CURRENT AFFAIRS IN A WAY YOU'LL LOVE
Sahithi Lingampalli
vice executive layout co-director
Kavya Gurunath
Shrawani Pradhan
vice executive science co-director
Neve Walker
politics & world events director
Cindy Zhang
opinion co-director
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Vrinda Gandhi
founder tech, layout, artwork co-director
vice executive communications director
Shabdika Gubba
science co-director podcast director
Riona Carrington
opinions co-director
Taruni Manam
vice executive lifestyle co-director
Manushri Bapat
art & media director
Samita Pandit
lifestyle co-director
Harvi Karatha
editing co-director
Uday Lingampalli editing co-director
meet the directors Aathmika Radhachandran public relations co-director
@theaffairmag theaffairmag@gmail.com Published monthly by The Affair. All Rights Reserved. back cover by Pahel Srivastava
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Yaj Jhajhria
podcast co-director
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marketing director
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Evelyn Chen
artwork co-director
2
meet the staff
WRITERS: Archini Desai Cindy Zhang Emily York Geethikaa Tarra Hafiza Samath Hans Yang Inchara J Jacob Ricketts Kavya Gurunath Manseerat Bacchal Manushri Bapat Neve Walker Nivi Chozhan Maya Krolik Riona Carrington Sahithi Lingampalli Samita Pandit Sanjna Mootakoduru Shabdika Gubba Sierra Tan Taruni Manam Thejo Tattala Vanathi Kanth Yaj Jhajhria
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EDITORS: Arushi Patil Cindy Zhang Emily York Hans Yang Harvi Karatha Inchara J Manushri Bapat Neve Walker Kavya Gurunath Sahithi Lingampalli Samita Pandit Shabdika Gubba Taruni Manam Uday Lingampalli ARTISTS: Evelyn Chen Pahel Srivastava Sahithi Lingampalli Sanjna Mootakoduru Stella Toscano Thejo Tattala Sharon Pan
PODCAST: Ashmita Annamalai Geethikaa Tarra Inchara J Shabdika Gubba Sierra Tan Yaj Jhajhria Saige Cooke LAYOUT DESIGNERS:
Aathmika Radhachandran Arushi Patil Inchara J Leesha Pillai Nivi Chozhan Sahithi Lingampalli Sierra Tan Tristan Castro Vrinda Gandhi PUBLIC RELATIONS: Aathmika Radhachandran Ashmita Annamalai Nivi Chozan Manushri Bapat Sahithi Lingampalli Sierra Tan Vrinda Gandhi
contents
CONTENTS
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YEAR IN REVIEW
11
ART & MEDIA
13
15
53 SCIENCE BEHIND THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT
HOW TIKTOK PROGRESSED
55 HOLIDAYS IN SPACE
MUSIC BUT ALSO RUINED IT
57 THE GLOBAL HEIGHT GAP
YOUR SPOTIFY UNWRAPPED AND
59 CHINA’S SUCCESSFUL MISSION
WHY IT MATTERS
BROUGHT BACK MATERIAL FROM
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THE GREAT BIG PICTURE
THE MOON
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PULP FICTION
23
POLITICS & WORLD EVENTS
25
WHO IS KAMALA HARRIS?
27
FEMICIDE IN LATIN AMERICA
29
HONG KONG PROTESTS
31
BEIRUT EXPLOSIONS
35
FARMERS PROTEST IN INDIA
39
TECH & DESIGN
41
DECK THE HALLS WITH BARRELS OF OIL
43
WASTE PLASTIC TO GRAPHENE?
45
WHY INSTAGRAM'S LAST FEW UPDATES ARE UPSETTING USERS
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LEAN, GREEN, AND SUSTAINABLE HYDROGEN MACHINES
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SCIENCE
63 LIFESTYLE 65 HOLIDAY TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD 69 MOTIVATION VS SELF DISCIPLINE 71 EASY HOLIDAY DIY GIFT IDEAS 73 HOW TO MAKE TIRAMISU 77 OPINION 79 SHOULD WE CUT OFF FRIENDS FOR POLITICAL DIFFERENCES? 83 SHOULD ALL STATES ADOPT RANKED-CHOICE VOTING SYSTEMS? 87 IS THE PHRASE "BODY GOALS" TOXIC? 93 G4M3 P14N35
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Year in 20 REVIEW Join us on a recap of all the memorable and not so memorable moments of 2020!
JAN 09 The World Health Organization announced COVID19’s beginnings |from Wuhan, China JAN 08 |Prince Harry & JANUARY Meghan Markle leave the royal family
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JAN 16 |Donald Trump’s Impeachment Trial
JAN 21 First Confirmed Case of Coronavirus in the |US FEB 2 |Palindrome Day: date 020202020 is the same when read backwards
MAR 1 First COVID-19 Case in NY: hea care worker wh |returned from I
MAR 9 |Stock Mark
altho ran
ket Crash
MAR 13 United States Goes |Into Lockdown MAR 24 |The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo were canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic and were rescheduled to 2021
APR 8 Bernie Sanders dropped out of 2020 presidential race leaving Joe Biden to be the only Democratic Party nominee
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APR 15 |Kim Jong Un death rumors were spread
APR 18 A man dressed up as a police officer and killed 16 people; one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canada
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APR 29 |The Pentagon released videos of possible UFOs
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|
MAY
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MAY 04 Murder Hornets spotted in the US
MAY 31 COVID-19 Cases | surpass 6 million mark
JUN 01 6 cases of Ebola |reported by WHO JUN 15 At | least 20 soldiers and over 40 Chinese forces killed/injured in the Galwan Valley
JUN 21 Annual solar |eclipse JUN 22 COVID-19 Cases | surpass 9 million mark
JUL 15 Twitter account prominent polit figures, CEOs, a celebrities are hacked to prom |a bitcoin scam
JUL 19 |Brahmapu floods and and 4 milli left homele
by Kavya Gurunath, Ashmi Manam, Geethikaa Tarra, V Bapat, Nivi Chozan, Yaj Evelyn Chen, & Sahithi
nts of itical and
mote m
tra River d kills 189, on are ess
JUL 22 COVID Cases surpass 15 million |mark
AUG 04 |Beirut Explosion
JUL 30
|NASA launches
Mars 2020 rover mission for signs of ancient life
ita Annamalai, Taruni Vrinda Gandhi, Manushri j Jhajhria, Thejo Tattala, Lingampalli
AUG 07
|Air India Express
Flight 1344 crashes after overrunning the runway
AUG 16
| California Wildfires AUG 26
|Amazon CEO Jeff
Bezos becomes first to pass US$200 billion net worth, according to Forbes
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layout by Vrinda Gandhi, Inchara J., & Sahithi Lingampalli
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SEP 03 Skeletons of 200 mammoths and 30 other animals found in construction site of Mexico City Santa LucĂa Airport; largest find
SEP 27 Armenian forces | SEPTEMBER clash with Azerbaijani forces
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|
SEP 29 COVID-19 Death Cases surpasses 1 million
OCT 02 Trump Reports | Positive Test for COVID-19
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OCT 26 NASA confirms existence of water molecules on sunlit side of the Moon
NOV 12 TikTok Ban |Situation
NOV 03 2020 Presidential | Election; Joe Biden is president-elect
NOV 17 |SpaceX Cr Dragon ca docks at s station
rew psule space
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NOV 18 First Monolith found in Red Rock Country, Utah
DEC 01
|COVID-19 Vaccine announced by Pfizer and BioNTech
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DEC 02-06 Santa Ana Winds Power Outages
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DEC 21 Jupiter and Saturn form a double planet for the first time in 800 years
DEC 20
|Mutated COVID-19 strain spreads in Europe and Australia
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Art & Media Using Film as a Political Force How Ai Weiwei's documentary, Cockroach, brings light to the Hong Knog protests of 2019.
