head staff members, so nothing can be stolen or damaged while you’re working! Please ask a staff member if you need to grab something or put something away! There will be no phones allowed during the haunt, i mean, let's be real, if you see a crazy clown with an ax texting his mom on an iphone, that’s kinda gonna ruin the magic. If you need to bring it (usually if a parent demands it), please find a good hiding place for it and keep it on silent! The ship is not responsible for lost or stolen items, so bring your phone at your own risk! It’s safer to leave it in the lobby closet.
The attraction goes from 6:00–10:30 pm, so be ready to work! Though of course, you can leave whenever you need to! Just let the staff know ahead of time so security can come get you!
Volunteer work does not get paid, however, when volunteering, they provide you with dinner and snacks throughout the afternoon to keep your energy up!
Whatever the case, please listen to your lead actor! They’re responsible for you while you work, if you need a break, you feel sick, get hurt- your lead is there to help you!
If you plan on making an appearance, whether it be for one night or the whole month, make sure to bring a water bottle, your whistle(that will be provided to you by the staff, for emergencies only) close-toed shoes like tennis shoes or boots, and warm clothes + layers (especially for socks!). It takes place in October on a metal ship with no heaters, it is not a warm place! Please be prepared for Duluth’s usual cold weather!
We look forward to working with you on this upcoming haunt!! 👻 🎃
Join the BIPOC Student Group on Thursdays during CP and after school!
You might be thinking about joining, but you don’t know what happens or what we do. Let me answer some of the questions that are raging in your mind.
What happens in BIPOC?
We plan events, help plan for your future (scholarships, college, careers, etc.), and provide a safe space for you.
What events does BIPOC plan?
We at BIPOC plan events like Uplifting black voices, Mawaadishiiwe, Black History Month, Indigenous Peoples Day, and even Family Fun Nights for our BIPOC students!
Where and When do we meet?
We meet every Thursday during CP in the second-floor lobby and after school in Ms. Erdahl’s room.
We also supply Snacks during our meetings! We are an open space to our BIPOC students and we want to be here to make you feel welcome and let us help you in your future endeavors. It is optional to attend this club every week, so please don’t feel obligated or forced to join!
Senior of the Month: Alec Williams
Alec is a graduating senior at HCIS, and when I first got to harbor city, I remember seeing him on the bus and thinking that he was the coolest ever, but I was much too afraid to talk to him. It was later that year that his band, the Rocking Rodents, was created. It was very sweet to see the band grow and grow just from the school having such a strong sense of community, and it will be very sad to see him and his band members leave us this year.
Q: What do you like best about HCIS?
A: What I like best about HCIS is how small of a school it is. . . The size allows friend groups to mesh together and allows stronger bonds with teachers. A few teachers at HCIS have impacted my life a lot and that would not be possible if we were a big school.
Q: What has been your greatest accomplishment at HCIS?
My greatest accomplishment at HCIS is graduating. (very concise, thank you, Alec)
A: What are you going to do after you graduate?
After high school, I plan to become a part-time student at UMD while working part-time. After I do my prerequisites I’ll be marching to the cities to do the Mortuary Science program at the U of M. All while this is happening my band the Rocking Rodents will be famous (obviously) so we’ll be on a worldwide tour as I’m a student. I also cannot forget that I’ll have at least 3 cats.
Q: What advice do you have for younger students?
A: The best advice I have for younger students is to make time for yourself and hang out with your friends as much as possible. High school isn’t long and your experience is one of the strongest things you can receive from it. Don’t think your worth is based on your grades, they matter but don’t matter as much as keeping yourself afloat. You’re a kid, so allow yourself to be one. Grab that extra slice of pizza, adventure with your friends after school, spray paint on abandoned buildings, jump in the lake when it’s freezing, play instruments loudly, show your moves at a school dance, and be unapologetically yourself (unless you're evil).
