The Navigator Times
Harbor City International School Newspaper
Embedded Files
October 2026
October 2026
Volume 4, Issue 10
BEAN HALLOWEEN
A Bean Diner short story by Nova and Whaffle
As Tom Cheese walked in for another hectic day of work at the Bean Diner, he only expected the usual(?) routine. However, as the first customer arrived, they scanned the outside of the building before walking and doing the same inside. Walking to the front counter they began their order. And as they waited for their serving of baked beans, they said some things that seemed to explain the odd behavior. “Strange” they said, “I’m so used to seeing holiday decor up as early as possible that not seeing it feels strange.”
“What do you mean by that?” Lily Funnelcake began after barging in abruptly.
“Why, Halloween of course!” the customer stated. It was only after hearing this, did Tom and Lily look towards the calendar to see “October 1st”.
“How did we forget Halloween!?” Tom whispered intensely, “It’s one of the most iconic holidays ever!” Suddenly The Manager, John Beans barged in and said in his bombastic southern accent, “What’s this about a Holiday that we forgot?” before grabbing Tom and Lily by the shoulders and bringing them into his office.
“You two know we can’t forget a holiday,” John said. “I don’t care if it happens on the other side of the world! We need to take business opportunities when they happen. Now, what can we do for ‘Halloween’?” Tom and Lily began proposing suggestions. And so, the diner was closed for now. Everyday they tried something different. They tried adding new menu items such as a spicy, pumpkin-flavored beverage full of Pinto beans (it ended up being too spicy), or a singular, really scary bean. They tried opening a haunted food truck, they tried trick or treating (John kept giving beans to every
house they stopped at, and requesting payment), they tried opening a food truck, reopening the restaurant and scaring every customer that entered, things like decorating the restaurant just seemed basic to them. They tried so many things and yet, none of them seemed sufficient. Until one day, when they were brainstorming, Tom had the perfect idea. “I've got it! I'VE GOT IT!” he said jubilantly, “THIS is exactly what WE NEED TO DO!” But before he could say, John walked in. “Too long folks” he stated, “Look” he pointed towards the clock and the calendar. As Tom read the clock, he couldn't believe his eyes. “WHAT?! NOOOOOOOO!” 12:00AM November 1st. They had missed their chance.
WHAT IS BEAN DINER?
By Nova
“Bean Diner” was first introduced to Harbor City at 2025’s 7th grade symposium. It started as a simple inside joke among friends of a funny looking guy that says “Stir dem beans”. Until eventually, a full theater-like comedy sketch was created around the joke. And thus, new characters were introduced, a story was made, and now, it has gone from being a short phrase said for fun, to a group of employees working at a diner with a manager that just puts beans into everything.
So now you understand. Or do you. If you have any further questions, constructive criticisms, suggestions of what you want to see these characters do, or just wanna say you want to see more of this amusing little cast of characters, email kbardon@harborcityschool.org for your queries to be answered in a future edition.
SENIOR PROFILE - Jaz Sipila
By Isaac Lukasavitz
For the month of October, the HCIS Navigator Times is putting a spotlight on senior Jaz Sipila.
Q: What plan do you have after graduation?
A: For a while I wanted to be an electrician, but after researching the career, I’ve considered accomplishing other goals before going into that field of work.
Q: Why did you choose to go to HCIS?
A: My siblings Calliope and Juniper had attended the school before me. So it was a natural course of events for me to follow in their footsteps and attend HCIS too.
Q: What advice do you have for younger students?
A: Be polite, kind, and open minded. Try to make friends with people even if you disagree with them. Err on the side of being friendly with everyone.
Q: If you could teach any class at HCIS, what would it be?
A: I would love to teach a music class. I think I’d be able to teach some people how to play the banjo, but I’d be happy with anything music related.
Q: What is your favorite memory from HCIS?
I had a lot of fun during the Baaga'adowewin symposium. The best part was getting to talk and interact with alumni Xander. He taught me a lot about music.
Q: If you could go back in time, who would you want to see first?
