Viking Tribune - November 2020

By: Angela Domnich-Reynaud and Kiara Saha, 7th grade

Among Us is one of the most popular games currently, that may or may not be overrated- you’ll never know :)

Although it’s fun and stuff, I think, like a lot of other games, it can get boring, or “rage-inducing”, pretty fast when you always win, always lose, OR KEEP COMING ACROSS THOSE KIDS WHO LEAVE THE GAME JUST BECAUSE THEY DON’T GET SELECTED TO BE AN IMPOSTER.🔹

Likes: the cute character’s, the online play Dislikes: the ads, THOSE KIDS WHO LEAVE THE GAME JUST BECAUSE THEY DON’T GET SELECTED TO BE AN IMPOSTER.

I think Among Us is an amusing game where you can eliminate other players as an imposter, or defeat the imposter as a crewmate. I really like the cute characters you can be and that you can play online with other people. The tasks are fun, but I would suggest InnerSloth to let players add other people so it would be more simple to join a friend’s game.

Honestly, Among Is is probably one of the only things keeping me sane throughout this whole Corona thing. It’s a pretty awesome game, and even though I get REALLY angry whenever people think I’m an imposter, (when I actually am, or when I'm a crewmate just trying to do tasks) I enjoy it a lot.

maybe you were dropped&nbsp; into the ocean without ever being taught how to swim but staying afloat is a skill we all learn through our own journey of discovery shallow waters you do not fear mild pools you glide with ease tall tsunamis you drown not everyone has someone that’ll keep their head above the water and that’s okay after all our body has&nbsp; the natural ability&nbsp; to rise back up&nbsp; to the water’s surface

sometimes aren’t enough. Some people may not have someone to keep their head above water but maybe we are all we’ve got sometimes, and that’s enough.)

(Meaning: The title being inspired by my favorite artist, “What the Water Taught Me” is about how some of us are thrown into the ocean without being taught how to swim. We were all brought onto this world without preparations but some of us struggle a bit more with societal challenges because we all came here expecting love. Maybe humans need love to function, and the sad reality is that some of us are lacking love. You may think that it would make life harder than it already is but your body has the natural ability to float back up. In the line “tall tsunamis you drown”, it contradicts the lines before it because I wanted to say that we can rely on ourselves on the small things but when big problems come, we

when the sun rises each morning it is here to stay it is here to bring light to be the high noon sun the unspoken words urging you to live not to just breathe it is not for you to look down and never look up it is not for you to be focused on your shadow instead of yourself it is here to guide you to bring its light into you only for that heart of yours to nurture&nbsp; it is keen&nbsp; on spreading flowers among our body we are beautiful it says we are its flowers and flowers wilt but flowers root and rise again&nbsp; just like the sun we aren’t cared for just for a one time show just for a one season fun we are here to stay to bloom every year we are a sun of our own

By: Aja Cole (Seeker) and Chloe Orbach (Mariners), 7th grade

     In the US, Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on the third Thursday of November. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 over a three day harvest festival. It included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians. On October 3, 1863 Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. And from that day forth people all over the US would celebrate thanksgiving in their own ways.&nbsp;Have you ever wondered why turkeys are the most popular dinner meal on Thanksgiving? Well, the reason might shock you. No one actually knows why they picked turkeys as the main meal but people have their own ideas. For example, Bradford wrote how the colonists had hunted wild turkeys during the autumn of 1621 and since turkeys were unusual Northern American birds, it was gained as the Thanksgiving meal of choice for Thanksgiving.&nbsp;

The first food recipe we will share is how to make cornbread. The ingredients you will need for this are: 2 tablespoons of margarine, ¾ cup of cornmeal, 1 ½ cups flour, ¾ cup sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup of water, 2 eggs, and lastly hot margarine and jam (optional). Put the margarine into a 9 by 9 inch square baking pan, and set the pan in the oven while you preheat it to 400 degrees. Stir the sifted dry ingredients into a mixing bowl of your choice. Next mix the water, eggs, and melted margarine together. (Tip the pan to all sides before you pour the margarine into the eggs so that the bottom of the pan is greased.) Now pour the liquid ingredients all at once into the sifted dry ingredients and stir until everything is well combined. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Lastly let it bake for about 25 minutes.

     Do you want to know how to make delicious meals and desserts for Thanksgiving? If the answer is yes, you have come to the right place. We will talk about how to make homemade macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and turkey. The first thing you need to know is that you don’t have to follow recipes the exact same way. It is ok if you want to experiment with your food. The most important thing to remember is to always have a backup turkey.

4)   Once again, tilt your paper so that the hypotenuse of the triangle that you just drew, is the bottom of the new triangle. Draw another line 1 cm long, and perpendicular to the hypotenuse of the previous triangle. Draw another diagonal line connecting the two lines, into another right triangle.

<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R12Dmh1Aoo2WrZK9QTK8MeHslW7WOG_I/view?usp=drivesdk">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R12Dmh1Aoo2WrZK9QTK8MeHslW7WOG_I/view?usp=drivesdk</a>

5) Continue doing this, until you draw a diagonal line that is, or really close, to the bottom of the first triangle that you drew.