Finally Uncovering Long-Hidden Gems of Black Artists A new exhibit highlighting The Kamoinge photography collection, which was influential in Black photography.
Music truly fitting for the end of 2020
Literature Rewind 2020
How hyperpop, a new form of pop music, has become popular.
Some of the best books of 2020, including Hamnet and Homeland Elegies.
Representation for Christmas The top LGBTQ+ movies to binge this holiday season!
2020 is ending.. And Art Culture is still struggling to fund itself Stimulus package providing $15 billion to live art venues.
headlines we couldn't cover 11
How TikTok Progressed Music but Also Ruined It
page 13-14
Your Spotify Unwrapped and Why it Matters
page 15-16
The Great Big Picture
page 17-18
Pulp Fiction: Does it hold to its cult following?
page 19-21
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How TikTok Progressed Music but Also Ruined It TikTok, the rapidly growing social media app that has hundreds of millions of users, has progressed creativity in unimaginable ways. The app encourages users to showcase their different talents within short videos, many utilizing music in the process.
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Users manipulating music for their content has advanced music greatly. However, it is also arguably ruining music through its impact on high standard music charts. TikTok has a major influence on the music industry and has the ability to drastically increase a song's popularity through the app’s short videos. However, some question whether some of the songs deserve the hype. For example, as reminded in How TikTok is Ruining the Music Industry, author Will Bavier recognized that the song Times We Had by Barlito trended on TikTok as a joke, making the song popular in the process. However, Bavier then reveals that “despite its low quality, the song debuted atop the Spotify US Viral 50 chart on May 18th, a couple weeks after blowing up on TikTok.� While other artists work towards such an achievement with higher quality music, a song released as a joke was able to overcome them, showing just how TikTok was able to ruin music.
TikTok has caused music to be judged unfairly. When TikTok trends are associated with certain songs, the viewers then tend to associate their judgment of the trend to their judgment of the actual song, subconsciously or not (Bavier, 2020). For example, in How TikTok is Ruining the Music Industry, author Will Bavier explains, “Doja Cat’s Say So ([then] No. 2 on the Billboard Top 100 List) maintained its high popularity much longer than what the song deserved due to the viral dance that accompanied the song”. The song maintained such a high rank, not necessarily because people liked the song so much, but moreover that people liked the trend. The TikTok trends that are seemingly dictating high standard music charts are, therefore, arguably ruining music.
Written by
Emily York
Edited by
Kavya Gurunath, Manushri Bapat, & Cindy Zhang
Art by
Evelyn Chen
Layout by
TikTok has, however, managed to allow progression in music and still continues to do so. As said earlier, TikTok gives people a platform to showcase their talents, including musical talents. There have been several successful artists found through their music on the app such as Lil Nas X, the artist behind the hit song “Old Town Road” that trended on TikTok and even reached high rankings on Billboard's Top 100 chart (Alexander, 2019). Lil Nas X even won the CMA awards for Musical Event of the Year 2019 (Ducasse, 2020). However, it is notable that TikTok was crucial for the success of his song, Lil Nas X agreeing (Alexander 2019). In the article, ‘Old Town Road’ proves TikTok can launch a hit song, author Julia Alexander supports that “TikTok is a discovery platform just as much as it is a place to waste time participating in meme culture”. Even though TikTok is recognized as an app showcasing meme culture, TikTok has provided platforms for people to be given the opportunity to be recognized for their talents. TikTok’s outcomes regarding music are controversial, but nonetheless, TikTok is a great place for aspiring artists to showcase their talents with the possibility of being recognized and becoming successful.
Aathmika Radhachandran 14
Your Spotify Unwrapped & Why It Matters Christmas is around the corner, and you know what that means—it’s Spotify Unwrapped season! As you swipe through Instagram stories, you see the familiar layout of top artists, songs, and captions saying “this describes me so well!" Some roll their eyes when greeted by the colorful slides, saying “who even cares?” Still, it doesn’t stop people from sharing their top artists. Whether you use Spotify or Apple Music, this is why your—and/or your friends’—Spotify Wrapped matters. Firstly, let’s state the obvious: it helps you understand your music taste. Recognizing what you like and what you listen to is a crucial step in discovering new music and broadening your horizons. Everyone has a unique listening taste and style, and your Spotify Wrapped helps you to pick that apart and consolidate that information to use for your advantage or entertainment, whichever tickles your fancy. WRITTEN BY SIERRA TAN ART BY SAHITHI LINGAMPALLI
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EDITED BY MANUSHRI BAPAT, HARVI KARATHA, & TA LAYOUT BY LEESHA PILLA
Discovering new music is an experience that is helped by Wrapped. On the topic of expanding your music taste, you can also see your friends’ Wrapped top songs as music recommendations! This leads me to the next point: music helps society bond. We have emotional and personal connections to music throughout our life Knowing each others’ music tastes lets us empathize and connect with each other. Songs can also be good conversation starters! If you think about it, our musical preferences are a window into how we think, how we behave, and what we care most about. It’s pretty beautiful, isn’t it? Discussing music may lead to deeper emotional connections due to this, and may improve our empathy skills.
The next time you see a friend’s, acquaintance’s, or family member’s Spotify Wrapped think of it as a window into their mind, as well as an opportunity to grow your connections and friendships. Maybe there’s more to it than it just being a completely useless marketing tactic.
A R U N I M AN AM
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During this period, several religious works of art, that are still known today, were created, as well as art displaying stories of tradition relevant to each written by Vanathi Kanth group of people. Such pieces of art show a time where people, for the first time, were able to be influenced by societal ideals. With the end of the advanced edited by Uday Lingampalli, civilizations came the Middle Ages, Kavya Gurunath, & Manushri which brought art with negative Bapat connotations-- often with distorted figures and harsh scenery. The darkness and pain seen in the art can describe a view of a life that was layout by Inchara J. difficult, almost torturous. This can be explained by the Black Death and economic as well as cultural decline of the time. Also, there was an increase in religious works of art, art by Sahithi Lingampalli indicating that religion grew to have enough importance that it became Regardless of the time period, art something to turn to as inspiration. has always been a creative outlook for However, such art was most common people, providing a way to express any only in Europe. In Eastern and emotion about the positives and Southern Asia, for instance, it was negatives of life. Since art is an architecture that correlated with expressive field, when looking at art religion. one must consider the life of the artist After the Middle Ages came which can considerably impact the arguably one of the most important opinions and feelings the artist faces periods for art: the Renaissance. and, as a result, the art created. Throughout the Renaissance, art was Throughout the progression of history known to pay attention to detail and and the changes of perspective, art realism. Emphasis on detail was new to has depicted different ways of life. art at the time, indicating clear The first notable works of art that development in views of life. Most the way of life has impacted was seen prevalent was the rise of individualism in the time of advanced civilizations, and humanism, social philosophies of from the time of Mesopotamia to the the time. fall of the Roman Empire.