A: I’d like to meet Seba Jun. He’s a Japanese Hip-Hop artist. I’ve listened to a lot of his music and I can relate to him a lot. He’s had a positive impact on my life.
As you can see, Jaz is a really cool person! They’ve had a huge impact on the school in many ways. From starting clubs, amazing theatrical performances, and carrying on the legacy of the Beatles shrine. The last thing Jaz wanted me to let you all know is that you should tune into their podcast, the Robert Foreman Podcast, on Youtube!
STAFF INTERVIEW MS. RUNIA
By: Kaiden King
1. How long have you been working at HCIS?
Five and a half years.
2. What made you choose HCIS?
I was for student teaching and I never left. I did my student teaching here and never applied to a different school.
3. What do you like about HCIS?
We are a small school that can adapt to what students need.
4. What do you do for fun when you’re not at school?
I like to read, travel, and craft.
5. What is a piece of advice you have for students?
Many of the skills that you learn here you can use when you enter the world beyond our four walls.
6. What are your thoughts about teaching high school and middle school?
I love it! I love being able to have tough conversations with kids and see how they mature.
STUDENT ARTIST OF THE MONTH
By Alaina Dragonbreath
Interviewing: Lizzie Klein
Q: How long have you been an artist?
A: Around 11 years old is when I started.
Q: What is your favorite medium?
A: I like drawing and painting.
Q: Follow up question: What type of paint or materials do you work with?
A: I love charcoal pencils when I draw, and water color paints.
Q: If you could have your dream artist job, what would it be?
A: I would like to be a pet portrait painter get paid to paint/ draw pets
Q: What's your favorite art style?
A: I like hyper-pop, and cartoonists
THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES THIS OCTOBER
By Isaac Lukasavitz
Attention theatre folks! If you aren’t aware, Duluth is home to a variety of fabulous performance venues, and October is bringing about many opportunities to witness artistic excellence live on stage!
Disney’s Descendants: The Musical
Where: Duluth Playhouse
When: October 9th - 11th
Website: duluthplayhouse.org
“Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movie, Disney’s Descendants: The Musical is a brand-new musical jam-packed with comedy, adventure, Disney characters, and hit songs from the films!”
-Duluth Playhouse
Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom
Where: Duluth Playhouse
When: October 22nd - November 8th
Website: duluthplayhouse.org
“Darkly, funny, suspenseful, and thrilling, Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom offers an unforgettable theatrical ride that explores suburban conformity, parental control, and the consequences of obsession.”
-Duluth Playhouse
American Son
Where: Zeitgeist Teatro Zuccone
When: September 24th - October 3rd
Website: zeitgeistarts.com
“A Florida police station in the middle of the night; a mother searching for her missing teenage son. American Son is a gripping tale of two parents caught in our national divide, with their worst fears hanging in the balance.”
-Playbill
Church Basement Ladies
Where: Boat Club Productions
When: October 1st - 11th
Website: boatclubrestaurant.com/productions
“Church Basement Ladies is a heartwarming and comedic musical that takes place in a small Midwestern town. The story revolves around a group of women who tirelessly work behind the scenes in the church basement, preparing food and organizing events for the congregation.”
-Boat Club Productions
Macbeth
Where: Marshall Performing Arts Center (University of Minnesota Duluth)
When: October 2nd - 10
Website: tickets.mn.edu
“This adaptation of Macbeth, rooted in Shakespeare’s classic poetry, will explore fresh perspectives and find resonance with the present moment. With an energetic, fast-paced narrative, this story is both refuge and reckoning, embracing the bonds of kinship, the wonders of mysticism, and the haunted beauty of a homeland that is fiercely worth the fight.”
-Marshall Performing Arts Center
Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play
Where: Holden Fine and Applied Arts Center (University of Wisconsin Superior)
When: October 30th - November 7th
Website: uwsuper.edu
“Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play is a wildly inventive, darkly funny exploration of storytelling, pop culture, and the myths we create to make sense of the world. Blending comedy, music, and theatrical imagination, this acclaimed play asks what endures when everything else is lost.”