6) Notice that while your drawing, the hypotenuse (diagonal) of each triangle goes in a pattern. For the first triangle, the diagonal was 1, because a^2+b^2=c^2. For the second triangle, the diagonal measured the square root of 2, for the third triangle, the diagonal was the square root of 3. This pattern keeps going on for all the triangles.

So, why is this important? Well, aside from it being aesthetically pleasing, the spiral has other uses. It basically means that math is all around us and not just in a classroom. As you can see, math is&nbsp;found in the natural world too. It also shows that certain objects like shells and flowers have more in common with math than what meets the eye. It is the basis for some of Earth’s oldest creations. That means that the spiral could be one way to better understand the world that we live in.&nbsp;🔹

7) Feel free to color the triangles or decorate them in any way that you like.

4. Add the tomato, cream, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and Dijon mustard. Stir until smooth and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the parmesan

5. Add the salmon back into the pan, and use a spoon to break it up into smaller pieces. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. Season with more salt and pepper if needed&nbsp;

6. Once the pasta is cooked, toss it in with the sauce. Serve with parsley and extra grated parmesan cheese if desired

Don’t forget to peel off the salmon skin, or buy it already peeled off. We don’t recommend subbing the cream with half-and-half or milk because the sauce is likely to curdle due to the amount of citrus in this recipe.🔹

STEM Corner: The Mathematical Concepts Using Spirals in Nature Part II

Some Examples of the Pythagorean Spiral in Nature:

     Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the STEM Corner. Last month we learned about the mathematical concepts using spirals in nature and how the golden ratio is found in nature. This month we’ll discuss a different type of spiral that’s found in nature. This spiral is called the Pythagorean Spiral.

How to Draw the Pythagorean Spiral:

A piece of paper, pencil, ruler, and an eraser

The Pythagorean Spiral:&nbsp;

The Pythagorean spiral is a series of 16 right angle triangles arranged in a spiral configuration. The hypotenuse of one right triangle is the leg of the other. Because of this, it is also known as the square root spiral. Unlike the golden ratio however, this spiral doesn’t have an exact equation. The outside part of the spiral is 1 centimeter per triangle. The Pythagorean spiral looks somewhat similar to the golden ratio so it is found on some of the same shells.&nbsp;

1) Draw two lines, using your ruler so that each is 1 centimeter long. They should also be perpendicular to one another. Draw a diagonal line, connecting the two lines together, so that it forms a right triangle.

2) Tilt your paper so that the hypotenuse (diagonal) of the previous triangle is a straight line, and the bottom of the next triangle.&nbsp;

3) The hypotenuse of the previous triangle is now the bottom of your new triangle. Draw another line 1 cm long, and perpendicular to the hypotenuse of the previous triangle. Draw another diagonal line connecting the two lines, into another right triangle.

community forever. A wildly successful book followed by a successful movie, Angie Thomas earned three awards for the The Hate You Give. The Michael L. Printz Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and the William C. Morris Debut Award. The Hate You Give can be recognized as one of the most influential books of this generation. Angie Thomas’s second book, On the Come Up was released on February 5th, 2019. If you enjoyed The Hate You Give, be sure to check out On the Come Up!

She was adopted by a family that didn’t support the Nazis. In a life full of hardships and tragedy, Liesel learns to make friends with the kids in her neighborhood and once in a while, steal books. She learns the streets and the neighbor’s attitudes. She falls asleep to her father reading to her. A 

story set in wartime, you feel the story of Liesel in your heart as if it were real. There will be moments where you shut the book and sit there in silence, comprehending what you just read and letting all the heartfelt information sink in deep into your heart. An incredible author with a #1 internationally bestselling book, a movie was born from The Book Thief. Markus Zusak has made himself a household name with The Book Thief. This book is definitely one of the timeless

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is another timeless novel that propelled this Australian writer to international stardom. The extraordinarily successful book has spent over 500 weeks (10 years) on the New York Times bestseller list, a number that would put many authors to shame and even overtake legendary authors such as J.K. Rowling. The Book Thief is tear-shedder, and it will make your heart feel tight and your eyes watery. The story follows our main character, Liesel Meminger, and her life in Germany during World War II.

our generation. And from the looks of it, it’ll be one for the next few too.&nbsp;🔹

Editor's Note: The Book Thief movie is great! Big thanks to Evan for the awesome recommendations.

Kamala Harris: The First Woman Vice President 

On November 7th, 2020, Kamala Harris made history as the first woman, black, and Indian-American Vice President. She grew up believing in the promise of America and fighting to make sure that promise is fulfilled for all Americans. Her father immigrated from Jamaica to the U.S. to study economics and her mother immigrated from India. Kamala’s mother told her growing up, “Don’t sit around and complain about things, do something,” which became Kamala’s motivation to fight for good causes. She became the first Black woman elected as San Francisco’s District Attorney and she used that position to help those in need. That was also how she met Joe Biden, the current president-elect. Her plans for change in America is apparent in her actions and campaign. In the matters of COVID-19, she repeatedly called for leaders to “listen to the scientists and experts” on how to proceed. Harris has called for what she describes as “national standard” for wearing masks. She has called for

