January 2025

At ORCA, students have a variety of programs to choose from, each designed to prepare them for different post-high school paths. Two of those opportunities, AVID and ASCEND, offer different approaches to student development and college and career readiness. While both aim to equip students with essential skills, their focus and styles differ significantly, catering to different student goals, needs, and aspirations.

Mrs. Vitro, an AVID teacher, emphasizes that AVID is not solely for students planning to attend college. "I have had students that go down very different paths," she says. "Some enter the military, join the workforce, or take a gap year. The skills we teach in AVID are beneficial regardless of the path a student chooses." AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) focuses on developing learning strategies, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. 

AVID is an elective that can be taken from grades 6 to 12, but it should be noted that it requires more work than most electives. For high school students, AVID will meet requirements typically met through High School Success, Career Ed, and Senior Capstone, depending on the student’s grade level.

AVID is structured to support students in becoming more organized, improving their study habits, and enhancing their overall academic performance. There are no strict prerequisites for joining AVID, but students should be willing to engage with their coursework and classmates. "You don't need to be a straight-A student, just willing to learn and determined to be successful," Mrs. Vitro notes. AVID's approach includes tutorials guided by college students, which help high school students with challenging subjects and foster a collaborative learning environment.

On the other hand, the ASCEND program is available to students in grade 8 to 12 and will impact many high school course placement choices. To complete ASCEND, a student needs to take three electives in the chosen pathway instead of purely student-chosen electives, as well as a Work-Based Learning course that will replace the Senior Capstone course in 12th grade. ASCEND is designed to provide career and technical education tailored to specific career pathways. ASCEND offers a variety of pathways, including Business and Management, Computer Science, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Medical Science, and Agriculture/Veterinary Science. 

Each ASCEND pathway is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their chosen field. Computer science pathway teacher, Cathy Hay mentions that if you're interested in something else not on the list, consider asking an ASCEND advisor or your counselor. There can be overlaps in skill sets; Ms. Hay states, “If you want to go into engineering, the computer science pathway are consider[ed] foundation[al] courses that would be helpful in engineering professions” 

Liberty Lacy, ASCEND career advisory teacher, highlights the program's flexibility and accessibility. "You don't need to know what you want to do after high school to join ASCEND," she says. "Our program provides the opportunity for students to learn more about careers or fields of interest from instructors with industry experience related to their pathways. In addition, students can earn valuable industry credentials before graduating high school." This approach allows students to explore different career options without the financial impact that college might have, making it easier for students to find their true passion before committing to it.

In AVID, the soft skills are centered around academic success and personal growth. The program emphasizes skills like communication, collaboration, and critical thinking through its curriculum and activities. Students engage in group projects, Socratic seminars, and peer tutoring, which help them develop these skills in a classroom setting. The goal is to prepare students for the challenges of higher education by building a strong foundation in these essential skills.

On the other hand, ASCEND integrates soft skills within its technical and employment preparation. The focus is on preparing students for the workforce by providing real-world experiences where they can apply skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and professional communication. Through internships, apprenticeships, and work-based learning opportunities, students learn to navigate professional environments and build a network of industry contacts. This practical approach ensures that students are not only technically proficient but also capable of thriving in a work setting.

In comparing AVID and ASCEND, it's clear that both programs have distinct advantages tailored to different student needs. AVID's broad-based approach is ideal for students who may still be exploring their post-high school options and need to develop strong academic and organizational skills that can help in any career. In contrast, ASCEND's targeted pathways are perfect for students with a clear career focus who want to gain specific technical skills and industry experience. Ultimately, the decision to join AVID and/or ASCEND depends on individual student goals and interests. By understanding the unique benefits of each, students and caretakers can make informed decisions that best align with the students’ aspirations and future plans. 

If you're interested in either of these programs, let your counselor know. More information and an application form for AVID are available here. More information and a sign-up form for ASCEND are available here.