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The brighter colors contrasted the dark nature found in the art of the Middle Ages. Following the Renaissance, several art forms flourished, including Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Although every art form had a distinct style and importance to life, Romanticism most distinctly showed a change in lifestyle. Unlike classical art, Romanticism placed importance on imagination and nature and rejected order, harmony, and rationality. Such ideas in art convey a newfound sense of freedom for much of the people and allow people to have an imagination, rather than be bound by a strict sense of social order or religion in life. The modern art movement originated from realism beginning in the 19th century, with notable attention to accuracy by featuring detailed depictions of scenes of life. The attention to detail meant that people became focused on accurately capturing life, and life became more fact-based. Unlike Realism, Expressionism in the early 20th century often used distortion and strong colors to show raw emotions -often anxiety. The display of emotion indicated a time where people were conflicted in life, showing that at the time, life became confusing and there were possibly new ideas or wars. In the later half of the 20th century, a period of Abstract Expressionism began, where
artists broke away from conventional forms of art and used improvisation to make abstract art. The breaking away from conventional ideas in art can indicate a life of fast development and change, where many people explored ideas outside usual beliefs of society. Following this came the rise of pop art, where everyday objects were used to create art that challenged mass media, which indicated a life that placed importance on consumerism. Due to its heavy importance, pop art rose to show that no “hierarchy of culture� could control the inspiration of art, showing that people were challenging the previous norms, and were making change a center in life.
Today, contemporary art has continued along with the older techniques and concepts, with several smaller movements. Our current way of life indicates a way of life that continues to challenge boundaries in society. After seeing how art has shown the development of life throughout the years, we are led to the inevitable question: how will art change to show life in the future?
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PULP FICTION: D ITS CULT FO
The air of mystery that surrounds Quentin Tarantino and his cultinspiring films is not one to be questioned. His style of portraying the more violent aspects of life as we know it is often described as hit-ormiss: critics don’t hold back from bashing Tarantino’s excessive gore, while impassioned fans harp on the necessity of his storylines to the otherwise jaded industry. For aspiring filmmakers and those with a penchant for the big screen, Pulp Fiction does indeed live up to the hype provided by its crazed fanbase.
The movie opens in a seemingly mundane setting -- a Los Angeles diner. Viewers glimpse into a conversation between “Honey Bunny,” also known as Yolanda (Amanda Plummer) and “Pumpkin,” aka Ringo (Tim Roth), who discuss how robbing a liquor store could potentially be more lucrative than other typical spots. The two decide to rob the diner right there, but the opening credits play before the entire robbery can take place. Already with the opening scene and electric theme song, audiences are drawn into the captivating world of “pulp fiction.”
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The magic of the movie is in its cleverly crafted storyline. After the pause of the opening scene and past the end of the credits, audiences are drawn into a plot web. Namely, multiple stories that fall in place under the same, witty, timeline. It’s divided into three ‘episodes’: “Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife,” “The Gold Watch,” and “The Bonnie Situation.” The out of order scenes allow audiences to grasp a new bit of information in every plot line -- from a different perspective.
DOES IT HOLD TO OLLOWING?
Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) Watching the movie with the point of view of someone creatively oriented and interested in seeing how Tarantino conveyed the story (and if it deserved the attention and aesthetic attributed to it), I felt that Pulp Fiction was deserving of its unique place in American cinema. The concept of mashing seemingly different stories into a well-meshed sequence proved effective with the particular themes Tarantino wanted to convey.
The film angles and clever setting choices -- chock full of imaginative and out-of-ordinary as well as realistic elements -- add to the lure of the movie. The dialogue eases tension and adds notes of light humor at otherwise bloody scenes (such as the repeated exchange between Jules and Vincent about how burgers are called different things in Europe). The uniquely individualistic characters (such as Marsellus Wallace and his actress wife Mia) help to further draw audience a attraction into the rest of the movie and give them a desire to continue watching the full 2 hours and 34 minutes.
In a combined effort with the actual order of the plot events, Pulp Fiction merges witty dialogue and cinematically pleasing scenes to fully pack an impactful punch that very clearly marks its significance.
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Yet while the revered film does demonstrate intricate skill, the ‘cult’like aspects of its fan base are at times much less than putting the movie and Tarantino on a pedestal. I found the movie to be captivating, interesting, enlightening. But that did not mean the movie’s creator necessarily was deserving of the role of a hero. At times the fanatics of this movie and many others forget -- in their occasionally crazed wonder -that films and filmmakers can only provide a window into a different world.
Some of the film’s witty dialogue.
Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson)
Year in
REVIEW Written by Manushri Bapat Movies/TV
Edited by Inchara J. & Hans Yang Art by Sanjna Mootakoduru
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Layout by Nivi Chozhan
Hamilton (Movie) The Crown (TV show) Mulan (Movie) Mandalorian (TV show) Space Force (TV show) Sonic the Hedgehog (Movie)
References
How TikTok Progressed Music but Also Ruined It Alexander, J. (2019, April 6). ‘Old Town Road’ proves TikTok is a new SoundCloud for artists. The Verge. Retrieved From: https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/5/18296815/lil-nas-x-old-town-road-tiktok-artists-spotify-soundcloud-streamsrevenue Bavier, W. (2020, December 7). How TikTok is Ruining the Music Industry. The Register Forum. Retrieved From: https://registerforum.org/12193/opinion/how-tiktok-is-ruining-the-music-industry/ Bogliari, A. (2020, October 26). What is TikTok? – The Fastest Growing Social Media App Uncovered. Influencer Marketing Hub. Retrieved From: https://influencermarketinghub.com/what-istiktok/#:%7E:text=What%20is%20TikTok%3F-,TikTok%20is%20a%20short%2Dform%2C%20video%2Dsharing%20app%20 that,in%20its%20home%20market%2C%20China.&text=You%20can%20also%20add%20videos,a%20video%2Dsharing% 20social%20network. Ducasse, S. (2020, March 9). The top 10 artists discovered on Tiktok in 2019. Pentos - TikTok Tools for Smarter Marketing. Retrieved From: https://pentos.co/blog/top10-artists-tiktok-2019/Lal, K. (2019, October 3). How TikTok Changed The Way We Discovered Music In 2019. Junkee. Retrieved From: https://junkee.com/tiktok-music-industry/224016
Your Spotify Unwrapped and Why it Matters OkCupid. (2017, April 12). Understanding Deal Breakers: The Psychology of Music and Romance. Retrieved from https://theblog.okcupid.com/https-theblog-okcupid-com-dating-deal-breakers-music-e9bc60c95222 Suttie, J. S. (n.d.). Four Ways Music Strengthens Social Bonds. Retrieved December 17, 2020, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_music_strengthens_social_bonds
The Great Big Picture
Invaluable. (n.d.). Art History Timeline: Western Art Movements and Their Impact. Retrieved from: https://www.invaluable.com/blog/art-history-timeline/TAG. (2012, January 20). Why Study Art from the Past? The Met. Retrieved from: https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/teen-blog/renaissance-portrait/blog/studying-art-from-the-past Nieves, M. (2017, January 5). History of Art: Asian Art. Envatotuts+. Retrieved from: https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/art-history-asian--cms27815#:~:text=The%20Evolution%20of%20Asian%20Art&text=History%20marks%20the%20beginning%20with,carved%20walls% 20and%20stone%20statues
Pulp Fiction: Does it hold to its cult following?