“Before somebody can buy a lethal weapon, you might want to know if they’ve been found by the court to be a danger to themselves or others. You might want to know,” she told a crowd in Philadelphia.

the rooting out of racial discrimination and prejudice as well as economic and educational investment in communities of color to create safer, healthier communities. She and Biden both have called

Kamala Harris has made waves on social media from her historic victory speech on the night of November 7th, 2020. Tears were flowing in the audience listening to her words and in the people watching from home. She has inspired so many young girls around the world and taught them that the “glass ceiling” that’s been oppressing so many women in history can truly be broken. “And you delivered a clear message, you chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth.” said Kamala as the crowd before her cheered with loud honks from their cars and yelled the word, “truth”. A century after women won the right to vote, Harris, wearing suffragette white, spoke about her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris. ‘When she came here from India, at the age of 19, she maybe didn’t quite imagine this moment. But she believed so deeply in America where a moment like this is possible,’ she said.

chokeholds and carotid holds. Harris proposed executive actions to counter gun violence during her unsuccessful presidential campaign.

Your Daily Dose of Poetry

Through that, I found my actual identity, the person I want to be. I guess you can say through losing who I was, I found who I am.)&nbsp;

     Welcome to your daily dose of poetry. I will be sharing my poems with you throughout the year. The topics will have a big range, but they will mostly be positive poetry. There are many versions of poetry that you might find. It might be micro-poetry or modern poetry. I always write free-verse poems and sometimes I do some rhyming, but they don’t follow a specific rhyme scheme. I tend to let the words speak for themselves but me explaining it would provide further insight into what I was thinking when I wrote these poems and what my point of view on it is.&nbsp;

funerals bloom across my body a multitude of things dying some beautiful some ugly there is time for smiles but don’t expect smiles from me i am still mourning&nbsp; for all that is lost

self-love is sometimes&nbsp; just a phase. you feel happy as if you are healing, until you wake up the very next morning&nbsp; and realize it has all left. that sense of confidence&nbsp; you felt right before you closed your eyes is now gone when you reopened them. just the shutting of the eyelids. recovering is such a fragile thing that it floats between each and every one of our eyelashes. it’s something that’ll never stay, but in its time of being here,&nbsp; you should thrive under its powerful touch.

(Meaning: I remember writing this poem because I thought of the first line while on a car ride and thinking it was interesting. Soon, this entire poem was written. I based the idea of it around my experience from the summer of 5th grade to 6th grade. During that summer, I went through a phase where all my hobbies disappeared and I seemed to lose the identity of who I am, hence the “dying” portions of the poem.

(Meaning: I wrote this poem thinking about the process of healing and how it’s sometimes here and sometimes not. It’s like you feel like everything’s going to be alright the day before and when you wake up, it’s all gone. That power and confidence vanishing into thin air. It occurred to me that self-love and recovery is a process. It will be here sometimes and it will leave, but you’re working your way to healing regardless. And every time it’s here remember, you are healing.)

Fun Facts About Holly Sprofford

- Holly Sprofford was born and raised right outside of Philadelphia. - There is a young adult/adult sequel to “A Letter for Hoot” that is called “Hot Ice, Cold Blood”. - In the book, there is a 1937 Cadillac LaSalle convertible that is described. Holly took this from her own life as her dad owns this car. - She was a teacher for 17 years. - There was a mystery unit that she taught every year which inspired her book.

- She taught sports for 25 years and is an avid golfer. - She now lives in Wayne, Pennsylvania, which is part of our school district. Some of you might be her neighbor!🔹

Harris expressed her appreciation for the countless women throughout America’s history who have paved the way for that moment that night. Women who have fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty. Kamala states that she is standing on all of their shoulders. It is then that she says her now famous quote, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last—because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.” To that, the crowd all cheered in excitement as many bursted into tears. “What I want young women and girls to know is: you are powerful and your voice matters. You’re going to walk into many rooms in your life and career where you may be the only one who looks like you. But you are not alone.” That historical day marked a change in society that will last throughout the remainder of time. It shows that we have taken a step forward because we have elected the first female and first non-white Vice President into office. We finally have a woman that is chosen to help lead our nation, which agrees with what Harris said, “Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others may not, simply because they have not seen it before.” 🔹

E l e c t i o n

“A Letter for Hoot” by Holly Sprofford Book Review

By: Shaelyn Jordan, 7th grade - Navigators 

Opinion Genre: Mystery/Thriller Age Grouping: Middle Grade 12+ Pages: 269

     I had tried reading this book multiple times throughout the school year last year. I never made it through to any of the good stuff because I thought that it was a little confusing. When I read it over the summer, I thought about how different my experience was once I read more. The first few chapters though, I do have to admit, can be a bit confusing if you’re not sure what’s going on. On occasion, some of the chapters take place at a different time than the others. While there are only a few chapters that this applies to, it can be confusing if you’re not sure what is going on.&nbsp;

     Long ago, a murder occurred in Cab Station that rocked the residents of the town. When the case went cold, all was forgotten for decades. Then, when Nicholas Tucker Tyson-NT, for short,-and his friend Daisy learn the identity of the victim, they know they have to solve the case. Adamant that justice must be served, they start their own secret investigation.&nbsp;

     While on their quest to solve the crime, they interview people who used to know the victim. They only end up with more questions than answers. They then befriend Hoot who unknowingly holds the key to the mystery. In between relentlessly searching for the truth, they take trips to the ice cream parlor, have golf practice, and hold basketball challenges. When the case is finally solved, the beloved town of Cab Station is rocked once again. The deep secrets are finally revealed of what has been happening below the hidden normalcy of the town.