(Interviewed by Kathy Joan)
ROCKING RODENTS PROMOTION
Come check us rock out on October 5th at our Monster Mash show! Follow us on instagram @rocking.rodents and DM us for the location! See you there! —Alec
Book Review: In The Lives Of Puppets
Need a good book to read? In The Lives Of Puppets by TJ Klune is a wonderful, mind opening book filled with adventure, friendships and heartbreak. This book is young adult fiction and is a New York Times best seller! I personally am not a big reader and it took me almost a year to read this book but it has been a lovely time with this novel. From someone who doesn’t get very emotional with books or movies, In The Lives Of Puppets will send you through an emotional roller coaster. It has made me laugh and cry and had me on the edge of my seat at times. I love TJ Klune’s writing because he gives you a new perspective on life and everyday situations.
In the book, Klune creates a world much like our own minus the 8.2 billion humans and in our place are robots. This novel takes place in the woods with four robots and one human boy. They face the challenges of housing the last human on earth. Victor Lawson, the human boy, is the son of Gio Lawson who is a robot. The three other robots are a small robot named Rambo who is a vacuum, Nurse ratched whose designation is to be a nurse for humans before they were wiped out , and finally Hap who was found in the android dump and brought back to life by victor. Later on after Gio gets taken by the authorities they find out many horrifying truths about who Hap really is.
Local October Events
To have your activity considered being added, please fill out the form at this link or scan the QR code! Please keep note any advertisements will come out in next month's issue.
Duluth Haunted Ship Opening ($25)
October 3rd and other dates until the 31st
William A Irvin Museum - 6:30pm-10:00pm
Spooky ship tour, and for opening night free admission to anyone who wears their costume and participates in their crawl.
Bayfield Apple Fest
October 4th-October 6th / Friday-Saturday 9:00am-9:00pm / Sunday 9:00am-6:00pm
Apple themed food vendors, market stalls, and entertainment.
Duluth Superior Film Festival
October 2nd - 6th @ Multiple times and locations
The event is part of the North Star Story Summit, which also includes the Minnesota WebFest and Catalyst Content Festival.
Laugh Till' You Scream ($15-$18)
October 11th @ 8:30pm-11:00pm
The West Theater - 319 N Central Ave.
Filmmaking community horror and comedy screening hosted by Farx Brothers.
North Shore Scenic Railroad Great Pumpkin ($30-$45)
October 17th-October 20th
506 W Michigan St.
Ride the train and see the great pumpkin, or head into the depot to join other activities held inside.
Boo at the Zoo ($15 (Buy in advance!)
October 12th, 19th, and 26th @ 10am-4pm
Lake Superior Zoo - 7210 Fremont St
Trick-or-treating stations, Boo-tique Craft Show, Costume Contests, Face Painting, Mini Pumpkin Hunt, Games & activities, Nature Trail, Pumpkin Patch ($6), Magic show, and more.
A Spook-tacular Saturday (FREE!)
October 26th @ 12:00 - 3:00 pm
Fairlawn Mansion - 906 E 2nd St, Superior, WI
Games, crafts, a costume contest, museum tours, and candy.
Annual Food Truck Festival
October 27 @ 11:00am-3:00pm
5152 Miller Trunk Hwy
‘Freezer Full of Meat’ raffle, trunk or treat, football watching with halftime throw contest, and other activities.