**Disclaimer: Some spoilers are mentioned in the summaries.**

Cinema has evolved from the flickering black-and-white films of the past to today’s vibrant, high definition epics, capturing viewers' hearts and producing breathtaking stories of nostalgia, adventure and wonder. Films evoke laughter, tears, and deep contemplation, often within the span of just a few minutes. With plot twists, cameos and other surprises, viewers are drawn into the unknown. 

Here are some of the highlighted movies of this year:

The Wild Robot

Get ready for a heartwarming adventure that will sweep anyone off their feet. The Wild Robot by DreamWorks Animation is a must-watch for all ages. This enchanting film, based on Peter Brown’s beloved book, tells the tale of Roz, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, a robot stranded on an uninhabited island.

Picture a world where a robot forms bonds with animals. Roz’s journey of survival transforms into a touching story of friendship and family, illustrating that no matter how diverse everyone is, coming together makes them unstoppable. The vibrant animation and emotional depth will captivate hearts, while the original score by Kris Bowers adds a magical touch.

The film beautifully conveys that family isn’t just about blood relation- it’s about those who stand by one another and share the journey of life. It also reminds viewers that a place isn’t truly home unless it resonates with a sense of belonging, no matter where one originally comes from.

The Wild Robot offers a delightful blend of sci-fi and heartfelt narrative, celebrating unity, resilience, and the power of love. It’s not just a movie–it’s an experience that will linger long after the credits toll.

Verdict: 8/10

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Sequels are usually not the best. Unfortunately, this narrative carries into Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Now, it’s certainly not bad. Full of corny jokes and slightly overused gags, it’s actually quite a funny movie. The all-star cast does a decent job portraying their characters in an iconic way (especially Bob), the movie’s special effects are slightly unrealistic but are reminiscent of the first film, and there are plenty of confusing little easter eggs that prove fun to wrinkle out. It’s not the filmed pieces that are the problem here–it’s mostly the plot.

Again, it’s not a terrible story. We focus more on the Deetz family, mostly Lydia (played by Winona Ryder) and her daughter Astrid (played by Jenna Ortega). We see her mother Delia (played by Catherine O’Hara) come and go, making her an iconic side character. We are also introduced to Lydia’s new love interest, who is not Astrid’s father but rather the producer of Lydia’s paranormal TV show titled ‘Ghosts’ (you can already see his character arc). Micheal Keaton also does a wonderful job of portraying the eccentric title character, and we even get to see Dad again, after his tragic death by shark-bite. And saving the day is Willem Defoe’s Wolf  ‘Keep It Real’ Jackson, who was probably the best part of the movie.

But there are so many holes in the storyline. The main villain ends up being a driving force that keeps the movie progressing, but fails to be of any importance whatsoever in the film. The characters fall in love way too fast, and the betrayals lack a sense of depth. Astrid reads a book and suddenly Beetlejuice can’t force Lydia to marry him. Even the Jupiter Worms are a little overused. 

Despite all that, it’s a satisfying sequel to the original. Sure, it’s not a movie that most viewers would watch again, but for hardcore Beetlejuice fans, it’s a good movie to see. It’s got a reasonably good ending, the jokes will make you laugh, and it'll make you want to re-watch the first one.

Oh, and the playlist is a banger. There’s nothing like a wedding scene with ‘MacArthur Park’ playing in the background.

The verdict: 6/10

IF

Personally inspired by his two daughters, John Krasinski challenges the narrative of childhood through the lens of a director, producer, writer, and one of the starring actors in his latest film IF. Nominated for the 2024 Kids’ Choice Awards, IF focuses on the coexistence between a person’s inner-child and maturity.

Starring Cailey Fleming as Elizabeth or Bea, Ryan Reynold as Calvin, John Krasinski as the unnamed father of Elizabeth, and other co-stars, the movie takes on another world of its own. With intricate plot twists and clever details that take viewers deep into their past, it reminds the audience that in many ways, childhood never ceases.

Cailey Fleming, known for starring in The Walking Dead in 2010 and appearing in the Star Wars’ Episode VII - The Force Awakens in 2015, appears in the role as the main character, trying to find the inner-child that her mother once loved. 