      Once you get into the book, it is fabulous! Unlike a lot of other middle grade mystery novels, you don’t know what will happen. The plot is so spontaneous and it will keep you guessing about what will happen next. There is a lot of talk about golf in this book which is something that I’m not familiar with. Even though this was the case, it was still very easy to understand and read. This book was incredible but be sure that you check with your parents before reading it. It is a murder mystery and some of the things described might not be good for anyone below the age of 12.&nbsp;

     Overall, I loved reading this book and would read it again! I gave this book 5/5 stars because it was so good! Be sure to check this book out sometime and let me know how you like it!

De-stressing During Stressful Times

STEM Corner: The Mathematical Concepts Using Spirals in Nature Part II

#Social Media Presence&nbsp;

COUNTRY OF THE MONTH - QATAR

State Education Rankings

Angela and Kiara’s Recipe: Salmon Pasta

Dear Reader, Thanks for coming back for Issue 2. We hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving Break! Our writers are hard at work with lots of new features coming your way. Keep an eye out in your ELA class for information about "subscribing" to the newspaper on Schoology. We have quite a few plans to use this subscription set up to take our paper to the next level. Speaking of taking it to the next level - we could always use more writers! If you are an Upper House student that would like to get involved, please email Mr. Kaplan at SKaplan@umasd.org Thanks for reading! -The Viking Tribune

minimal due to the sometimes inhospitable weather conditions. However, open grazing does support small herds of animals, including sheep, goats, and camels. Most of the creatures that live in Qatar are not domesticated by people, which includes various species of birds, rodents, reptiles (sometimes poisonous vipers), hedgehogs, foxes, and hares, which are all nocturnal and roam the deserts at night. Check out the map below to learn more about the geography of the country! Ad Dawhah (or Doha) is the nation's capital and most of the population is clustered around that area.

PEOPLE, CUSTOMS, AND LIFESTYLE

are built and open only for women. 68% of Qataris are Muslims, and observe holidays such as Ramadan (in which everyone except for the very young, sick, and pregnant are required to fast from sunrise to sunset). As for food, rice, flatbread, chicken, fish, and lamb make up the main dietary staples in Qatar, but fresh fruit, vegetables, curries, spices, and yogurt are also included in many meals. Breakfast usually consists of eggs, cheese, jam, bread, and boxed cereal. Tea is usually served at any hour. Islamic law forbids Muslims from eating pork or drinking alcohol, leading to pork not being sold in the country. Qataris value their religious beliefs and culture very much. Below is a picture of an infographic that teaches you more about the average Qatari, but also with the addition of comparison to world statistics. Be sure to check it out!

     If you ever visit Qatar, remember to always kindly greet others with a firm, long handshake, but make sure to only give handshakes to those of the same gender as you for the sake of respect and politeness. And never use your left hand, because that hand is regarded as unclean and is not to be used for pointing, gesturing, and/or passing objects (unless both hands are required to do the task). Starting at kindergarten and going all the way through university, public education is segregated by gender in order to preserve the privacy of females. Men and women rarely ever mix in public. In fact, many businesses and places

CULTURE, THE ARTS, AND SOCIETY

Despite being even smaller than the American state of Connecticut, the country of Qatar has a very rich and unique culture. Qatari men and women typically wear a traditional Gulf dress that covers the whole body from head to toe, exposing only the face and hands. Men wear a white thobe (a full-length cotton garment), a white/red-and-white ghutra head cloth topped by a black cord known as an aqal, and silver jewelry. Women wear headscarves, gold jewelry, and cover their clothing in public with an ankle-length cloak made of silk called an abaya regardless of the weather. Children tend to wear Western sport clothing or other casual dress until they are preteens, and almost all adults wear perfume or cologne. Religious holidays in Qatar are set by the lunar calendar.

include Sturgis Charter Public School and Lexington High School. The highest ranking state in higher education is Florida. The Sunshine State is home to the University of Florida, which also is #9 in all of America for colleges and universities.&nbsp;

    The American education system continuously ponders at each generation, to accommodate what kids and adults feel are necessary to teach. As early as the 18th century, strides towards better access and quality of education have been taken upon. Our 50 states that make up the United States of America have earned their own justified rankings on education.

Which state is overall best in education?