A GUIDE TO HORROR MOVIES
Jocelyn Petrovffsky
In honor of the spooky season approaching us I will be trying to cram my very biased opinions on the horror movie genre into a thousand words or less. I hope that if you have wanted to spark an interest in horror movies this article will be a helpful lift off. First off, ignore the classic slashers (the 80’s and prior). They aren’t worth it. I mean unless you like ideas with so much potential but are tarnished by incredibly annoyingly stylized performances, boring scripts, and a slow paced environment. There are good movies within this genre but for the most part, not my cup of tea. Now I’m not here to yuck your yum if you adore movies such as ‘Halloween’ (1978), but I also kinda am. Another subgenre I do not like is supernatural horror. Another genre with so much potential but is so often done incredibly tropey and for some reason usually has very biased political and religious positions. They focus so hard on the ‘scary’ aspect that all else goes out the window. Though there are gems within this genre that make up for the mediocrity that plaques it. Now a subgenre that I don’t necessarily dislike but just wouldn't recommend is found footage. Arguably one of the top three most popular subgenres of horror but it doesn't do anything for me. They can be pretty boring or just so scary that it comes off as cheap. I have yet to find a good found footage film but I haven’t totally given up on it, hence the “don’t necessarily dislike.” That's all the negativity I’m spotlighting this article. It’s on to the subgenres I adore so much! The first of which being Satire. Satire/Comedy horror focuses on making fun of the tropes and defining aspects of the genre, while also being a horror film. The most notable examples of this being the respective Scream and Scary Movie franchises. Movies such as Jennifer's Body (2009), American Psycho (2000), Zombieland (2009), and Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) are other notable examples of this subgenre. I want to take a second to spotlight a 2024 satire horror that I believe deserves so much more recognition: Lisa Frankenstien. This movie follows Lisa, a young girl who recently lost her mother and is a social outcast in her new town. But things turn around for her when she goes on a violent spree when a Victorian corpse reanimates. This movie has its fair share of problems which leads it to be relatively low rated and not critically acclaimed. Don’t let that stop you from enjoying this film! It’s entertaining and like Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Heathers (1988) had a baby. What more could you ask for? Please watch it… Ok, I’ve saved the best for last, the creme de la crop, the peak of cinema, my favorite movie genre of all time: Psychological Horror. This genre, when done well, it's absolutely brilliant and mind-bending. No matter how much I indulge in watches of this subgenre I never ever grow tired of it. It takes all the best aspects of horror as a whole while getting rid of all the stupid aspects and replacing them for psychology. It can be a very intense genre that can genuinely be life-altering, which is why I appreciate it so much. I wanna spotlight four particular films within this genre: Pearl (2022), Prisoners (2013), Donnie Darko (2001), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). The thing all these four films have in common is heart. All these movies come from a place of pure raw emotion.
Do You Have Opinions? We’d Love To Hear Them!
Submit an OP-ED to be featured on the newspaper! Any topic is welcome.
Contact Sacha or Ms. Erdahl details or to submit.
How to avoid the “Back to school sickness” this fall.
K.Roushar
With the brand new school year coming to a start, so does the upcoming flu season.
One of the consistent issues we struggle with every school year is viruses attacking our immune systems. We go to school in a building with numerous people year long, touching doorknobs, tables, school supplies, lockers, and not to forget that we all breathe the same air. As fall is approaching, so is the flu. It happens in all of the school years, from elementary to college. (They call it “Dorm Sickness” in college.)
Getting any sort of sickness is no fun to deal with, you miss out on school, you fall behind on work, whether it be school work or your job, you have to miss out on plans if you made any with your friends- and honestly who genuinely likes getting sick? Sore throat and stuffy nose? Who has the time to deal with that!!
Want to avoid getting sick? There are multiple ways to protect yourself and others from viruses during the school year.
Before you go crazy and pull out the cleaning supplies and your full-body hazmat suit; let's go through the basics.
I don’t mean to sound condescending when I say this but WASH YOUR HANDS. It is the number one way to keep sickness away. Also if you don't then you’re GROSS!!
We’ve been told to do this since kindergarten, maybe even sooner, but it is unbelievably important.
Don’t come to school if you're sick! If you have the option, staying home is more efficient.
Though some parents don’t allow their children to stay home when sick, here are some options in case you’re forced to come to school anyway.
Wear a mask if you’re sick!! Can’t stress this enough! Please wear a mask if you have a cold or the flu. No one likes to get coughed on, and no one likes to get sick!
Optional items consist of wearing disposable or fabric gloves or a full-body hazmat suit. Just make sure your face is visible!
Sanitizing your items/spaces you share with others can prevent germs from spreading.
Don’t share items like water bottles, milk cartons, lipsticks/stains/chapsticks if you feel ill!
Cough and sneeze into your elbow, not your hand! If you do it by accident, please wash your hands before touching anything else.
Use hand sanitizer! It makes a huge difference. If you don't like the way hand sanitizer feels, just wash your hands.
Before you eat lunch at school, or after you go home, wash your hands!