Centered around the death of her mother at a young age, Elizabeth returns to New York to live with her grandmother, reuniting with her father. As a twelve-year-old girl with a constant fear of deja vu, her personality grows from maturity back to childhood. Rediscovering herself, the meaning of childhood, and how the two worlds can coexist in one setting, she reunites with her own Imaginary Friend or IF along the way as she takes on the task of helping others remember theirs.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Cinema teaches viewers about possibilities of the future and allows people to learn from the heartache and joy of the characters. Tune in to one of these movies and experience a world full of magical wonder.

Rocket League 1, the top-performing team among the playoff contenders, stormed through their first-round matchup with an impressive 4-0 sweep. Star player, Dalton Robbins, ranked third in Goals Per Shot percentage at an outstanding 56.52% and took the top spot in Score Per Game with a large 649 points.

Their momentum carried them into a second-round face-off against #20 ranked Los Alamos HS, where they kept their winning streak alive. However, their playoff run ended in the third round with a loss to Westwood Community HS.

Meanwhile, the Stardust Crusaders, an Overwatch 2 team, and League of Legends 1 faced tough competition, both ending their playoff seasons in the first round. Despite the early exits, the teams concluded their seasons with fierce matches - the Stardust Crusaders battled against NTO Overwatch in late November, and League of Legends 1 competed against Organ Mountain HS on December 2.

Overall, these teams delivered successful and productive seasons. Esports Director Todd Shaffer is optimistic about their potential, looking forward to regrouping and reloading during the offseason. With renewed energy, they’ll aim to dominate when the Esports spring season kicks off in mid-February.

Portland Workforce Alliance and The Oregonian held an in-person career day giving high school students the opportunity to learn what it takes to have a career in journalism. Attendees met with  journalism professionals from the largest media company in Oregon. 

The career day started off with a tour of  The Oregonian building while attendees learned about the history of the newspaper. Many students were taken with the “How to reach the youths” white board. The board had multiple slang phrases including rizz, sigma, slay, bruh, frfr, and more. “That's definitely not something I expected to see here,” stated one student. The board caused many laughs.

The group then met and talked with five journalists. Each professional introduced themselves and described what a typical day in their life looked like. “Once, after a football game, I stayed up until 2 a.m. writing about it,” shares Nik Streng, a sports journalist. He went on to explain that a career in journalism often involves more than just working in an office; it requires a lot of time spent outside of it. Streng frequently attends sporting events out of office and stays up late writing about them. 

Julia Silverman, a journalist who specializes in K-12 education, expressed her frustration by saying, “[T]he thing I dislike most is that I can’t just walk into a school and talk to students and teachers.” Silverman understands the need for safety precautions, but she wishes she could interview students more easily. “I've been working on an article about a high school, and I just now received permission to proceed; I first asked back in August,” she explained.

After attendees talked with the journalists, the students then moved on to learning about the best ways to conduct interviews. Students were told tips for a successful interview including:

1. Choose a comfortable location.

2. Make sure you have the tools you need such as recording equipment & a notepad.

3. Come prepared with questions.

“You want to show authority but make the other person comfortable and willing to talk,” one journalist explained.

The Oregonian Career day closed with a mock press conference. It started with someone role-playing the mayor publicly explaining a project idea. Students could ask questions about whether the project was a good investment. The design of the mock press conference gave students an insightful view of what a real media event might look like and how to be prepared to ask productive and meaningful questions. 

Career Days and field trips offer fun ways to learn more about things you are interested in while making friends and meeting new people. See upcoming field trips here on Field Trip Central. Check out what the Portland Workforce Alliance has coming up next on their website here.

ORCA students have voted on their favorite winter themes, drinks, and activities. Get ready to view the Winter Break Themes poll results and see what ORCA has voted on. 

Question one, "What is your favorite winter drink?," had many students on the same page. Hot cocoa garnered the most votes with a high of 72.7%, and eggnog followed with 12.7%, with hot chai and ginger tea as the least favorites with 12.2% and 1.8% respectively.

Question two asked students about their favorite winter scene. Coming home in first is winter forest with 54.5% of the votes, northern lights with 27.3%, winter horses with 16.4%, and snow-capped mountains in last, with a measly 1.8%. 

