Embedded Files
The History of Valentine's Day
Remy C
Did you know Valentine’s day is over 2700 years old? It has its roots in the Lupercalia festival. The Lupercalia started in ancient Rome around the 6th century BC. It was a festival to purify the city, promote fertility, and good health.
The Lupercalia would begin on February 15th. Priests from two families, the Quintilii and Fabii family would meet in a sacred cave. It is believed that this cave was the cave where a she-wolf raised Romulus and Remus, the two founders of Rome. The Quintilii were the traditional followers of Remus, and the Fabii were the followers of Romulus. It is thought that the cave was where a she-wolf took care of Romulus and Remus. The priests would feast, and then sacrifice a dog and a goat. The goat represented fertility and the dog represented health. The priests would then bathe themselves in goat’s milk before skinning the goat(s) and fashioning loincloths and whips with the skin. They would then run into the city, hitting crop fields and women that wanted to conceive.
In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius banned Lupercalia and declared Valentine’s Day to be on February 14th. It is not clear who Valentine’s Day is dedicated after; there are three Saints recognized named St. Valentine. The most popular one was a priest that helped stage secret marriages during a period in the Roman Empire when young men were not allowed to marry. This story may be what caused Valentine’s Day to be associated with love. Another reason may be that the bird mating season in Europe starts around that time of year.
Modern Valentine’s Day is now celebrated with chocolates, teddy bears and cards of affection, making it officially one of the most loved holidays around the world.
Top 10 Romantic Movies
Image Credit to Cosmopolitan.com
Lucie A & Audrey G
When Valentine’s Day comes around, and it’s the perfect time to watch these romantic films. The top rated romance movies are:
1: To all the boys I've loved before 1,2,3
If you’re looking for a high school love life then To All the Boys I’ve Loved before is perfect for you. It tells the story of Lara Jean Covey and her family, as they get used to life without her older sister Margot who moved to Scotland to attend college. Lara Jean writes letters to all the boys she had loved without posting them and one day they mysteriously get sent to all of the boys the letters were dedicated for.
2: La La land
Sebastian and Mia are drawn together by their desire to do what they love. But as success comes into play they are faced with decisions that begin to crack their love, and the dreams they worked so hard for to maintain in each other threatens to rip them apart.
3: Love, Simon
Love, Simon tells the story of 17-year-old Simon Spier struggling to find a great love story. He hasn’t told his family or friends that he’s gay. Simon has fallen for someone online, as he doesn't know the identity of the anonymous classmate. Simon’s love life hits ups and downs but manages to resolve both issues which proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing.
4: Holidate
Tired of being single on holidays, two strangers, Jackson and Sloan, agree to be each other’s plus-ones all year long, only to end up falling in love with each other along the way
5: The Kissing Booth
The Kissing Booth is an American teen romance comedy. The movie follows Elle, a wacky, late blooming teenager with a confusing love life. She falls in love with highschool senior and bad boy Noah, whilst putting her longlife friendship with Noah’s younger brother Lee at risk.
What a Girl Wants for Valentine's Day
Tessa B
Valentine's day is dedicated to spending time and appreciating the people in our lives that we love and acknowledge. Valentine's day is mostly about appreciation, but gifts are one of the many options to express our gratitude. It is most common to receive chocolate, or handwritten notes for Valentine’s day, but here are a few additional special presents to choose from.
Flowers
It’s impossible to go wrong with flowers. Flowers can turn a room from droopy to extravagant. Special natural roses can also last up to a year, even when cut from the stem. A bouquet of flowers or even one rose can turn that frown upside down.
Favorite candies
It’s very important to find out what their favorite candies are. One way is finding out by asking a friend to ask that person if you'd like to be discrete. Another options is to just ask then, without giving anything away though. We all hate the feeling in our stomachs when we get a huge bag of candy only to find out that we hate the brand. If you are not sure what their favorite candies are, get a variety of both chocolates and gummies. You can also support the school by buying a candy gram!
Heart themed accessories
Whether it’s heart glasses, or heart patterned headbands. Accessories are super cute and the perfect gift for Valentine’s day. Both useful and on theme with the holiday.
Happy Valentine’s day!!!