Maslin, J. (1994, September 23). Quentin Tarantino's Wild Ride On Life's Dangerous Road. From The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/23/movies/film-festival-review-pulp-fiction-quentin-tarantino-s-wild-ride-life-sdangerous.html
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POLITICS & WORLD EVENTS
Dubai’s Missing Princess Sheikha Latifa, Dubai’s princess, has said she is preparing to flee from her country.
Corona Vaccine Pfizer vaccine was released; AOC, Biden, and other representatives have taken it.
America-China trade war Biden has named Katherine Tai as U.S. Trade Representative
Protection of the Amazon
Trump Pardons Michael Flynn
Trump’s fighting election
Biden has taken steps to mobilize countries and private sectors to protect the Amazon.
Trump is protecting Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying about contracts with Russia. Democrats are calling it crooked and an abuse of power.
Trump has forcefully rejected the results of the presidential election, despite the recounts in Georgia and Wisconsin.
HEADLINES WE COULDN'T COVER 23
WHO IS KAMALA HARRIS?
page 25-26
FEMICIDE IN LATIN AMERICA
page 27-28
HONG KONG PROTESTS
page 29-30
BEIRUT EXPLOSIONS
page 31-34
FARMERS PROTEST IN INDIA
page 35-37
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WHO IS KAM
written by Nivi Chozhan | edited by Uday Lingampalli, Harvi K
CHILDHOOD
Born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland, California, Kamala Devi Harris brought joy to her parents, Donald and Shyamala Gopalan Harris. From a young age, Harris has seen the injustice within her community and dreamt of being a leader. Brought up in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Oakland, Harris was brought up observing civil rights demonstrations. Since her childhood,
political instincts had been installed in her, and she knew that she wanted to make an impact in America. According to Harris, she states, “I grew up with a stroller-eye view of the civil rights movement, and often I joke that as a child, I was surrounded by adults marching and shouting for this thing called justice.� Sadly, at the age of seven, her parents divorced. Kamala, her younger sister, and their mother moved to Canada, where she learned to speak some French. She showed interest in leadership by organizing a protest to allow neighborhood kids to play on a building owner's lawn.
EDUCATION
Kamala Harris attended NotreDame-des-Neiges, a French-speaking primary school, and later, in 1981, she graduated from Westmount High School in Westmount, Quebec. Fast forward a couple of years, Harris attends Howard University in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she was elected to the liberal arts student council, all while joining the debate team to receive both degrees. By the end of her college career, Kamala Harris had a double major in political science and economics. She then continued to enroll in the University of California, Hastings College of the Law,
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where she Doctor) in 19
CAREE
In 1990, the State B started to politics and deputy distr County. By managing a Criminal Uni District Atto of 2000, sh Community Division, all w Bureau of career was f lot of achiev campaign ple implement a member who a police offic In Nove election aga District Atto became Cali Which mad American an be elected. about helpin out of th settlement f largest inst mortgage pra
MALA HARRIS?
Karatha, & Neve Walker, | art & layout by Sahithi Lingampalli
earned her J.D. (Juris 89.
ER
after being admitted into Bar of California, Harris pursue her interest in began her career as a rict attorney in Alameda y 1998, she was the attorney of the Career it in the San Francisco rney's Office. By the end he was the chief of the and Neighborhood while she established the Children’s Justice. Her lourishing, and she held a vements for adhering to a edge. She had refused to death penalty for a gang o had killed Isaac Espinoza, cer. ember 2010, she won an inst Los Angeles County orney Steve Cooley and ifornia’s attorney general. e her the first African nd South Asian woman to She upheld her remarks ng the nation and pulled he negotiations for a from the country’s five titutions for improper actices. She eventually
scored a twenty million dollar payout in 2012, which was also five times the originally proposed figure for her state. In addition to this remarkable act, she officiated the first same-sex marriage in California in 2013. Furthermore, she continued a legal pursuit against Backpage, which led to the CEO to plead guilty for facilitating prostitution and money. Harris was then appointed to the Senate after she defeated Loretta Sanches for a seat from California. She is the first South Asian American and second African American woman to serve in the Senate.
2020 ELECTION
On January 21, 2019, Harris announced that she was running for President of the United States. She joined Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand to push for the 45th President of the United States of America. She stood out as one of the highest Democratic polls even though she admitted to smoking substances and was confronted on various topics. Noticing that she wasn’t gaining enough popularity, she ended her presidential campaign but went on to become Joe Biden’s running mate in his ultimately successful 2020 presidential campaign. Kamala Harris is now the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to be nominated and become the Vice President.
Year in
REVIEW Movements
May 26: George Floyd Protests BLM (Black Lives Matter) Anti-lockdown Anti-masks LGBTQ+ Climate change Fourth-wave feminism Pro-life vs. prochoice Harry Styles (clothing controversy) Indian Farmers protests
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written by Neve Walker edited by Harvi Karatha & Taruni Manam
femicide in la
Femicide is a pressing issue throughout the world and is especially serious in Latin America. The definition states that femicide is violence against women: it ranges from verbal harassment and emotional/verbal abuse to physical or/and sexual abuse, and the killing of women. Femicide involves the intentional murder of women based on their gender and it does include any killings of women and girls. There are many different types of femicide. Intimate femicide is femicide committed by current or former partners of the woman. An ongoing study by WHO and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine shows that more than 53% of all murders of women globally are committed by an intimate partner. On the other hand, men had only 5% of murders committed by an intimate partner. Pregnant women are the most susceptible to intimate femicide. Another type of femicide is murders in the name of honor. Honor-related murders involve a girl or woman being killed by a male or female family member for a sexual or behavioral transgression like adultery, sexual intercourse, pregnancy outside marriage, or even being raped.
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Perpetrators see this femicide as a way to protect their family’s reputation. An estimated 5000 murders in the name of honor occur each year worldwide. Dowry-related femicide occurs in areas of India, which involves the killing of a newly married woman by in-laws over conflicts related to the dowry. A dowry is wealth or gifts that come with marrying a bride. An estimated 25,000 women get killed or maimed each year because of dowry-related violence. Non-intimate femicide is committed by someone without an intimate relationship with the victim.
atin america This type of femicide is also referred to as sexual femicide because sexual aggression is involved. This type of femicide is random, but it is specifically bad in Latin America.