Lastly for question three, students were asked about their favorite winter activity. Bringing home gold was building snowmen and/or playing in the snow with a whopping 52.7% of the popular vote, then winter treat baking with 36.4%, along with taking pictures of the snow in third, and ice carving in last. 

ORCA’s favorites include hot cocoa and winter forest, and building snowmen and/or playing in the snow are the most popular winter break activities. Have a wonderful winter break ORCA, remember to have fun!

NHS and NJHS have officially opened their applications for students interested in joining the club. They will close on January 27, the last day of the first semester.

Members of these long-standing school clubs strive for academic excellence, community service, leadership, and good character. The National Junior Honor Society is open for students in grades 6 through 9 and ORCA’s National Honor Society chapter is available to 10-12th graders. 

In order to qualify for the membership, students must have at least a 3.3 GPA. Applicants must demonstrate 50 hours of community service for NJHS, and 100 hours of community service for NHS. Along with that, the application must be filled out by the due date. Students must meet community service requirements each year to maintain membership.

Students can apply to the club by going to the club homepage and filling out the application form. If you are interested in being considered for membership, here is the interest form. 

“We are super excited to welcome in new members!” shares NHS President Reagan Stanek. “It is a great option for those who are committed to acts of service for the benefit of their communities. We encourage those that are interested to attend one of our meetings and learn more!” 

With the due date for the applications approaching, students are encouraged to submit the form as soon as they are ready to apply.

Lights, camera, yearbook! 

The Yearbook Club is inviting students to submit a headshot photo for inclusion in their grade-level section of this year's physical yearbook, which will be available for purchase later.

"Yearbook photo submissions are due soon! Don’t miss your chance to be

remembered. Submit by April 1st,” says Kelly Ellerman, yearbook advisor. “Emails are being sent out with a link to submit your picture, make sure you ask the observer and check your school Gmail.”

In addition to photos, seniors are asked to submit their personalized quotes by the same deadline. The quotes are limited to 15 words. Examples are provided below.

• "Chase your dreams with passion, live boldly, and make every moment count."

• "The future is unwritten, so grab your pen and create your masterpiece."

• "What feels like the end is often the beginning of something amazing.

• "Stay true to yourself, and the world will embrace your authenticity."

• "Dream big, work hard, and make your mark on the world."

Winter will pass quickly, so start thinking about how you want to be remembered in the 2024-2025 school yearbook. Whether you’re a freshman or soon-to-be graduating senior, now is the time to make your mark on the year and be remembered for many years to come. 

The Youth Research & Advocacy Club (YRAC) is generating excitement by offering students opportunities to engage with issues and let their voices be heard. Founded this year, YRAC focuses on youth involvement in advocacy through various organizations, emphasizing the importance of intentional and informative representation.

The club has established active connections with multiple networks and organizations, including those in health care, STEM support, and organizations that focus on climate change:

• Good DeEds, which focuses on addressing global issues with STEM problem solving through education for elementary and middle school.

• Our Future, dedicated to tackling climate change and promoting environmental justice.

• Youth HPV Champions, which aims at preventing HPV-related cancers through awareness and vaccination campaigns.

• Oregon School-Based Health Alliance, which advocates for student health and well-being in schools.

• American Red Cross, offering numerous volunteering opportunities.

• Girls Inc., which empowers young women through leadership development and advocacy programs.

• Local youth advisory boards throughout Oregon, which provide platforms for youth voices in local government.

YRAC provides students the chance to get involved with these organizations while learning about effective leadership and research skills. The club’s unique approach to research allows members to pursue projects that interest them, whether it's literature reviews, case studies, historical research, or scientific research in a lab. Beyond their connections to organizations, YRAC supports students throughout the research process, offering resources, feedback, and connections to local labs for hands-on experience.

“We want to create a space where students can make a real impact through informed advocacy and research,” says club founder Grace Choi. “The goal of this club is to provide more opportunities for students to get involved not only within the school but throughout Oregon.”