Wearing masks doesn't only apply to sick people, wearing a mask can also help you!
If you notice someone is sick, and they refuse to wear a mask, maybe wear your own! If someones being ignorant, there’s no reason for you to suffer the consequences of their actions, always be prepared!
Wash your hands.
Did I mention washing your hands?
Because you should.
Multiple times every day.
Wash them.
Wash your hands.
Whether it be a stomach bug or a common cold, no one wants to get sick! It’s icky.
If you want to get sick then you’re weird, and I am judging you!
We try to keep our school as clean as possible throughout the school year, but there's only so much we can do with students constantly running about! We need you to do your part! So keeping your space and others clean and sanitary can help keep away the germs this upcoming cold and flu season!
Horoscopes
Aries (March 21-April 19) Aries, you can expect a lot of thanks this month for all you provide for family and friends. Also make time in your day for naps, trust me you’ll appreciate it.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) Gemini, be careful with how many spiders you’re killing, this may teach them to evolve to be smarter and take revenge.
Leo (July 23-August 22) Leos you deserve a best friends award of the month. Keep it up you’re making the world better, and don’t let this go to your head.
Libra (September 23-October 22) Libra, The moment your neighbor puts out their pumpkins, run to the nearest Super One and buy a container of frosting, then rent a site in the boundary waters and catch a fish with the frosting. Place the fish in your neighbor's pumpkin. Don’t ask why, but it will help.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Sagittarius, take it easy on your family this month. I know they don’t listen to you all the time but neither do you.
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Aquarius, this month be careful with how hard you push yourself, it could end with something as bad as a broken wrist.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Taurus, we all know you love money, so get yourself a job friend. If you need any help with applications let me know!
Cancer (June 21-July 22) Cancer, don’t work yourself to hard because honestly makes you short tempered which just becomes annoying after awhile, take care of yourself you got this.
Virgo (August 23-September 22) Virgos, make sure to spend extra time with your friends this year because things may soon change.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Scorpio, keep it up! If you keep up with your homework you might be rewarded with a free trip to an undisclosed tropical location! You can’t come back though. Sorry.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Capricorn, feed your dog. Please. They are hungry. Your pets are actively plotting against you. You have been warned.
Pisces (February 19 - March 20) Pisces, this month you may become student of the month for a small cost, $20 on my desk by Tuesday. Who’s desk? You’ll have to figure it out.
BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GEOCACHE
By the Traveller
THE BACKGROUND
Geocaching was started on May 3rd, 2000 when the government allowed public access to GPS technology a day before, and Dave Ulmer decided to use the newly accessible system to make a simple treasure-hunting game out of it using only GPS coordinates. “Geo” refers to the Earth and geography; "Cache” is a collection of hidden items. Thus, Geocaching was made, and it still goes on to this day, easier than ever. This article is meant to be the starting point on how to get into Geocaching, basic etiquette, and tips on searching,
HOW DO I START?
All it takes to start is to download the Geocaching app and make an account. There are various pins marked to indicate the general area a geocache is in. They are everywhere, not just deep in the woods, so you don’t have to bring much aside from your phone, a pencil, and (if you want to add to the cache) a trinket.
BASIC ETIQUETTE
Do not destroy anything while searching. Geocaches are usually underneath, between, inside of, or camouflaged in things, but it shouldn’t require you to break people’s property or trample nature. Similarly, don’t trespass on property to get a geocache.
When you find the cache, at the very least, add your name to the logbook. It’s the best way to track how many people have been there, how long the cache has been there, how recently it’s been found, etc.
For larger Caches with various little items in them, try to bring items of your own to trade in if you want to take them. Put treasure in the treasure stash so more people can have treasure of their own!
After you’ve found the cache, put it back exactly how it was meant to be hidden, including any mechanisms or cover used. At best it would be disappointing to find an open and obvious geocache, but at worst it would make it frustratingly difficult or impossible to find the cache again since none of the location hints previously given would help. The worst feeling is to find the location where the cache was clearly meant to be hidden in and where the hints and instructions tell you the cache was meant to go, but because someone didn’t put it back correctly, you don’t ever find the treasure.