Latin America is greatly susceptible to femicide. At least 400 women have been brutally murdered during the past decade in Ciudad JuĂĄrez, a city on the Mexico-US border. In 2008, more than 700 women were murdered in Guatemala; many of these murders preceded brutal sexual abuse and torture. The Human Rights Campaign reported more than 500 femicides per year in Guatemala since 2001. 4,555 women from 15 Latin American and four Caribbean countries have been victims of femicide in 2019. In five countries in Latin America (Barbados, Chile, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and Suriname), cases were only reported as femicide if it was committed by the victim's partner. The highest rates of femicide per 100,000 women in Latin American countries are Honduras (6.2), El Salvador (3.3), the Dominican Republic (2.7), and the Plurinational State of Bolivia (2.1).
layout by Inchara J. art by Stella Toscano
In February 2020, 25-year-old Ingrid Escamilla was murdered by her partner in Mexico. Days later, sevenyear-old Fatima Aldriguett Antón was tortured and killed. Both of these murders prompted thousands of protests outside Mexico's presidential palace to call for concrete government action against Mexico’s femicide epidemic. Protesters threw red paint onto the building and spray-painted the names of femicide victims on its walls. Because of the growing problem of femicide in Latin America and Mexico, Ingrid and Fatima were just victims. They never got the justice they deserve, just like many other women that get killed due to femincide. Every day in Mexico, ten women are killed on the basis of their gender. Fewer than 5% of those murders are solved and the justice system rarely presses charges. Femicide should not be normalized, and femicide should be prosecuted more heavily.
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HONG KONG PROTESTS SHOWDOWN
Written by Jacob Ricketts & Neve Walker Edited by Uday Lingampalli & Inchara J. Layout by Tristan Castro Art by Theto Tattala
Introduction Recently, in Hong Kong, the governing body of mainland China has arrested multiple pro-democracy protesters, including the prominent college student and pro-democracy activist, Joshua Wong. Along with protestors, pro-democracy government officials have been arrested, including Wu Chi-Wai, Leung Kwok Hung, and Eddie Chu. The Hong Kong Police Force had released an official statement regarding the recent arrests of government officials, saying that they had broken laws including organizing and taking part in an illegal assembly. China has called the protestors “thugs”, and has said that the protests were not really about democracy, but rather, “disguise”. The increase of arrests has worried many prodemocracy protesters, who assume they may be next in the list of people to be arrested. China has been cracking down on protests due to the fear that more demonstrations against the government continue. However,
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protests have recently stopped, due to fear of the spread of COVID-19, and along with that, the government of Hong Kong and China are also making it illegal to protest on the official date of the anniversary of the British handover this year. Despite the arrests, foreign countries, such as the United States, are taking action to stand with the prodemocracy protests. On Monday, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated, “Today, the Department of State is holding accountable those responsible for these brazen acts.” The sanctions were widely over many of the Chinese government officials approving the national security law, such as Wang Chen, who was also on Hong Kong’s top legislative body, the National People's Congress Standing Committee. This is just the latest act, as many countries
have already given their condemnation of the Hong Kong Police and the Chinese government’s crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
Protests in 2019 In 1998, Great Britain, who ruled Hong Kong at the time, returned Hong Kong to China. Because of this, the Hong Kong Handover Bill was created. In the Hong Kong Handover Bill, it was established that Hong Kong would be granted autonomy and independence from mainland China. China would be a “one country, two systems” arrangement, granting the people of Hong Kong more rights, however this bill has been violated by the Chinese government and the people of Hong Kong do not have the independence that was called for in this deal. Recently, Chinese protesting in Hong Kong began in June 2019 against plans to allow extradition to mainland China. This could undermine judicial independence and endanger dissidents. This extradition bill was withdrawn in September, after causing wave after wave of protesting and backlash. The protesting calls for a democratic reform of China, as well as an inquiry into police actions. Police and activists have become increasingly violent, with police firing live bullets and protesters attacking police. The extradition bill would allow for criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China under different circumstances.
This bill would give people from Hong Kong unfair trials and violent treatment as well as give the Chinese government a greater influence over Hong Kong. This bill could be used against activists and journalists. After thousands of people joined the several week protests, Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, eventually said that the bill would be suspended indefinitely. Fearing that the bill would be revived, protesters continued to call for the bill to be withdrawn completely. In September 2019, this bill was finally withdrawn. On October 1, 2019, China was celebrating the anniversary of 70 years of Communist Party rule, causing the most violent day of protesting. During this protest, an 18-year-old was shot in the chest. In early November, a proBeijing lawmaker was stabbed in the street, by a man pretending to be a supporter. A week later, a policeman shot a protester for making a blockade of the road with other protesters. Overall, these protests are calling for a democratic reform of China, and for the extradition bill, that was passed by the Chinese Government, to be withdrawn. Even though this bill was removed, there were still protests due to the anniversary of the communist party in China. These protests have gotten increasingly more violent as time went on. The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has said that any attempt to divide China would end in “bodies smashed and bones ground to powder”.
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The Beirut
The Beirut Explosion Wasn't an Unfortunat Lebanese Go It’s 6:00 p.m. on August 4, 2020, and a warehouse at the Port of Beirut is on fire. This is, of course, unusual, but not so much so that people stop what they’re doing to look at it. That is, until 7 minutes later when an explosion suddenly occurs, jolting people into alertness. Explosions aren’t uncommon in the Middle East, but when a blast the size of a truck bomb goes off, you can’t afford to be inattentive. Yet these are just some fireworks stored in the warehouse that were ignited, and people start to take a look at the scene. Local residents emerge onto their balconies, drawn by the crackles and flashes of the fireworks going off and unaware that in 33 seconds, their entire world would change. Then out of nowhere, they are blinded by the light, smoke, and dust from the cataclysmic detonation of ammonium nitrate which would become one of the defining events in Lebanese history.
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In moments, a mushroom cloud skyrocketed into the air, and the subsequent blast wave instantly blew through the Greater Beirut area, transforming a modern city into a war zone in a matter of seconds.. 204 people died that day, and 300,000 were left homeless.[1] The explosion was felt as far away as Cyprus, 160 miles (260 kilometers) over the Mediterranian Sea, and is the sixth most powerful artificial and unintentional non-nuclear detonation in human history. Yet while the explosion itself might have been unintentional, the actions that led to 2,750 metric tons of highly explosive material sitting in a burning building certainly were not, and this complete destruction of a nation’s largest city was absolutely preventable. Because while Lebanon’s government may try to show the world that it’s a symbol of stability and effectiveness in the Middle East, the truth is that they are not immune to the same issues of ethnic animosity and continual corruption that plague their neighbors.