     There are an abundant amount of intelligent children within each state. However, there are many different aspects and factors that overall influence the outcome of the rankings. The rankings can be divided into three different categories; one is for higher education such as college, another for pre-k-12 learning, and an overall ranking. The overall ranking that states receive gathers a 50/50 amount of information from the other two categories. The pre-k-12 ranking system takes into account the measures of enrollment in pre-k, standardized test scores, and the public highschool graduation rate. As for higher education, educational attainment is taken into consideration as well as graduation rates and costs for tuition and college debt.&nbsp;

     Take a step into a historically enriched state that played a major role in one of the famous political protests, “No taxation without representation!”, the colonists shouted. Massachusetts has been ranked #1 for the best education. Its public education system has been set up for success from the start. Dating back to 1993, the state leaders of Massachusetts set the foundation for a strong education system. The standards were set higher than the Empire State Building. The system ensures that all students from various backgrounds are able to receive the best quality education they can get. Progress was important to the leaders. The obstacles that had occurred throughout the way did not halt the importance of education towards the state leaders. Matters that included money, where poverty was seen as an issue, were simply declined, and the driven determination the state leaders carried brought them to an impressive education system today. In fact, Massachusetts has one of the second highest nationally ranked universities, Harvard. Some brilliant people that attended there are Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Mark Zuckerburg.

Massachusetts, located in the New England Region, takes rank one for pre-k-12 learning. Some of its top public schools 

     Many people mistake this sport for yoga trapeze which is a similar form of aerial yoga. Instead of silk it is made of parachute material and it has 6 handles attached to it.

      Aerial yoga should not be done whilst wearing jewelry, belts, shoes, socks, gloves, dresses, skirts, etc.

      Overall, aerial yoga is dangerous and shouldn’t be done without a professional nearby. With its risks, it is super fun and enjoyable. I highly recommend that you try it out once the pandemic is over.&nbsp;🔹

     Most hammocks can hold a car which is about 2,000 pounds. Because of this, a weight limit does not exist in aerial. The only occurrence that weight would be a problem is if your ceiling hooks are not in correctly. This can cause your hammock to come out of the ceiling or rig which can cause serious injuries.&nbsp;

     Aerial yoga is incredibly good for people with back pain because it can help strengthen the surrounding muscles and joints. It can also improve flexibility and strength in all areas of the body.&nbsp;

     While yoga poses are frequently done on the hammock, it is also good for learning tricks. There are many different kinds of inversions that you can do on the hammock. Inversions are when someone goes upside down. You can also do a variety of other tricks on the hammock. Some of the names of tricks include: vampire, sailboat, death drop (it sounds scarier than it is), butterfly, lotus pose, standard, and many others.&nbsp;

By: Lorelei Bonifanti, 7th grade - Mariners

You can read, listen to music, or just rest. After a particularly draining day, it’s sometimes nice to just try to take a nap or just lay down since I find it hard to sleep in the middle of the day. It’s a great way to relax the senses.&nbsp;

    We can all admit that 2020 hasn’t exactly been the greatest year for a lot of people, in fact, it’s causing us lots of stress-especially for students in virtual school, or parents who have their kids constantly at home. Because of this, I think it’s a good idea to have some ways to lower our stress levels, especially since they’re so high this year. These will help you stay calm, even if things around you aren’t as calm as you’d like.&nbsp;

4.  Stay off screen-I know it’s extremely tempting to jump right on your phone when it’s right next to you, but it’s important to relax your eyes and not to overuse them. So, during breaks make sure to take your eyes away from the screen for a bit.&nbsp;

1. Go outside-it’s simple, but effective. We’re usually stuck inside a lot, thanks to online school, and often forget to even step outside every once in a while. There are so many things to do outside, and it’s best to get them in before winter fully starts. You could go for a walk, go to the park, play sports, or just sit outside and relax.

5.  Talk to others-lots of people recharge when talking to others or engaging in conversation. This is a great counteraction to being talked at since we can’t participate as frequently this year. You can always talk to your family, as they are right there, but it’s also nice to talk to friends over the phone, through FaceTime, over text, or safely in person.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

2. Exercise-as I’ve said before, exercise releases endorphins into your brain, which physically calms you down, and is a great way to de-stress. You can go for a run, bike ride, do an indoor workout-there are a lot on YouTube-practice for a sport you play, or maybe even safely meet your friends and do something together.&nbsp;

    Overall, you should attempt to take some time for yourself to de-stress after school, or during lunch. Mental health is important and is something you should ensure is maintained. Though these are stressful times, it’s easy to distress if you know how to.&nbsp;

In addition to that, here’s a great video with even more ways to de-stress:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCliJmqI2m4&amp;app=desktop">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCliJmqI2m4&amp;app=desktop</a>

3. Relax alone-this one is kind of vague, but it’s a great idea to just take some time alone to relax and unwind after a long day of staring at a screen.

The Qatari government allows for and sponsors for arts to occur within the country. Qatar is full of programs that support arts and crafts, theater, music, publishing, and various other art forms. The city of Doha is home to many cultural art groups such as the Qatari Fine Arts Society, Doha Theatre Players, and Folklore Troupe. Oral art traditions in Qatar include proverbs, poetry, song, and Qur’anic recitation. Decorative arts take the form of painting and sculpture, while complex geometric shapes and Arabic calligraphy are used to decorate manuscripts, pottery, furniture, walls, manuscripts, and metalwork. As for recreation and sports, soccer is Qatar’s favorite. Most days, almost every vacant lot features a game of soccer with a makeshift goal. Camel and horse racing, as well as fishing, boating, basketball, and volleyball are also gaining popularity. Women hardly partake in sports in Qatar, but are often seen on evening walks along the coast. Qatari movie theaters feature American, Arab, and Indian films. Tickets to see showings are extremely expensive though, so most just watch movies and TV from the comfort of their own homes. Below is a photo of a complex mini-city of sculptures made by Qatari artists.