With its strong network and focus on meaningful engagement, YRAC is poised to become a dynamic part of the ORCA community. Students interested in learning more about the club are encouraged to check out these slides or join the club by filling out the club interest form. The club plans to meet once a month, but the day and time are yet to be decided.

Debuting in November 2024, a few weeks before the club creation deadline, the Cubers Club, also known as Puzzlers Unite, became the first puzzle club at ORCA. 

Puzzlers Unite was founded by Arthur Berry, an ORCA sophomore, who aims to share his passion for puzzles. Inspired by a Rubik’s cube that was gifted to him as a birthday present by his parents, he grew fascinated by the complexities and began to explore other puzzles. The club will incorporate various other challenges from Rebus and Sudoku to chess, as well as an assortment of brain teasers.

Patiently waiting for such a club to appear up until recently, Berry took the situation into his own hands.

“I have always loved puzzles and Rubiks cubes and I always hoped there would be a puzzle related club at ORCA,” Berry said. “After a while, I just decided to start one myself.”

Kellen Sherwood, Puzzlers Unite’s club advisor, and one of ORCA’s 10th grade advisors, recalls the moment when a remark about having a Rubik’s cube led to an invitation to become the club’s advisor.

“After [an] advisory live class one day several weeks ago, I got a Canvas message…asking if I would be willing to serve as the staff advisor for a new Cubers and Puzzlers club he wanted to start,” Ms. Sherwood said. “I suspect Arthur [Berry] might have gotten the idea to ask me because I happened to mention (though I can't remember how the topic came up) in that morning's live class that I had a Rubik's cube.”

Inspired by Berry’s enthusiasm and willingness to take on the role, Ms. Sherwood expressed her own interest with puzzles, while highlighting the importance of leadership and enlightening students on pursuing their interests.

“After considering the request, and discussing it a little more with Arthur, I agreed - because I love puzzles of all kinds, especially escape rooms and logic puzzles,” Sherwood continues. “Starting, organizing, and leading a club can be a fantastic way to develop and practice many skills that can be very useful throughout life. Plus, I think this will be a really fun way to connect with other ORCA community members.”

Puzzlers Unite was one out of the many new clubs offered at ORCA that participated in the 2024-2025 NHS/NJHS club fair. During the club fair, Rebus puzzles enticed potential new members to engage in unconventional, abstract thinking. Berry enjoyed the experience, learning two things: “One: there are a lot of different types of puzzles, and two: people who do a lot of puzzles tend to think outside-the-box more than those who don’t.”

Berry understands that puzzles aren’t a one-size fits all activity, but he hopes to prove that students that have an interest in something should pursue it, no matter what it is. “There are bound to be people that will think it's cool that you are doing that.”

For most individuals, the endgame boils down to two choices: they can keep their passion to themselves or they can share it. “I think everyone should have a chance to share the things that they like to do” and “[i]f at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

Shakespeare’s writing tends to be difficult to understand. The mix of his complex storytelling and the confusing Elizabethan language makes reading his works challenging. Here are some tips and tricks to better understand Shakespeare’s plays so more people can enjoy studying his works.

To begin, knowing what's going to happen in an act before reading it can be very helpful. Watching a movie adaptation or reading a graphic novel of the play are great options. If these aren't available, look up a brief summary of the act. Plays are meant to be watched, not read; this helps you get a basic understanding of the plot, making it easier to navigate the language.

Some background information on Shakespeare’s writing style can also be helpful to better understand his plays. Shakespeare's education focused on Latin and classical literature, enriching his storytelling by allowing him to draw on ancient myths and rhetorical techniques in his plays. This created complex characters and narratives. He was known for creating new words and phrases, blending aristocratic slang with common speech of rural areas. The intentional mix of language makes his plays complex and layered, often challenging for audiences to fully grasp, yet he did this to create a unique style and rhythm of his writing that he is known for to this day. This intentional complexity makes them just as difficult to understand today, if not harder, because of how much time has passed and how the shift of language has only widened, but worth the effort.