Explosion
e Incident. It's the Latest Sign of a Failing overnment. Throughout the second half of the 70s and the 80s, Lebanon was engulfed in a chaotic civil war with at least four sides; each with foreign nations, local governments, and terrorist organizations fighting with them for control and vying for power. Lebanon has been a region of ethnic struggles for a very long time, with the Maronite Christians, Sunni, and Shia Muslims (among quite a few other groups) all trying to take control of the land for themselves, and neighboring nations of Syria and Israel took the opportunity to invade. Fifteen years of fighting led to the Taif Agreement between ethnic groups, which divided the government and gave parliamentary seats to specific groups of people. The leadership of the government was strictly divided, with the Prime Minister being required to be a Sunni Muslim, the Speaker of Parliament a Shia, and the President a Maronite Christian. But also included in the Taif Agreement was the idea that over the course of about three years, this extremely secular form of government would dissolve and the system would normalize.
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But this never happened. Quickly, political parties were established by cultural groups, and each took control over ministries in the government. Each group was left solely in control over each government division they were meant to take care of, leaving them with zero accountability. Inevitably, this led to the use of allocated funds for each ministry being used for the parties’ own desires and not towards the people. More and more corruption resulted in citizens paying high taxes and receiving terrible social services in return. For example, a study showed that Lebanon was spending 420 million US dollars a year on garbage disposal, a job controlled by the Sunnis, but Lebanon’s garbage crisis remained among the worst in the world.[2] While piles of waste lined the streets of Lebanese cities, the politicians blamed each other and the only money going anywhere was into their pockets.
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So when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate from an unscrupulous Russian vessel was suddenly placed into Lebanon’s hands, it isn’t a surprise that the situation was handled less than competently. The MV Rhosus was a ship owned by a Russian businessman that in 2013, was sailing from Georgia to Mozambique to deliver explosives for a mining company. Due to mechanical issues, it made a stop in Beirut, where further examination by port state control determined that the ship was unseaworthy and under international law, forbidden from setting sail. Because the sailors were Ukranian and did not have a visa to allow them to step onto Lebanese soil, they were forced to live on the ship for a year with the immense quantities of dangerous explosives on board, while Lebanese immigration officials ignored them until human rights lawyers filed suit.
The sailors returned home, the ammonium nitrate was moved into a warehouse, and the ship was left to sit in the port, where it would sink in 2018. Officials in most governments might have taken action over the substantial quantities of highly explosive material in the heart of their own country. For six years, that warehouse contained the material which would cause one of the greatest disasters and humanitarian crises of our time. But even when many informed people familiar with the situation warned that action needed to be taken, nobody in Lebanon removed the explosives. Until, of course, 2020, when a fire did that for them. The Beirut explosion wasn’t an isolated event. It was the latest, and most dramatic, in a series of occurrences that serve as demonstrations of where the Lebanese government has failed the people that it is meant to serve, but instead marginalizes and ignores.
And after what happened, the Lebanese people have had enough. While they pick up the pieces of their city and rebuild it literally, they also turn towards their so-called “leaders�, who have nothing left to say in defense. Soon after the explosion, prime minister Hassan Diab and his cabinet resigned and was eventually charged with negligence on December 10, along with other ministers who failed to do anything about the dangerous materials they were meant to handle. Various other government officials have resigned, been forced out of power, or indicted as a result of this inexcusable act. The people have united in the denouncement of the divisive system which created a disaster that killed and hurt people regardless of their race, gender, or class. Foreign leaders and adversarial groups alike all agree on the path that is right for the future.
It looks like, finally, change might be coming to Lebanon.
Written By
layout By
Yaj Jhajhria Edited By Taruni Manam & Hans Yang
Aathmika Radhachandran ART BY Sharon Pan
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Farmer Protest
Written by Kavya Guruna
Millions of people in India have been protesting new bills that are being passed by the Indian Parliament, changing the farming system in India. Farmers have taken to the streets in peaceful protest to get rid of these new bills. This protest is now the largest in the world with over 2.5 million people participating.
What are these bills? The farmers are protesting against two bills that were recently passed. The first bill is the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill. This bill allows the farmers to sell their produce directly to private businesses without having to go through the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) regulated markets. The APMCs are governmentcontrolled marketing yards, also known as mandis. So, the farmers have a greater say on who they want to sell their produce to and the price of the produce. The second bill is the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill. This bill allows farmers and buyers to strike a deal on the produce before the production happens. Both of these bills were passed by voice vote in both the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s parliament, and the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s Parliament.
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ts in India
ath & Manseerat Bachhal These bills were meant to open up India’s farming industry to private companies and allow farmers to participate more directly in India’s economy.
What are the farmers protesting? For decades, Indian farmers have had to go through the APMC to sell their crops. Farmers sold their goods through the APMC, which set minimum and maximum prices on essential produce. Some crops had guaranteed prices, which were used as a guide for farmers to make investments and decisions regarding their produce. The mandis that operated under the APMC law will be abolished due to this Act. Here is how this negatively affects the farmers:
1. Once these mandis are shut down, the farmers will be forced to sell the crop to corporate companies at a lesser price. 2. The minimum support price (MSP) might be put out of use. The MSP is a minimum price guarantee that acts as a safety net when prices fall during certain seasons. 3. Farmers could be exposed to fraud if people who don’t have any license or registration attempt to trick them. 4. They could struggle with meeting the minimum price when supply for a certain crop goes up in the market.
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How are the farmers protesting? Thousands of farmers from north India (Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana) marched towards New Delhi, India's capital, to protest against these bills. Delhi Police have used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse a group of farmers. Security has been strengthened at the border to block the commute of the farmers and discourage them from making attempts to enter Delhi. The police sought permission from the Delhi government to set up temporary jails.
How is the media completely ignorant? It’s the world's largest protest (2.5 million people) and yet it is not fairly covered by the national and international media. The media shows the ruling party's point of view that the farmers are smashing the barricades, littering the streets of Delhi. Though the ongoing situation is quite the opposite, with farmers cleaning the streets thoroughly, they even organize langars (communal free kitchens) for everyone, including protestors, homeless, needy people, local residents, and even the police who brutally beat them.
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How is it affecting the people to witness this protest? Imagine living without your parents, knowing they are out in the bitter cold without adequate clothing, and knowing that the police are doing “lathi charge”, or beating people with sticks, on your family members. It’s deeply affecting Gen Z watching the illegal way with which the people they care about are being mistreated. People have lost their faith in democracy. The farmers are worried about how they are going to feed their family if these bills are imposed, or how to raise their children without them having to witness all this. These protests are bringing to light the struggle of essential workers all across the globe, during this pandemic. Often, we take farmers and other essential workers for granted. It is now time to give them the respect they deserve.