LET’S LEARN THE LANGUAGE!

Let’s learn how to speak some very basic Arabic! Below is a picture of some basic phrases in the language for beginners and simple conversations. If you are still interested, here is a link to a video that teaches you some more Arabic: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0psf0FHhf8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0psf0FHhf8</a>. Arabic is a language that does not use a Phoenician based alphabet. It is written from right to left, and is spoken by 422 million people around the world. Just in case you ever pass by Qatar, another Middle-Eastern country that speaks the language, or just a person who speaks Arabic, you will know some basic vocabulary and understand a little bit of what they’re saying!🔹

Fun things to do on Thanksgiving if/when you are stuck:

Due to our circumstances this year Thanksgiving will be different for everyone. Here are 5 ways to have fun while being quarantined. The first way is to have a fun game of Thanksgiving bingo. There is nothing more classic than a game bingo. By giving the game a Thanksgiving twist it will be more fun for everyone. Another way is by having friendly competition of Thanksgiving trivia. You can come up with your own fun questions and answers. The third way is by having a Thanksgiving movie marathon. You can get everyone on the couch and watch your favorite Thanksgiving/fall movies. The next way is by playing Turkey tag with your family. You create a small cute DIY turkey clip. It’s like hot potato, it gets passed around all day long and by the end of the day whoever has it loses. The last way to have fun is by playing a game of candy corn ring toss. A little spray paint on some mini cones and you have the fall version of ring toss. Remember the main idea is to have fun, so have a great Thanksgiving while being safe with your family.🔹

Does it help someone understand something? Does the post Inspire? Is it informational and uplifts others? Is it Nice? Is the post necessary or irrelevant? Is it Kind? Is it supportive or harsh? By applying T.H.I.N.K. before you act, you can ensure that what you post is directly what you mean. A rule of thumb we’ve all been taught as a child is to treat others the way you want to be treated. As humans, we commonly disagree with a lot of different subjects and we all house our own opinions. You won’t agree with everything or everyone you encounter on social media but do treat each person with respect and kindness. That is the golden rule.&nbsp;

     You should make your social media accounts a living breathing portfolio/résumé that showcases your character. Think about what you want to show to your future employer or college. Colleges would want students with a positive attitude on their campus and employers would want you in their workplace. Your social media platforms should exemplify your hobbies and achievements. It’s not being fake, it’s more about showcasing a student’s favorite aspects of life. To quote Michelle Obama, “If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.” You should avoid social media conflicts because it’ll do nothing for your personal or professional image and your reputation will be ruined in the middle of it.&nbsp;

     You should ask yourself, how do I remain active on social media while also protecting my current and future self? A great way to achieve that is to self-reflect. Think about your current social media presence and look at yourself like you would through a mirror. How are you putting yourself out there? What are you doing to make you have a good social media presence? How is your reputation? Is the mirror you’re looking at foggy with mist? Or is it clearly representing who you are? By having deep conversations with yourself, it provides you clarity in determining if you are comfortable knowing that the persona you’re putting out on social media lives with who you are and how you want the world to know you. Truthfully, the more you post, the more you understand how to do it and not let the results of your actions haunt you later in life. Because trust me, the results are never constructive and are always a catastrophe.

    Diwali is a world wide celebrated holiday. This year, Diwali was celebrated from November 12-16. The dates change each year based on the Hindu lunar calendar. It is an official holiday in India, Fiji, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, etc.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “The Festival of Light” is another name for Diwali. This is to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and good over darkness. Lamps are placed outside of homes to symbolize the light that protects us from darkness.

Please do not try this sport at home. This is to be done in a yoga studio with trained instructors there. In no way should you try this without an adult near you at all times.&nbsp;

Foods that are commonly eating during Diwali: • Halwa: A grated vegetable is cooked with sugar, milk, ghee, cardamon, and nuts (placed on top). • Laddu: Small balls of flour, oil, sugar, nuts, and fruit.&nbsp; • Kheer: Pudding made by boiling milk, rice, sugar, tapioca, vermicelli, and broken wheat.&nbsp; • Samosas: Pastry’s filed with potatoes, pees, onions, carrots, cheese, meat, and other vegetables.&nbsp; • Barfi: Fudge made with condensed milk.&nbsp; There are many other amazing dishes that are served during Diwali but these are just a few.&nbsp;

     Aerial yoga is a sport that is typically put in the same category as yoga. While it is a form of yoga, it is very different. Aerial yoga takes place in the air instead of the ground. The material is a kind of silk that is incredibly strong. This is called an aerial hammock. Attached to the hammock are hooks that can go into a ceiling or aerial rig.