-Holden Fine and Applied Arts Center
The Prom
Where: Duluth East High School
When: October 29th - November 1st
Website: N/A (stay tuned for updates on tickets)
“When Broadway’s biggest personalities need a publicity makeover, they head to small-town Indiana to support Emma, a high school student banned from bringing her girlfriend to prom. What starts as a
Ride the Cyclone
Where: Denfeld High School
When: October 22nd - 24th
Website: https://keelywaechter.wixsite.com/denfeldtheater
“Ride the Cyclone is a quirky, dark comedy that tells the story of six teenagers from a high school choir who die in a tragic roller coaster accident. As they meet in limbo, they must argue their case for who deserves to return to life. With a variety of musical styles and deeply unique characters, Ride the Cyclone is both hilarious and poignant.”
-Maltz Jupiter Theatre
I encourage you all to go out and support local theatre companies and their artists! One of the wonderful things about this community is the growing love for the performing arts! Additionally, feel free to reach out to me with any questions regarding these events.
HALLOWEEN EPISODES IN SHOWS
By: Olive
Cartoons
Spongebob SquarePants
-S1E13: Scaredy Pants
-S2E16: Graveyard Shift
-S8E10: Ghoul Fools
-S11E5: The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom
-S11E24: The Night Party
Gravity Falls
-S1E12: Summerween
-S2E10: Northwest Mansion Mystery
-S2E18: Weirdmageddon 1
-S2E19: Weirdmageddon 2: Escape From Reality
-S2E20: Weirdmageddon 3: Taking Back the Falls
South Park
-S1E7: Pinkeye
-S2E15: Spookyfish
-S3E10: Korn’s Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery
-S10E20: Hell on Earth 2006
Family Guy
-S9E5: Halloween on Spooner Street
-S14E1: Pilling Them Softly
-S16E4: Follow the Money
-S18E5: Cat Fight
-S20E5: Breil Encounter
Live Action
The Office
-S2E5: Halloween
-S7E6: Costume Contest
-S8E5- Spooked
-S9E5: Here Comes Treble
Modern Family
-S2E6: Halloween
-S8E6: Halloween 4: The Revenge of Rod Skyhook
-S9E5: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Phil Dumphy
-S10E5: Good Greil
Friends
-S8E6: The One With the Halloween Party
Gilmore Girls
-S6E7- Twenty-One is the Loneliest Number
BEST MOVIES FOR OCTOBER 2026
By: Dan Dan the Mermaid Man
We all love October, beautiful fall colors, halloween, those sugar cookies with the fun shapes… But what movies should you watch for this delightful spooky season? Yours truly (Moth Kedrowski) asked around and did research for MONTHS and I have prepared a short list of movies for you, with an age rating and brief synopsis!
Some of these movies have triggering scenes, so always remember to check trigger warnings!
The Backrooms (2026) rated R
A struggling furniture owner finds a wall where things can phase through it.
Together (2025) rated R
A codependent couple move into a new house in a rural area where things aren’t as they seem.
Coraline (2009) rated PG
A young girl moves into a new house with her parents, and finds a small door into another world.
Wendell and Wild (2022) rated PG-13
A girl summons demons to bring her parents back to life.
Paranorman (2012) rated PG
A young boy can talk to ghosts.
The nightmare before christmas (1993) rated PG
The king of halloween becomes obsessed with christmas.
Scary movie (2000) rated R
A fun parody of the typical slasher movie like Scream and other slashers.
Thank you for reading and have a happy Halloween!!
self-serving mission becomes a heartwarming journey of understanding and acceptance.”
-Arizona Broadway Theatre
HISTORY OF NOPEMING SANITORIUM
By Miles Mead
The whole story started in the Spring of 1912. when Nopeming gained popularity as one of the most famous tuberculosis hospitals in the country.
Tuberculosis is a highly infectious disease that affects the lungs and can spread throughout the body. According to the CDC. Tuberculosis started its rampage in 1889, and it was one of the leading death causes in the 1900s. The disease took out around 200 out of 100,000 American citizens.