Edited by Inchara J & Neve Walker Layout by Nivi Chozhan Art by Pahel Srivastava
REFERENCES WHO IS KAMALA HARRIS
Biography. (2020, November 8). Kamala Harris Biography. Retrieved from: https://www.biography.com/political-figure/kamala-harris Edelman, A., Shivaram, D., & Welker, K. (2020, August 12). Kamala Harris named by Joe Biden as his VP pick. NBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/joe-biden-selects-kamala-harris-his-running-mate-n1235771 Lerer, L. & Ember, S. (2020, November 10). Kamala Harris Makes History as First Woman and Woman of Color as Vice President. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/us/politics/kamala-harris.html Wikipedia. (2020, December 11). Kamala Harris. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris
FEMICIDE IN LATIN AMERICA
Femicide or feminicide. (2020, December 10). Gender Equality Observatory. Retrieved from: https://oig.cepal.org/en/indicators/femicide-or-feminicide Gilardi, J. (2020, October 10). Women protest for their lives: Fighting femicide in Latin America. Atlantic Council. Retrieved from: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/women-protest-for-their-lives-fighting-femicide-in-latin-america/ World Health Organization. (2012b). Femicide. Pan-American Health Organization. Retrieved from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77421/WHO_RHR_12.38_eng.pdf;jsessionid=1FDBEFB24E2F04BA75CD198F704922 51?sequence=1
FARMERS PROTEST IN INDIA
Ebrahimji, A. C. (2020, December 12). India farmers’ protests: Why you should care about thousands of people protesting. CNN. Retrieved from: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/11/world/farmer-protests-india-protests-hnktrnd/index.html First Post. (2020, December 16). Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: Sikh priest dies by su.. at Singhu border; in note calls govt action injustice. Firstpost. Retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/india/farmers-protest-live-updates-will-make-govtrepeal-agri-laws-farmers-unions-harden-stance-agitation-enters-day-219115931.html Kapur, M. (2020, September 21). Why are Indian farmers, politicians opposing Modi’s farm bills? Quartz India. Retrieved from: https://qz.com/india/1906404/why-are-indian-farmers-politicians-opposingmodis-farm-bills/ Mahaprashasta, A. A. (2020, December 12). Farmers’ Protests: With Emotional Appeal Running High, Modi Govt Has Lost the Plot. The Wire. Retrieved from: https://thewire.in/government/farmers-protest-emotional-appeal-running-high-modi-government-lost-plot News18. (2020, December 16). Farmers’ Protest LIVE Update: “Saint” Shoots Self at Singhu Border, Suicide Note Says He Could No Longer See. News18. Retrieved from: https://www.news18.com/news/india/farmers-protest-live-updates-farmers-harden-stancesay-will-make-govt-repeal-agri-laws-delhis-chilla-border-to-be-blocked-today-3181700.html The Hindu. (2020, November 30). Watch | Why are the farmers protesting? The Hindu. Retrieved from: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/watch-why-are-the-farmers-protesting/article33209299.ece The People’s Archive of Rural India. (n.d.). The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. People’s Archive of Rural India. Retrieved from: https://ruralindiaonline.org/library/resource/the-essential-commodities-amendment-act-2020/ Times Of India. (2020, December 16). Farmers stir live updates: Anti-Indian, feudalistic forces behind farmers’ stir, says Dharmendra Pradhan. The Times of India. Retrieved from: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/farmers-protest-live-updates-dec-16-2020live-blog/liveblog/79753055.cms
HONG KONG PROTESTS
BBC News. (2019, November 28). The Hong Kong protests explained in 100 and 500 words. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49317695 CBS News. (2020, December 8). Hong Kong police arrest 8 more as China widens crackdown on democracy advocates. Retrieved from: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hong-kong-police-arrest-8-more-as-china-widens-crackdown-on-democracy-advocates/ Ramzy, A. & May, T. (2020, December 8). U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Officials Over Hong Kong Crackdown. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/world/asia/hong-kong-china-us-sanctions.html
BEIRUT EXPLOSIONS
BBC. (2020, August 11). Beirut explosion: What we know so far. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53668493 Itani, F. (2020, September 23). How to fix Lebanon’s political crisis. Vox. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/world/21451455/beirut-port-explosion-lebanon-political-crisis-hezbollah
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TECH & DESIGN KFC's Game Console KFC launches a new game console that will keep your chicken warm
Among Nintendo Switch Popular game Among Us is now available on Nintendo Switch!
Dubsmash is sold!
Google's Lawsuits
Reddit is buying the popular TikTok-like app, Dubsmash, popular in many parts of Asia and around the world.
Lawsuits and tensions against Google and the trust in their privacy are increasing, mounting pressure on the company.
Big Tech
Samsung vs. Apple?
Big Tech (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, & Microsoft) are still under fire by governments, Europe threatens to break them up if they don't follow the new rules.
Samsung is deleting ads that mocked Apple's lack of a charger in their products.
HEADLINES WE COULDN'T COVER 39
DECK THE HALLS WITH BARRELS OF OIL
page 41-42
WASTE PLASTIC TO GRAPHENE?
page 43-44
WHY INSTAGRAMS LAST FEW UPDATES ARE UPSETTING USERS
page 45-46
LEAN, GREEN, AND SUSTAINABLE HYDROGEN MACHINES
page 47-49
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written by Maya Krolik
edited by
Kavya Gurunath, Inchara J., & Sahithi Lingampalli
barrels
With the pandemic canceling just about any, and every, social event during the holiday season, millions of people around the globe are turning to Christmas trees to save the festive spirit. But as people bustle into stores to buy gifts, trees, and ornaments, it is becoming clear that this will be a Christmas to remember. For one thing, some hospitals have decorated their facility’s trees with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), despite a growing shortage of the needed gloves, masks, and eyewear (Cost, 2020).
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DECK THE H
One thing that has not changed is the age-old question of whether plastic or real trees are better, and which is greener for the environment. Real trees have the benefit of being, well, real. They smell wonderful, and bring a little bit of the outdoors inside; something that many people after nine or so months of quarantine greatly appreciate. Their downside is they tend to make a mess and need to be re-bought every single year. And considering that, on average, a single fresh tree will emit 20 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) as it decomposes, it is easy to see how emissions may rise quickly (Ternouth, 2020). In addition, improper disposal of trees, such as dumping in landfills, actually increases carbon emissions. Preferred methods of disposal include
compo trees grew t
On While other buyers of cho clean look a Compa around produc decom more 2020) over w for a “green
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osting, burning, or sending the back to the company which hem.
the other side is the fake tree. these do not have any smell than plastic nor do they allow s to follow the typical tradition opping down a tree, they are and guarantee the same fresh ll year long. Yes, all year long. ared to real trees, they emit d 30 kg of CO in their ction and the following lengthy mposition, which is only 10 kg than real trees. (Ternouth, . A lot of disagreement exists what period of time is needed fake Christmas tree to be er� than a real one. Generally
Vrinda Gandhi
art by
Sharon Pan
speaking, 5-10 years is a good window to aim at for keeping your tree before discarding it. However, considering that it takes around 400 years for a small water bottle to decompose, one could only imagine how long it takes for a whole plastic tree to decompose (Farmers Almanac, 2020). To answer the question everyone has been waiting for, it depends. It depends on how long you want to celebrate Christmas and how you plan to dispose of your tree. If you only want a tree in the short term, maybe real is the way to go. If you feel you are going to celebrate Christmas with a decorated tree for a very long time and live with a larger family, investing in a fake tree just might be better.