Because Diwali is celebrated in so many different places, not everyone celebrates the same way. Many different traditions have been formed by different groups of people over the years.&nbsp;🔹

(Meaning: In all honesty, I have no idea when I wrote this poem but I’m pretty sure it was inspired by a poetry collection by Rupi Kaur named “The Sun and Her Flowers”. The poem talks about how the sun rises for us every single day, most likely going through a lot of trouble to do so, and yet we don’t appreciate the warmth it gives us. This poem also touches on self-love and how we shouldn’t focus on the negatives and our own shadows when the spotlight is on us. The sun doesn’t rise for us to be only great or happy for one hour, we are flowers that bloom everyday and we never last just one season.) 🔹

     Diwali is a celebration that takes place over five days. Each day has a different focus. On the first day, many people purchase something that is very valuable to them. Most commonly bought items include silver and gold. On the second day some spend their time decorating. It is also common for people to use oil on their body and relax. The third day is the main day of the holiday. People light diyas and candles in their homes. On the fourth day, those who celebrate the holiday, worship instruments and machinery. On the final day, brothers and sisters spend time together. Sisters pray for wonderful and successful lives for their brothers. Brothers give their sisters presents.

    Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and many others. The celebration originated in India. It dates all the way back to sometime in 1-1000 BC. Various texts were found, that included information about the celebration.&nbsp;

      There are many different names that are used for Diwali. One commonly used by South Indians is Deepawali. It translates to “row of lights.” This makes sense because of the lamps that are placed outside of homes.&nbsp;

Published in November 2019, Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a fiction romance novel. Perfect for a quick fun read on your couch during November. The story is about our main character, Chloe Brown, who is chronically ill and after almost dying,

The love interest is her apartment manager named Red, who rides a motorcycle and is a painter by night. Chloe gives Red an offer where she will help him design his website to sell his art (since Chloe is a technology geek) and in return, Red would have to help her accomplish the things on her list. They’re both part of the series, “The Brown Sisters”. Be sure to check both of them out if you enjoy a book where there is both pleasure and pain.&nbsp;

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson&nbsp;

she realizes how she needs to get a life because she would’ve died without accomplishing anything cool in her life.

A thrilling murder mystery, Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson is the first book in a series called the Shades of London. Set in the 1930s and present day, the story takes place at a school for gifted students in Vermont, where a kidnapping and murder

She writes a "bucket list" with things such as going camping, traveling the world with only a carry on luggage, riding a motorcycle, and a lot of things of that nature that she hasn’t done before due to her chronic illness holding her back.

As a book I’ve never read, I have heard a lot about it and it is on my list to read. Appearing on the New York Times, Get a Life, Chloe Brown became Talia Hibbert’s most successful book. Published in June of 2020, Take a Hint, Dani Brown is the sequel to Get a Life, Chloe Brown.

occurs in the 1930s. However, in the present, there is also a murder. Truly Devious is a combination of two timelines which merge into one murder case. It is a long form, arch-plot, realistic, drama that turns on justice and injustice. A hit book by Maureen Johnson, Truly Devious is a New York Times bestselling book. If you’re looking for a murder mystery with a thrilling plot-line and an exhilarating plot-twist, Truly Devious is the book for you.&nbsp;

Cultural Corner of Viking Tribune: COUNTRY OF THE MONTH - QATAR

The sandy ground of a beautiful, stony desert crunches under your sneakers as you take some slow steps towards the horizon. Far ahead of you, sloping dunes flow across the terrain, and a brilliant, creamy, orangey-pink sunset casts soft light over the land like a glowing painting in the sky. In the distance, you see a small date-palm oasis forming shadows against the golden sand. The hot and humid air engulfs your body and hugs tightly to your skin. Where do you think you are? You are in the Middle-Eastern nation of Qatar (officially referred to as “Dawlat Qatar” or rather, the State of Qatar), a 4,437-square-mile (11,586-square-kilometer) peninsula jutting out of the north of the Arabian (Persian) Gulf that is the home of a rich history, unique culture and traditions, one of the world’s largest gas reserves, and much diverse, nocturnal wildlife!

*Pictured here is a date palm oasis, which are prominent in Qatar’s vast deserts.

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

*This is the Qatar flag. It is maroon colored with a jagged panel on the hoist side. The white panel was added after a request from the British in the 1820s that all

friendly Gulf states add a white band to their

“Assalaam!” is the traditional greeting you will receive from the people if you ever travel to the country called Qatar (pronounced KUH-ter), as most of the 2,363,569 people there speak Arabic and identify as a part of the Arab ethnicity. Qatar’s national anthem, “As-Salam al-Amiri” (“The Amiri Salute”), was written by Abdul Aziz Nasser Obaidan. Qataris live at a latitude of 25.17° and a longitude of about 51.32°, and are accustomed to the hot and dry climate of their country. Their scorching summertime temperatures can oftentimes exceed 100° Fahrenheit (which is 38° Celsius) and their winters tend to be about 50°-70° Fahrenheit (10-23° Celsius). About 99% of Qataris dwell near the highly populated cities along eastern shoreline of the country, where the elevation is low and where they are farther away from the enormous, sometimes uninhabitable deserts located towards the nation’s interior and west coast. Qatar is the richest country in the Middle East and its greatest resources are oil and natural gas since agriculture is

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson is a realistic fiction novel about Miranda, our main character, and her journey of discovering the mysteries of her past. She learns that her uncle died and returns to her hometown only to find that he left her a scavenger

She meets people good and bad while protecting her family from harm’s way, but how long can she live with the pounding thirst in her throat while also running from a war zone? A New York Times Bestseller written by a New York Times Bestselling author, Dry is an intense novel that’ll keep you on your feet. You may know Neal Shusterman, the

hunt, just like how he did when she was still a child. The bookshop in this book is Prospero Books, a bookstore that is teetering at the edge of bankruptcy. She finds herself talking to people from her uncle’s past and learning a terrible family secret that’ll rip her world as she knows it apart. Big hearted and observant, The Book of Yesterdays is a love letter to reading and bookstores, and a

father, from his other wildly successful books such as the critically acclaimed, Scythe. In a world where environmental issues are a pressing matter, the events presented within the book become dangerously real. It makes you wonder, when will this happen to us?

