May 2020 Highlights
Blind Naked Mole Rats
By Holly Fasching '22
This photo was taken on one of the most important bike rides of my life so far. Perhaps, the most important ride of my life. Just 5 minutes before, I completed a climb that took months, even years, of work. The trail is called Bobolink Trail, which branches off of the D&L and connects to the LNE at a grade of about 10-14%. I’ve watched my dad destroy the climb for years now, always wondering when I’d be strong enough to do it too. For several weeks, I would start the climb following close behind my dad, but always falling short of the top. There was something in the air this day, however, that kept me going to the top. No stopping. No hesitation. Something kept my legs going. Something in the back of my head told me, the only way you’re stopping now is if you pass out cold. Cresting the hill, I collapsed to the ground to catch my breath. I looked to my right and was greeted with the sign reading “Blind Naked Mole Rats.” I thought it was hilarious, and made the pain I felt all through my body seem worth it. If I hadn’t pushed myself, I might not have seen that gem that gave my dad and I a laugh. With that ride, however, I became a mini legend to the locals we always saw on the trails; we believe I might be the youngest to have biked that hill. So while it may just be a picture of a sign reading “Blind Naked Mole Rats” that has little to no meaning at all, the story behind it encapsulates every aspect of riding that is so special to me… adventure, discovery, and hard work.
Quarantine
By Callie Hayman '22
Quarantine
What does that mean?
It means to stay inside.
The world is panicking
“Why is this happening?”
Too many people have died.
The shelves are bare,
So sit down in your chair.
You have what you need to survive.
Wear gloves and a mask wherever you roam,
And for your safety, don’t leave your home.
All schools and churches are now closed.
Graduation and prom? They’ve been postponed.
While the flowers are outside blooming,
Kids are indoors doing online schooling.
They all miss seeing their friends.
The distance is six feet away.
It’s almost been thirty days.
We’ve got no events to attend.
Grab your snacks.
Sit back and relax.
You have to take it slow.
Learn a new trick,
Have a picnic,
Or rewatch your favorite show.
Thank you Corona for this surprise.
This isn’t what we call paradise,
But on and on the world will go.
April 2020 Highlights
Tune-A-Salad Tuesday
Saint Motel
By Holly Fasching '22
We all need some happy vibes right now, and this week’s band certainly delivers. The Los Angeles based group Saint Motel is made up of four members: A.J. Jackson, Aaron Sharp, Greg Erwin, and Dak Lerdamornpong. They have two full studio albums as well as numerous released singles. You may be familiar with Move, a popular single, as well as My Type, which went Platinum in 2014. Be sure to check out some of my favorites by them:
- For Elise
- Puzzle Pieces
- Benny Goodman
Check out their socials here: Instagram, @saintmotel, and Twitter @SaintMotel
The Field
By Cecilia Sarnowski '22
i lay still in the field
green grass engulfing my paled skin,
the feeling of gray leaves my body
a cool breeze sweeps away my spinning thoughts,
replacing useless static with the sound of minuscule wings
blinking my blurred eyes creates a kaleidoscope
the blue sky’s white clouds move
slowly changing to grey
now, rain falls
giggling gleefully i try to count each drop
one
two
three
the streams of rain become too many
i can no longer count each drop
although my game has been spoiled
i lay still in the field
and enjoy the wonderful world
March 2020 Highlights
An Opinion Piece: Ranking Girl Scout Cookies
By Jenna Gasker '22
As the cookie selling season is upon us, I decided to reflect on some of the Girl Scout’s most iconic flavors. I’ve ranked them from worst to best. This is all in my opinion.
8. Shortbread
This cookie is uneventful and is missing some excitement. There is no depth to the flavor, that is if there is any flavor at all.
7. Peanut Butter Sandwich
The wafers are drier than the Sahara Desert. And the crusty peanut butter squished in between them doesn’t do the cookie any favors.
6. Thanks-A-Lot
Much like the Shortbread, this flavor is quite boring. It is simply a basic cookie dipped halfway in chocolate. At least the tops have “thank you” engraved in many different languages, which gives this cookie some design element.
5. Thin Mints
For someone that enjoys mint, these cookies could be a delightful choice. Or they could be reminiscent of toothpaste. The waxy chocolate really exemplifies the dental hygiene vibe that this cookie emits.