SEARCHING TIPS
Common Spots - Geocaches are labeled on how difficult they are, but they usually follow the same pattern. Scan the area, looking for any structures that seem suspect. Likely places of geocaches could be: trail signboards, fences, benches, tree holes, inside strange rock formations, etc. Tough geocaches will be tricky, but if you remember to check all the most obvious places, it narrows the scope down.
Hints - The great thing about geocaching being an app is if you truly are stuck, you can look at the comments people leave on the geocache pin to use for help. Not everyone says vivid things or direct hints, sometimes it’s good to know how difficult others found the search or how out of the box they needed to be to solve it.
Better in numbers - Bring friends! Geocaching is fun when you can revel in the hunt with others, and it makes it easier to search more ground.
Non-perishables - If you want to add something to the geocaches, make sure the items are small, and won’t erode with time or the elements.
Happy geocaching! Did you find the school’s geocache?
A Trip to Chipotle
Xander Ripley-Jaakola
It starts as all journeys should. A take out order for one's favorite fast food, Mexican grill. As I sit in fourth hour, watching the minutes tick by, a plan unfolds in my mind to get Chipotle for lunch. It will be a race… the only question is if I’ll win. Mr. Smoniewski lets us out of Zoology and I throw my backpack into Ms.Ottjes’ room. I don't need the extra weight. 34 minutes till 5th hour. I make my way to the office to sign out and inform Ms. Boman of my plan. She and Ms. Williams don’t sound like they believe in me. I'm not sure If I believe in myself. I place my order through the Chipotle app and pay as I race back down the stairs to the ground level and run to the parking garage. I run to my car and hop in and start it. I pull out of the parking lot and start my ascent up the hill. Sadly, I am stopped by the first light on Superior Street. These are going to be my only moments of rest on this journey. So I figure out my tunes and through the car speakers comes blasting “Oye Como Va”, a song I’ve been listening to for Jazz Band. I am hype and ready for my chicken burrito by this point. But it is not time for celebration. The light switches to green and I blast up the hill without halt.
I merge onto Masaba Ave and to my luck there are all green lights. I reach the top of Masaba Ave and am forced to stop at the intersection. My blinker ticking repeatedly, almost taunting the time passing as I sit there waiting. Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock. The light turns green and I start on Central Entrance. 25 minutes till 5th hour. I am jamming to the music as my girlfriend calls. Under all this stress, I forgot that I had asked to call during lunch. I answered and informed her of my endeavor, her response was “Oh boy”. As I pulled up to the mall I ended the call and ran towards Chipotle, the halfway point of my odyssey. I walk into Chipotle, the smell of freshly grilled meat and Mexican spices fill my nostrils. I walk to the pre-order shelf and quickly find the bag with my name plastered to the front. I snatch it up and exit the same way I came in. I run back to my car with the package tucked into the nook of my arm, dodging pedestrians and cars, reminiscent of my football days. I get back into my vehicle and start it up. 18 minutes till 5th hour.
I pull out of the mall, onto Central Entrance once more. Now I am wondering when I will eat my prize. But I don't have to worry about that right now. I am once again granted the luck of green lights as my car whirrs down the road. There were some slow drivers and I may have yelled some choice words in their direction but they can’t hear me inside this car. I don't have to stop again until W 2nd St. As I sit behind the stop light, this is where I take my first bite of victory. The chicken was tender and juicy. The rice and beans were in perfect proportion. The guac was alright. The wrap held together nicely, but I wasn’t able to enjoy it forever. The light switched to green and I had to slide my burrito into my cup holder, thankfully it fit. Although I had tasted victory, I was not victorious. I still must get to class on time. I rolled down the hill to the parking garage from earlier. I practically jumped out of the car and grabbed and ate my burrito while I walked back to the school. 6 minutes till 5th hour. I signed back in with the office and enjoyed my burrito in the cafeteria. And got to 5th hour on time.
*Parts of this text may have been dramatized to make for better reading. All actions were done legally and safely.*
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