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas&nbsp;

powers of a community and how our history shapes who we become. It is one of my favorite books and I find it to be entrancing in a way that won’t let you put the book down.

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

A book written by a father and son, Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman is a combination of our worst fears and the darkest parts of mankind. The story follows our main character, Alyssa, surviving in California with her family, but without water.

A book we all know and love, The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas is a groundbreakingly successful book that spent 100 weeks on the New York Times bestselling list. Barely any novelists can see the kind of success Angie Thomas has, much less have that success be their debut. The Hate You Give is an extremely powerful book about systemic racism and injustices within communities of lower wealth. Starr Carter, our main character, loses her best friend to a cop even though he was unarmed. And yet still, her best friend was painted as the thug, the criminal, the big bad wolf. What Starr says or does not say may change her

Our state happily sits at #32 for education. Whether surprised, or disappointed in the ranking turnout for our state, I think it is important to emphasize that ranking in education should not affect your capabilities. That being said, there is some controversy about the methods used to rank education systems too. From a standpoint where no statistics or data are involved, I believe that Pennsylvania can be #1 in education if you make it that way Yes, according to a ranking it will stay at #32, but if you put in the effort and determination you can make the most of your education.🔹

- 4 ounce of uncooked pasta&nbsp; - ½ pound fresh salmon&nbsp; - ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning - Salt &amp; pepper&nbsp; - 1 tablespoon olive oil&nbsp; - 1 tablespoon butter - ½ cup grated parmesan cheese - 2 medium tomatoes chopped&nbsp; - ¾ cups heavy/whipping cream - Juice and zest of ½ medium lemon (about 1 tbsp juice) - 3 cloves garlic minced&nbsp; - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard - Chopped parsley&nbsp;

1. Boil a salted pot of water and cook pasta according to package directions

2. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with italian seasoning and salt &amp; pepper to your liking

3. Add oil and butter to a skillet on medium temperature heat. Sear salmon for 3 minutes/side. Then remove salmon from pan and set aside

     Some of us may ask what social media presence is? Social media presence can be many things. It can be how you interact with the Internet, what people see you as on social media, and/or what story you’re trying to tell about yourself. In our current world where 4.5 billion people use social media, how many people reflect on themselves and think about how they’re presenting themselves in the digital world? Every time they press, post, share, comment, send, do they consider how they put themselves out there? This isn’t an auditorium where your audience can see your face and hear your tone, this is the Internet with 4.5 billion people taking your words and making sense of it. What if people misrepresent themselves? What if their words got taken out of context? Social media is something that has many factors in determining if you’re doing it “right” or “wrong”. It doesn’t have a step by step instruction as to how people should utilize this tool nor do people have someone to teach them how to “put themselves out there”. And because the majority of social media users are young people, many youths are setting themselves up for failure in the future by posting the wrong things and following the wrong people. To avoid having your mistakes come back to bite you in the end, you must establish a responsible social media presence. One that’ll allow you and younger users to find new opportunities to succeed in life.

     Through thinking, consideration, and self-reflection, you will create a social media presence that can only be positive for you. Social media has prospered over the years in quick time, with one app turning into two and now hundreds of options for sharing your thoughts, photos, and videos and for communicating with friends and family. The more it grows, the more we discover about the do's and don'ts of social media. We are just small rocks compared to the ocean, but even a rock can cause ripples. And those ripples may just throw the rock underneath the waves.&nbsp;

“Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.” - Sophocles. Social media may have many benefits and it has brought forth a new age of achievements and breakthroughs, but there are many ways you can “mess up” on social media. Consequences on the internet are more long term than the ones that occur in real life because there is something called a digital footprint. Digital footprints are information about you that exists on the internet as a result of your online activity. Of course, we’ve all heard those things before. The “your actions will come back to haunt you” and that “everything you put out is your responsibility”. But truthfully, not only that, your friends could leave you and you will alienate your loved ones if you post inappropriate content or follow a controversial person. Future colleges would reject you and employers won’t hire you. Furthermore, the mental health damages that come with that is going to be devastating. Before you post, T.H.I.N.K. Is the post Truthful or a rumor? Does it only tell one side of the story? Is the post Helpful or harmful?

<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kSrQsuQDyIcqP5QzMtZUQphJ_e7JqGJy/view?usp=sharing">Calendar Link</a>

Attached below are two infographics I made based on my research and an interview I conducted with the assistant director of admissions at Villanova and a social media management agency. You can also find the full interview attached.&nbsp;🔹

Name

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