4. S’mores
There is so much lost potential here. The marshmallow had the chance to be chewy and delicious, but the texture is just off. There is also a discrepancy within the ratio of chocolate to graham cracker. This results in the dry wafer becoming overwhelming.
3. Lemonades
This cookie is an adequate option if all of the chocolate from the other cookies becomes overbearing. The sweet lemon notes are quite refreshing.
2. Caramel de Lites
These are arguably Girl Scout’s most classic flavor. The dramatic sweetness of this cookie is enough to make anyone nostalgic of intense sugar rushes they had as a child after eating an entire sleeve of these.
1. Peanut Butter Patties
The smooth chocolate combines with the creamy peanut butter, but these are both contrasted by the crunchy wafer. All of these ingredients merge into a perfect ratio. This cookie has a heavenly texture and is ideal to binge. Plus, they are even better if stored in the refrigerator. Overall, these are truly divine cookies, and are far superior to any other Girl Scout flavor.
Self Help
How to Maintain & Manage Relationships
By Brynn Barachie ‘23
Before I begin, I would like to address that this article is about all kinds of relationships, not just intimate. It includes friendships, co-workers, familial relationships, and just people around you in general such as teachers. Look around and see how you can detect and improve your daily relationships with people.
Relationships can easily be the one of the most meaningful parts of our lives. A lot of us expect or think that effortless relationships exist. Friendships that last forever, or happily ever after marriages, all of us would like to believe that our relationships are based on unconditional love and are strong enough to withstand whatever may or may not come. However, we must realize that relationships take time and effort to keep the relationship strong. As a student, sometimes it’s hard to maintain friendships and/or relationships while having to get good grades, participate in sports as well as clubs while trying to make your parents happy with all of your accomplishments.
Some of us find ourselves losing the point of relationships. Relationships give meaning to our life and are a result of people needing each other for emotional support, psychological well-being, love, and affection. But, unfortunately, not all relationships are good relationships. Some signs that you or someone you know may be in an unhealthy relationship include physical abuse, control, humiliation, pressure and unpredictability. If these signs of unhealthy relationships are happening to you or someone you know it is super important to seek help and stay safe. You can find ideas on how to seek help in my February article “How to Reach Out and Advocate For Yourself”.
On the bright side, there are plenty of good relationships that overrule the bad. Some signs of good relationships include communication, commonalities, respect and trust. But, good relationships don’t just happen, they are constructed over time. The “perfect person” does not exist, but someone who compliments your being as a whole. That is a hard pill to swallow for some including myself, but practicing mindfulness and being aware of the signs can help you along the way.
Ways you can help yourself manage and maintain your relationships as a whole include, speaking up, respecting each other, compromising, being supportive, and respecting privacy. Sometimes it’s hard to be the person to initiate the conversation as to why things aren’t going well, but it is never a bad thing to be the bigger person. While conversing you have to keep in mind that we are all human and that no one is perfect, we say and do things we don’t mean. Maybe you can come to an agreement, or maybe you cannot. In that case, be aware of why it isn’t working, and that some relationships just are not fixable. You do have the courage in yourself to walk away.
Even though you cannot change how your partner is, you can make daily changes to yourself to improve your relationships. Being kind, understanding, and respectful of all people is a great start. Hopefully you will take a step back and analyze your own relationships after reading this article. It is okay that not everything works out, it helps us grow and become stronger!
The King of the Highwire
By Callie Hayman '22
On March 4, 2020, Nik Wallenda walked over Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua. This volcano is 2,083 feet tall and spans 1,800 feet across. Before the walk, Nik’s wife Erendira performed pirouettes on a hoop. She was suspended above the lava lake. At 8:20, Nik began this daring stunt and 31 minutes later he completed it. During the stunt, he was required to wear goggles and a respirator. Nik told reporters the gusts of wind caused his balance to sway and the toxic gases affected his eyes, since he took his goggles off halfway through the walk. This feature was captured by 17 cameras and 4 drones.