Annotating while reading Shakespeare can be incredibly helpful for several reasons. Shakespeare includes many subtle details in his plays, from intricate wordplay to historical references and character nuances. Adding annotations captures initial thoughts and reactions, allowing you to revisit and reflect on them later, when you do a second reading of the material. This process helps make connections that might have been missed during the first read. Annotations can also highlight recurring themes, motifs, and symbols, providing a deeper understanding of the text. Overall, this practice helps save time, so there's no need to reread it as many times to find good quotes to demonstrate understanding.

Making small adjustments to how you read– previewing the plot, understanding Shakespeare's style, and annotating–can make reading his plays easier and more enjoyable. Happy reading!

Did you know that we’ve only used the Gregorian calendar for four hundred and forty three years?

If you time-traveled Doctor-Who style exactly four hundred and forty four years back in time, it wouldn’t be January right now. It wouldn't be January until a few days after it  would happen this year, if we’re trusting the calculator. 

Actually, lining them up, what we consider to be 1. 11. 1581 would in fact still be 12. 22. 1580. Funny how that deals out, isn’t it?

The modern calendar we use today was adopted – or introduced, rather  – on the fifteenth of October in 1582. It was suggested by the Pope Gregory XIII, who didn’t technically create it. The Gregorian, named after him, was more of a reform or an updated version of the earlier Julian calendar.

Hoo boy, the Julian calendar.

Let’s back up. 

Say it’s before all these annoying date-trackers are made and implemented. Sure, there’s no fixed time, but you know when the snow will fall and when the hot, oppressive drought-days will strike. It’s hard to tell, though, when your birthday is, because there is no commanding piece of papyrus or stone slab (subbing in for the non-existent paper and Wikipedia page) that says this is when the rain will most likely fall, this is a good time to harvest your crops.

Well, there is, kinda. But we’re not going back that far. (Suffice to say there was a movement to implement a calendar where days consisted of ten hours, hours consisted of one hundred minutes, and minutes consisted of one hundred seconds, or something like that.)

So after a large amount of awkward conversations trying to explain why they didn’t know their children’s birthdays, several Alexandrian astronomers looked to the sky for help. They devised a new calendarium, a register for the days gone by. They then presented it to the Roman emperor Julius Caesar who, being the fun-loving guy he is, used it as a new excuse to have gladiator fights. The Julian Calendar (of course named after our favorite conqueror) was introduced in 46 B.C.E. It wasn’t finished, though until 8 C.E.

The Julian Calendar started every year on the 1st of the Julian month of Ianuarius. The reason the year commenced at that point in time was because that was when elected officials took office. It was followed by the months of Februarius, Intercalaris (sometimes), Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Iunius, Quintilius or Iulius, Sextilius or Augustus, September, October, November, and December (though it used to be the eighth month).

Here’s the bottom line: the Julian is a solar calendar. Solar calendars, in short, are calendars that measure the revolution of the Earth around. Our modern calendar (the Gregorian) is also a solar calendar. 

The Gregorian calendar (hereafter known as the Greg) has 365 days. The Julian calendar (which we will call the Julian) has 365 days.
So where’s the variation here?

According to US Naval Observatory, the general rule for the Greg’s leap years are:
“Every year that is exactly divisible by four is a leap year, except for years that are exactly divisible by 100, but these centurial years are leap years if they are exactly divisible by 400. For example, the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 are not leap years, but the year 2000 is.”

In contrast, the Julian’s leap year is every four years.

So that’s it. Different leap years. Some people noticed that Easter was happening in the dead of summer and there was a very sunny Christmas coming up. There was a weird little mix-up when we switched, so there are about ten days missing somewhere.

The Gregorian is a reasonably accurate calendar; it’ll take about 3300 years until we’re one day off. But not all of the world uses it. 

For instance, in Israel, they use the Hebrew calendar. Like the Gregorian, it’s got twelve months that mostly consist of 29-30 days, following the moon cycles. Unlike our calendar, the Hebrew consists of only 354 days, and an extra lunar month is added every two or three years so that the average year is mostly the same as the solar year.

