Issue No. 7, Winter 2024

New Year's Eve Holiday Facts

by: Rania Aboujja

The New Year's celebration is known all around the world. People celebrate it for the new chapters and things that can happen in the future. It is known to be the celebration of the new year to come.

    An interesting fact about how the New Year came to be was thanks to Caesar. About 4000 years ago, Caesar announced January 1 to be the national New Year holiday in honor of the Roman god Janus. Janus had two faces, one looking back and one looking forward;  commencing the end of one year and the start of a new year.

    A very popular song that many people know and usually sing on the New Year. Usually sung together at the end of a New Year's Eve party, “Auld Land Syne” is a popular song about remembering loved ones and keeping them close at heart. 

    In some places, people have a tradition of making loud noises on New Year's Eve to ward off evil spirits and bring in good luck for the upcoming year. 

   Times Square in New York City is one of the most popular places in the world to celebrate New Year's Eve. People around the world have heard of or seen on tv the ball drop. It is estimated that about 1 million people head to Times Square in New York City to celebrate New Year's Eve. There is music, dancing, fireworks, and the famous ball-drop countdown to midnight!

    The first Times Square ball drop was in 1907 as an alternative to fireworks. The ball is approximately 700 pounds, and the first ball featured just 100 light bulbs. The ball we know today weighs 11,875 pounds and is covered in more than 2,500 crystals and 32,000 LED lights. Isn't that crazy?

     At the Times Square celebration alone, at least 2000 pounds of confetti is dropped at midnight. Covering the crowd in colorful pieces, the confetti is a mix of biodegradable paper and well wishes from spectators for the year to come.

     One of the best things people do for the New Year is to make resolutions. It is perhaps the most popular New Year's tradition, but previous generations in particular practiced the art of setting goals for the upcoming year. What will be your resolution this year?

10 Facts about Mr. Cobb 

by: Emma Shi

Do you have any pets? 

No pets. I used to have fish during Covid, but they all died.

What was middle school like for you? 

It was lots of fun, but I was not a good student. I really enjoyed the social aspect of middle school.

What do you like to do in your free time? 

I mountain bike, and do a lot of coaching. I coach lacrosse and football, and I love to be outside.

What is your favorite actor or musical artist? 

Ray Charles.

What are you afraid of? 

I don't like spiders. Not being able to explore.

Do you like teaching global cultures? What is your favorite part of teaching global cultures?

Yes! I love teaching 7th grade global cultures. I taught 8th grade world history, but moved back because I loved global cultures so much. I love being able to connect the ancient world to the modern world for my students.

What is your funniest childhood memory? 

My brother hitting me in the face with a snowball and breaking my glasses. He ran away and we couldn’t find him for 8 hours, and it turns out he was hiding under the neighbors porch the whole time.

Who do you admire most in the world and why? 

My mom. She raised two sons on her own, working very hard, and set a great example for my brother and I to be successful. 

What do you like most about Masco? 

It's my 30th year here, I like the community. Students are great, most really have a willingness to learn. Staff at Masco are very supportive of each other.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Other than marrying my wonderful wife, being picked as coach of the year for boy’s high school lacrosse in 2011. Credit goes to the team and players, not myself. 

Valentine's Day, A Brief History: 

by: Aidan Hysenbegasi 

St. Valentines is celebrated every year on February 14th, and seems like it has been part of life for almost forever, but how long really?

St. Valentines Day is a holiday named after Saint Valentine. However, there are two Saint Valentines and nobody is sure of who the holiday was named after. Saint Valentine was an Ancient Roman priest who defied the emperor, Emperor Claudius II, after he banned marriage. However, Saint Valentine of Terni is also claimed to be the titular "Saint Valentine." There is also a legend that he sent a letter to the daughter of his captor, signed "From your Valentine." The day itself was first celebrated in early modern England and spread throughout Great Britan in the 1800's. 

Works Cited: 

"Valentine's Day." Wikipedia.com, Wikipedia, 27 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.