And the care for the disease needed to keep up. Thus Nopeming opened on May 22nd 1912.
And it would've been a good idea… If it didn't only hold 100 people…
In the first year of opening, Duluth citizens donated around 10,000 dollars for a second building.
But as you can expect, two buildings were not enough to combat tuberculosis, leading to some patients sleeping outside the building in tents, even in the winter.
At the end of 1920, there were 30 buildings on the property. With a max capacity of 400 people.
In 2015 the TV show “ghost adventures” Visited the property, Inside of the Boiler room, They heard disembodied voices…
Today, the building stays on 24/7 surveillance, with security cameras and security guards.
THE SPOOKIEST SIDE OF HALLOWEEN: HOW HALLOWEEN AFFECTS OUR ENVIRONMENT
By Bell
Spooky season is drawing near, a favorite of many, and a time filled with family, fun, food, and fright, but the most frightening factor of the holiday is the toll it takes on our environment. Now, this holiday comes with a list of repercussions, but luckily, I’ve come with a list of solutions! Starting with the best
part, the candy. Halloween candy, sadly, leads to a large amount of litter and pollution. Just our country alone buys 745 million pounds of candy for this special day, but that much candy flowing through the streets leads to pollution and littering, even if it’s accidental. Wrappers and small candies can easily be dropped on the ground, and even worse, in our storm drains and waterways. A way you can help is buying candy with recyclable packaging, such as smarties, nerds, junior mints, and candy packaged in cardboard. You can also make sure your candy bag is as secure as possible so no candy falls out! Now the fun part of the holiday, costumes. Think about all your Halloween costumes. You’ve most likely had a different costume every year right? Where are they now? Well they're most likely in the landfill. Most halloween costumes are made out of non-recyclable plastic waste, which can take 20-200 years to decompose, and in America we throw away 2,000 tons worth of it every year. That’s equal to dumping 83 million plastic water bottles straight into the ocean. To help prevent this, you can thrift your costumes, create them, or have costume swaps with friends! This also goes for Halloween decorations. A lot of decorations are made out of single use plastic, such as rubber bats, rats, and spiders. An alternative to this is to make your own decorations! Or, you can always buy higher quality decorations that can last years, rather than buying new ones each year. Lastly, pumpkins. Though pumpkins are biodegradable, 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins get dumped in the landfill each year, and when they're buried under trash, they can't decompose correctly. In order to decompose in that state, they have to perform anaerobic decomposition which releases harmful greenhouse gasses called methane, which pollutes our atmosphere. So next time you carve pumpkins, don’t just throw them away, eat every part of the pumpkin that you can, and compost the rest! Now I am by no means telling you to not have fun, I’m just informing you on how to have a more sustainable halloween! Happy Halloween, and stay green!
TRICK OR TREATING AGE LIMIT
Should there be one?
By Alionar Dragonbreath
During the week of 09/08/2026 - 09/10/2026 I sent out a poll to Harbor City Students to see people's opinions/thoughts on if trick or treating should have age limits. The answers they could choose from were yes or no. If they chose yes they had the choice to elaborate on why they chose it and what age should be the limit. It started out pretty even and towards the end no limit seemed to take the lead. The final results were 13 no’s and 6 yes’s. Let’s take a look at some reasons why they said yes and what age limit there should be. For the age limit it was said 13-18, and 21+ tied. Someone said, “I feel as though there gets to be a certain age where it becomes a bit weird to be running around with children on Halloween asking for candy. This is not to say that one cannot celebrate Halloween in other forms. I just feel that it gets a bit weird when somebody whose 16 is trick-or-treating next to someone who's 6.” There's a few comments similar to this one. There's also comments like, “I think the "limit" of trick or treating is just a social norm that has formed over the many years that Halloween has been around. I personally don't see anything wrong with teens or adults trick or treating, but I know some people have very strong opinions on the matter. Like yes, for the most part teens and adults can buy their own candy but it is stuff fun. Maybe the norm was made because people thought that adults and teens just won't enjoy trick or treating anymore?” I do see where these are coming from and maybe it is just a social norm that at a certain age we just stop trick or treating. I think that age in society is when we start getting weird looks from people. I also think that it shouldn’t be weird if you are 18 or older and trick or treating with your 10 year old sibling. At that point you're making sure your sibling is safe and having fun. I do think it's a yes and no answer. Like yes because if you're by yourself at like 30 you won’t get much and people are most likely going to look weird. No, because it’s like this person said, “Anyone should be able to have fun on
Halloween!”Also some people might go for the extra candy to give to their younger siblings.