Nik Wallenda, age 41, is named the King of the Highwire. He began walking the highwire at the age of 2 and is the seventh generation of the Great Wallendas. Unfortunately, he may be the last walker in his lineage. Nik said, “None of my kids show any interest in carrying it on…”. Nik dedicates every walk to his great grandfather, Karl Wallenda, who fell to his death in March of 1978 while he was walking the wire in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was 73 years old. In June of 2011, Nik recreated the 135-foot walk in San Juan in honor of Karl. Nik’s mother, Delilah, joined him and together they successfully completed the walk between the two towers of the Condado Plaza Hotel.
Nik owns a home in Sarasota, Florida which is 15-acres. His current net worth is $4 million and he makes $500,000 for each of his major stunts. In August of 2017, I got to see Nik perform in “Nik Wallenda’s Zirkus 2” at the Tropicana in Atlantic City. After the performance, I got to meet him and get his book autographed. On June 4, 2013, he published a book called Balance: A Story of Faith, Family, and Life on the Line. Nik has set multiple Guinness World Records and has accomplished some amazing things.
- On August 4, 2001, he set the Guinness World Record for the tallest tightrope 4-person-high pyramid at an amusement park in Japan.
- On October 15, 2008, he set the Guinness World Record for the longest tightrope crossing on a bicycle in Newark, New Jersey.
- On August 28, 2010, he set the Guinness World Record for the highest tightrope crossing on a bicycle in the Bahamas.
- On April 29, 2011, he set the Guinness World Record for the Wheel of Death. It was never performed off the side of a building and never at this height.
- On June 15, 2012, he set the World Record for the first tightrope walker to cross Niagara Falls.
- On November 2, 2014, he set the World Record for the steepest incline for tightrope walking between two towers.
- On November 2, 2014, he walked a second time. He set another World Record for the highest blindfolded walk.
- On June 10, 2011, Nik hung from a helicopter 250ft above Branson, Missouri by his teeth.
- On June 23, 2013, he was the first person to cross the Grand Canyon on a highwire.
- On June 23, 2019, he walked 25 stories above Times Square with his sister, Lijana, who returned to the wire for the first time in two years. She fell off the wire while performing the 7-person pyramid.
His performances are always incredible and will leave you on the edge of your seat. If you have the chance to see him in person or even on TV, take it because you certainly won’t regret it!
National Nutrition Month
By Cecilia Sarnowski '22
Nutrition is a growing topic. There are many diet plans, fad workouts, detox cleanses, etc. Within this subject, a question has arisen. Are all diet and workout plans proven to be beneficial and medically safe? These diets and workouts provide visual, temporarily maintainable results, but are they internally beneficial and sustainable?
Crash diets involve calorie deficit, eating less calories than the amount that is needed. To continue to healthily function a person must not eat less than 1,000-1,200 calories for a female and no less than 1,200-1,500 calories for a male. As there are limits to eating there are limits to exercising. While working out some red alerts to be looked for include nausea, light headedness, and sharp muscle pains. On the other end of the scale there are minimums of what you should do.
The best way to keep healthy according to Family Doctor.com is to exercise and eat balanced meals daily. This doesn’t mean you need to go to the extremes! Doing cardio for 15 minutes is enough. Not eating dessert daily is enough. While crash diet promises and exercise plans may seem appealing it is better to take the slow steady and safe way.
Tune-A-Salad Tuesday
Alec Benjamin
By Holly Fasching '22
Following the new wave of indie pop, Arizona native Alec Benjamin sings narratives based on personal life experiences. Many of his songs theme around coming of age, young love, and figuring yourself out. Benjamin gained some popularity with youtube videos titled “Can I Sing For You?” I mean, who wouldn’t want a stranger with a guitar to serenade you in public? You may be familiar with one of his earlier singles, I Built a Friend, or Let Me Down Slowly, a collaboration with pop singer Alessia Cara. Thus far, Benjamin has released numerous singles, two mixtapes, and has a studio album scheduled for release in May of 2020.
If you’re a fan of Billie Eilish, The 1975, or Cavetown (previously featured on Tune-A Salad), be sure to check out Alec Benjamin. To avoid the awkward scrolling through youtube to find the best song to listen to, check out my list of Alec Benjamin favorites:
- Water Fountain
- Wolf and the Sheep
- Annabelle’s Homework
- Must Have Been the Wind
You can follow Alec on Instagram, @alecbenjamin and Twitter, @AlecBenjamin
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