School Dance details
Lois P
A middle school dance has been long awaited, and it is finally coming. In case you missed the assembly or just need a reminder about the details of the dance, this is the perfect article for you. The dance will be on March 18th, 2022, and will be located at the quad in willows campus. The duration of the dance is from 6 pm to 9 pm and the theme is Midnight and Moonlight. Don't forget, it is black-tie attire (formal wear, dresses, suits, etc.) Unfortunately, there is a fee of $3 to cover cost, but it would be a shame to miss out on a good time because of it. Hopefully we’ll see you there!
Covid-19 Section
What it's like to get covid
Noel L
I had experienced Covid-19 over the winter break. Me and my family were spending time in Whistler, Canada. My dad got a headache and a few days later he tested positive. I had a runny nose but kept on testing negative. Then like my dad a few days later I was positive and so was my sister. My mom was able to fly home with all our bags and we had to drive home. It took us 2 days. That was awful but I now want to know what it was like for someone else that also experienced covid.
Click arrow to read the interview
Q: When did you get covid?
A: The 13th of January
Q: How did it all start?
A: My dad had it first then my little sister then me
Q: Personally I had almost no symptoms, just a runny nose. What symptoms did you have?
A: Only a slight headache
Q: I had to do all the work at home when I was positive. Did you also complete all your work in your quarantine?
A: Yes I completed everything
Q: What other activities did you do in your quarantine?
A: I played video games and played video games. I also read a little and that’s it.
(The person interviewed is anonymous for personal reasons.)
How obesity affects Covid-19
Ethan B
With over a third of the United States of America being obese (and three quarters being overweight), the US has one of the highest obesity rates in the world. This is a major problem because obesity can cause many health problems. It can cause not only hypertension, type two diabetes, Osteoarthritis, Stroke, Coronary heart disease, but it can significantly intensify the symptoms of Covid-19. People with obesity were shown to be 113% more likely (than people of a healthy weight) to require hospitalization for contracting Covid-19; fatality was also linked to obesity, as obese Covid-19 patients were almost 50% more likely to die.
"We didn't understand early on what a major risk factor obesity was. … It's not until more recently that we've realized the devastating impact of obesity, particularly in younger people," Anne Dixon states, a scientist and physician that particularly studies obesity and lung disease. Young people may have more problems with obesity than older folks. From all this, we can say for certain that being obese is very harmful to people, especially with Covid-19; but what can you do to help? If you’re overweight yourself, try starting a workout routine that you can do regularly. Studies have shown that having a set plan/regular routine can help encourage you to do it regularly.
Eating healthy is also another important factor- non-processed foods are particularly good, as studies show that they are more healthy than heavily processed foods. There are a few ways to know if a food is processed: if it has many different ingredients, has artificial additives, or takes a long time to expire, it is likely to be processed. If you’re not sure, just think about how it was made. In a factory? Then it’s processed. Or grown/killed on a farm? Then it’s natural.
The rise, fall and rise of Manchester United
Alban D, Karim M
As you might have heard, Manchester United is currently having one of their toughest seasons yet, and because of that, changes have been made. The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho to the club in August was thought to be the best thing that could happen to the club, but instead, people are now questioning it.
At the start of the season, Manchester United was on fire, they had topped the premier league, and their dream signing was finally coming: Cristiano Ronaldo. But then, when he came, the downfall happened. With Ronaldo’s arrival, the head coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, had to make changes to his plan and the starting lineup. Even with Ronaldo scoring goals, it wasn't enough. They kept on losing and this made the Manchester United board angry. After losing against Liverpool 5-0 and then 4:1 to Watford, the board had finally made their decision: Head Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to leave. As this was crucial for their survival in the Premier League. Fans and Players were worried and unsure about this crucial decision for their survival. But after appointing the new manager, they have been climbing up the table, by winning against teams like crystal palace, and arsenal. So finally, what you could end up learning from this is that having the best players or things does not automatically lead you to glory.
Club spotlight
Join the Knitting Club! During the lunch break each Friday from 11:50-12:30, students learn the creative and therapeutic art of knitting. You would cover the basics of knitting in a fun and safe environment, with Ms. Lee as an advisor, and Silja F (8th Grade) as the club leader. We'd love for you to join, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to siljaf26@stu.sintl.org.
Last Laugh
Mateo U
Page updated
Report abuse