TOP FIVE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES I BETTER NOT SEE THIS YEAR
By Emma
Putting a skirt and tanktop on with a bag and saying your Minnie mouse, or any character
Wearing a skin tight orange body suit on, stuffing it with a pillow and putting a yellow beard on and calling yourself the lorax
Wearing a corset and mini skirt and calling yourselves a “princess” or a doctor or anything
Wearing super revealing or inappropriate costumes, halloween is supposed to be scary or fun not revealing
Grown men or women trick or treating in those corny couple costumes
THE TOP 10 MOST POPULAR HALLOWEEN COSTUMES OF ALL TIME
By Lizzie Klein
Have you ever wondered what the most popular costumes of all time are? Well that sucks! These are in the last 20 or so years! But, that means I can tell you what the most popular costumes in the last 10 years are! And I will! Just keep reading……
10. Pink ladies from Grease the Musical. The demand for this costume spiked in 2016 but hasn’t ever been the same since.
9. Westley costume from the princess bride. This costume was most popular in 2019 and surprisingly remains a fairly popular costume even today.
8. Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Its release in 2015 happened right before Halloween, causing a huge uproar for the costume industry for this exact costume.
7. Forrest gump costumes. In 2020, due to covid and not being able to go trick or treating or to parties, this costume quickly climbed it way to popularity when famous influencer, ren reynolds, posted a video in said costume on tiktok, a short form video app.
6. Cher costume from clueless. This costume really gained popularity in 2018 and is still a strong going costume for betties and baldwins alike (in other words, its still very popular)
5. Ghostbusters costume. Along with previously mentioned Wesley costume, this costume ruled 2019 with such a strong demand multiple costume shops reported running out of stock of this costume almost every day.
4. Macho man randy savage costume. In 2017 this costume stepped into the ring and demolished its competitors! Though not popular anymore, this costume was a one hit wonder!
3. A league of their own costumes. This costume really knocked it out of the park in 2021! And remains a popular costume to this day!
2. Ursula from the little mermaid. This wonderfully evil disney costume was most popular in 2022! This costume surged forward due to the release of the teaser for the live action little mermaid coming out a month before halloween!
1. Spiderman! This costume has been super popular since 2018 and is still one of the most popular halloween costumes to this day! Roughly 2.3 million kids and adults alike dress up as this super arachnid every year!
Hopefully now after all these costumes I've listed you’ve got some sick ideas for this spooky day! All these costumes sure are making me excited for halloween! Anyways, looking forward to seeing all the spidermans. Have a happy Halloween! (and if you don't celebrate, just have a nice day!)
HOW DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN
By Emma
All around the world in many countries people celebrate a ‘holiday’ called halloween or in other countries ‘day of the dead. In Ireland, Canada and the United States traditions include trick-or-treating, pranks, games and lastly dressing up in costumes which is known as halloween. Kids and teens go around dressed in costumes such as super heroes, princesses, monsters, ghosts and way more. There are many different costume ideas and once the sun goes down kids and teens go out in their costumes going door to door with a bucket knocking on the door calling out ‘Trick or Treat!’ and the adults open the door and give them candy.
In many Latin American countries, Día de los Muertos he Day of the Dead. which shows respect to dead ancestors and loved ones. In Spain and other Latin American countries celebrate all souls day which is an annual event designed to honor the dead. Lighting candles burning incense as to hope their loved ones spirits would come home for that very special day.
WASHING MACHINE OR MAGIC PORTAL?