Another more famous calendar that is still influential is the Chinese lunar calendar, which is where we get the Chinese new year, the zodiac, and the up-and-coming Year of the Wood Snake starting on our January 29th.

So with that, welcome to 2025, and be grateful that winter break didn’t fall in July this year.

During the month of January, there are many chances for students to hang out with their old friends while also making new ones. There are options for each grade band throughout the state.

ORCA Winter Social (1/10)

This event will be a neon-themed night of board games and dancing for high school students. It will run from 4-6 p.m., and will be a great chance for students to get out their glow-in-the-dark gear, hang out with their peers, and listen to some of their favorite music.

NASA Live Stream: Gaining Traction on the Moon Pt. 2 (1/16)

All middle school students are invited to this NASA event, where they will participate in a workshop to create a small model of a rover made of cardboard. Students will work in teams to create this model, focusing primarily on wheel design. This event will take place from 2-3 p.m. 

Hospitality CTE: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Concert (1/17)

For any students who are interested in learning more about hospitality and/or tourism, this event will be an opportunity for them to explore their possible future career pathway, while also experiencing the magic of the Harry Potter world. The event will run from 8-10 p.m, and tickets must be purchased directly from the Hult Center website. This event is open to students of all grade levels.

Poetry Out Loud (1/24)

This annual event gives high school students the chance to share their poetry in a competition, and two selected students will represent ORCA at the state semifinals. The event will run from noon-2 p.m., and there will be a virtual option for the students who are unable to compete in-person.

These are just some of the virtual and in-person field trips taking place in January. For more information and to RSVP, please check out the Field Trip Central.

The printable version of The Current’s Mythology Crossword can be found HERE. All clues are listed below.

ACROSS

1. The Greek god of blacksmiths, volcanoes, and fire.

3. The Egyptian god of fertility and the embodiment of death.

5. The Roman goddess of hunting, the moon, and wild animals.

6. An Egyptian sky god, lording over the desert, violence, storms, and disorder.

8. The Egyptian god of cemeteries and embalming, usually considered the ‘god of the dead’.

9. The Roman goddess of fruit and plenty.

11. The Greek god of prophecy and music.

12. Greek goddess of the dawn.

13. The Greek goddess of revenge and divine retribution.

DOWN

2. Greek personification of strife and discord.

4. Greek god of wine and revelry.

7. Roman form of number four; meaning ‘the loud one’.

9. Greek goddess of spring, daughter of Hestia and Zeus, bride of Hades.

10. Roman goddess of war.

12. A member of the three Horae; goddess and personification of peace.

The answers to the crossword will be published in the February issue of The Current.

Below are the answers to November’s Instrument Crossword.

ACROSS

1. Violoncello = The proper name of a large stringed instrument, cousins with the bass and viola, typically used with a bow. 

3. Tuba = The largest brass instrument in the orchestra, known for its deep, resonant sound.

6. Cymbal = Metal disc that creates a sharp, ringing tone when struck; a member of the Percussion family.

7. Violin =  The most well-known instrument in the string family, played with a bow and essential in the orchestra.

8. Viola = String instrument larger than a violin, with a deeper sound, often playing inner harmonies in orchestral and chamber music.

10. Bagpipe = Iconic wind instrument featuring a bag and drones, known for its unique, haunting sound, traditionally linked to Scottish and Celtic music.

12. Pipe organ =  Grand keyboard instrument that creates music by directing air through a series of pipes, renowned for its powerful sound in cathedrals and concert venues.

13. Octobass = A colossal string instrument that produces the lowest pitches in orchestras, played with levers for bowing. There are currently only seven in the world.

DOWN

2. Lute = Stringed instrument popular in Renaissance music.

4. Bassoon = Woodwind instrument with a double reed, known for its rich, deep sound.

5. Ocarina = Small, egg-shaped wind instrument known for its sweet, melodic sound.

9. Marimba = Colorful percussion instrument featuring wooden bars and played with mallets.

11. Piano = An 88 keyed instrument usually considered to be a string instrument, despite the mallet mechanism that technically classifies it as percussion.