By Evelyn M.
Have you ever really thought about where your missing socks go? A perfect pair of fuzzy socks goes in the washing machine but only one comes out! Or maybe just your brother's smelly ones… The world wide questions of where the one missing socks go still has no answer. I’ve always thought that the washing machine likes to snack on the socks that go missing. Ever since I was little I would always have a favorite pair of socks whether they were disney themed, or just silly ones my grandparents got me for christmas.
Loads of different questions go unanswered but this is the big question that someone needs to find an answer to. I know that we all wish that being able to answer any question, with the correct answers was something that we could all do. The way that our socks go missing after being through the washing machine is one of the couple questions that I wish would have been answered after the first few times one of my socks didn’t end up back in my dresser with the other. If you really took the time to think about it and do your research correctly, do you think you’d be able to get the most accurate answer to the question you're asking yourself? Take a second and just think about questions that you’ve either asked yourself or someone else but the answer somehow never came back to you. Once you’ve thought about a couple, pick one of them. If you could get an answer too magically, which question would you want answered?
Whether it's a scientific question, a theory that’s never been tested, or just an odd silly question that you think would never really have a correct answer to. Some questions might never get answered. No matter how much someone tests a theory in different ways, they might never find an answer that they think fits with the question. Confusing right? I feel that there should logically be an answer to any question. It doesn’t sit right with me that there are so many important questions that people ask that just go unanswered, no matter how many people they ask. We all have
questions that will never have any kind of answer to it no matter how much research is done to try and find some kind of answer for it.
CONTAGIOUS HAPPINESS
By: StarStruck
Have you ever sat down and thought about a time where you smiled at someone for something kind they did for you? Like, holding a door open, or picking up something you dropped, or just giving you a compliment for your new hairclip you just got? Human emotions are contagious, especially from positive gestures, it spreads like a sickness, but it’s not harmful like a sickness, it’s kind.
Positive gestures are scientifically proven by data that they create more happiness to a person, and that happiness can spread from person to person, making it contagious, which causes the person, wanting to make others happy. Wanting to give other people their positivity emotions they got from the previous person who was kind to them. A lot of the time, its positivity is caused by friends, family, and even strangers! Anyone can give positivity they deserve, even when you don’t expect it.
Another word for this study is the ripple effect, where a person becomes positive and it spreads throughout the area, specially a smile. A smile can go a long way and it feels good to smile, it warms your heart. You can make 25% of your friends happy but just showing up, which is crazy knowing you can do that to a person! The closer you are to the person, the more happy you become, the more you want others the same, because who would want people to be sad, it doesn’t affect as fast as positivity.
So if you think about it, why don’t you be positive to someone else, it could make their day a lot better! Wouldn’t you want that for yourself?
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Aries, I just want you to know that the only thing stopping you from scaring strangers is yourself. Don’t let your dreams be dreams.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Taurus, you strike me as the kind of person to either really like sandwiches or really hate them. You’re also gonna have a really good day. Or a really bad one.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Gemini, do a silly little witch laugh the next time you see a cat. Something interesting may happen.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
If you do a headstand, you’ll look the same as you do standing upright.
Leo (July 23-August 22)
Leo, remember! A wooden stake in the heart could probably kill most things, not just vampires!
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Virgo, something cool might happen if you eat a pumpkin like it’s an apple.
Libra (September 23-October 22)
Libra, happy birthday! As a little present from me, I give you full permission to take as much candy as you’d like, from anyone you come across. You can splurge a little on your special day!
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Scorpio, happy birthday to you, too, I guess. You can also take some candy. Not as much as Libra, though.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
Sagittarius, I recommend against going out in the daylight for no particular reason. You should also avoid Leos. Just a hunch.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
Capricorn, you could probably eat your way out of the corn maze when you get lost.
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)
Aquarius, pondering your mystical orb should not hurt, and if the mystical orb injures you, seek a replacement and medical assistance.
Pisces (February 19 - March 20)
Pisces, stay away from sharks, they’re piscivorous.
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