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WASTE PLASTIC
Written by Sahithi Lingampalli & Han & Harvi Karatha * Layout by Arushi P Plastic pollution is a massive dilemma. Plastic is such a versatile material — it can be used anywhere. From medical equipment to car parts, it's everywhere. Even though coming up with a list of items where plastic can be used is easy, it’s hard to come up with a list of places plastic can go. Only 9% of plastic is recycled and repurposed (Parker, 2019). 79% of the remaining waste plastic can start off anywhere but will eventually land in the ocean (Parker, 2019). The average lifespan of plastic products are just a couple of minutes to hours — but they take centuries to decompose and leave our environment, according to National Geographic. Waste plastic only came with negative repercussions — until now. Rice University scientists have figured out a way to upcycle (reuse in a more useful way) plastic: turning it into graphene. Graphene is a recently uncovered material. It was first discovered in 1985 by scientists who came across it in a “buckyball” form; basically, a cage of carbon atoms, shaped like a football and containing 60 carbon atoms (Woodford, 2020). Its strength is remarkable — usually over fifty times
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the strength of steel (Woodford, 2020). Ranging from infinitesimal uses in today’s modern industry including as a conductor for electricity, an element in electronics as a touchscreen enhancer, or a material to study by scientists to find new properties, according to Explain That Stuff!. The atomic structure of graphene is also unique — it’s an extremely thin layer of honeycombed atoms. This contributes to graphene’s structural integrity and leads to the extremely useful trait of impermeability, the power to not let anything leak through, whether it be water, oil, or molecules. At an industrial scale, producing graphene from a ton of plastic waste only costs $125 for electricity. The relatively inexpensive cost makes it easier to combat plastic pollution and to try and reverse the negative toll it’s taking on the Earth. James Tour, a scientist working on graphene at Rice University, says, “Rather than recycling plastic into pellets that sell for $2,000
TO GRAPHENE?
ns Yang * Edited by Uday Lingampalli Patil * Art by Pahel Srivastavaa a ton, you could be upcycling to graphene, which has a much higher value. There's an economic as well as an environmental incentive” (Rice University). According to Tour, too much graphene isn’t a problem, since it takes centuries to reenter the carbon cycle. Graphene is still in testing though, and once researchers are completely sure about creating flash graphene (graphene that needs a short time to be created), it will revolutionize the way plastic waste affects our environment.
all plastic manufacturing (Parker, 2019). Also, graphene has a major issue in electric conductivity: not having a band gap, which means you can’t turn the conductor off. Stanford Advanced Materials reports that “scientists discovered that graphene features jagged edges, that can easily pierce cell membranes, allowing it to enter into the cell and disrupt normal functions.” All of these problems may hamper humanity’s best scientists’ attempts to replace the formerly magical plastic with alternatives.
Implementing graphene into the highly modernized world today would be a daunting task as the synthesis of such a vast amount would require substantial improvements in manufacturing. Graphene is known to have medium toxic levels (SaMaterials). Replacing plastic for water bottles and containers where consumption of edible material will occur may lead to some problems, since plastic bottles make up 75% of
All in all, graphene is a promising candidate for the next generation of container and commercial material manufacturing and may be the key for the chest that contains the final secret to stopping human pollution. Despite the logistic difficulties that scientists may face and society’s current turmoil, we must find a suitable alternative—whatever the cost.
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Written By Geethikaa Tarra Edited By Kavya Gurunath, Sahithi Lingampalli, & Hans Yang
Instagram’s algorithm has drastically changed in the past year, and while some users are happy, others are upset, and have decided to completely delete the app. The latest update has completely rearranged the layout of users’ homepages. There is now a “Reels” and “Shop” tab added to the homepage. The “Activity” page has been moved to the very top of your feed, near the “DMs” icon. One of the main turn-offs for users is the fact that their posts are not shown to all of their followers anymore. Instead, only 10% of your followers can actually see your posts. This number, however, will increase if users interact with the post by sharing, liking, or commenting.
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This is one of the reasons why you only see 2-3 new posts on your feed at a time, if in reality, 10 of your followers made a new post. In order to see more posts, you have to press the button “View Older Posts.”
So what does Instagram do with the remaining space on your feed? The app has a “Suggested Posts” feature. It promotes videos and posts of mutual friends, celebrities you may have searched for before, as well as topics of interest. The purpose of this feature is actually quite interesting
Instagram's Director of Product, Robby Stein thought it would help let many addicted users know that they are all caught up. Stein hoped it would help users be aware that they can put their time elsewhere, now that they know they’re caught up. The app uses previously collected data on the posts you have liked to personalize your feed to those topics of interest, be it makeup, certain influencers, food, or even memes.
Layout By Aathmika Radhachandran Art By Thejo Tattala
But while some of these updates seem excessive or upsetting, many updates are actually quite helpful, especially during hard times. Instagram recently announced a “Support Small Businesses” sticker. This allows users to mention a business directly and motivate others to purchase from or share the business with their followers.
Many users are also unaware that Instagram uses its data to push the people you DM more, or interact with often, to be the first people whose stories you view. In other words, the app is trying to push your favorite creators and users to be at the top of your feeds and stories, to help increase engagement.
Some users are enjoying the “Reels” feature on the app. This feature allows users to share 15-30 videos with their followers. Users have access to popular sounds, music, and dance trend audios. These posted videos can be seen on the “Explore” page and the “Reels” page. At first, there was a large controversy about it being a “knock off TikTok.” But for others, they could have the experience of TikTok without having to download the app. But Instagram has a special algorithm on Reels. After conducting some research, it is easy to see that TikTok videos reposted on Reels tend to do worse than videos filmed directly on the Reels feature.
In the end, whether you like the app or not, Instagram is trying its best to keep users satisfied, support businesses, and provide a platform to share your experiences with others. Keep an eye out for their next update folks! Until next time!
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Lean, Green, &
SUSTAINABLE
HYDROGEN
MACHINES Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe. Found in the Sun, other stars, and the gas planets in our solar system, hydrogen is an obvious option for fuel in an age of increased global warming. Even though hydrogen is found naturally on Earth, there are not large enough quantities to be produced cost-competitively (Robbins, J, 2020).
by hafiza samath & vanathi kanth
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On Earth, hydrogen is generally found in compounds with other elements. The most common elements are carbon (combined with hydrogen forms methane, CH4), and oxygen (combined with hydrogen forms water, H2O). To obtain pure hydrogen for industrial applications, it must be separated from the chemical elements to which it is bound (Robbins, J, 2020). It must be noted that 95% of hydrogen is produced either from wood or fossil fuels, such as natural gas and oil.
edited by kavya gurunath, taruni manam,
Year in
REVIEW Steam methane reforming, or SMR, is the most common method for producing hydrogen at large industrial scales. SMR causes the methane found in natural gas to react with steam, producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide undergoes further reactions generating more hydrogen and, crucially, carbon dioxide—a heattrapping, greenhouse gas (Veziroglu, T. N., & Nowotny, J., 2019). Fuel cell vehicles driven on SMR-sourced hydrogen are cleaner than their conventional counterparts. They produce even fewer emissions when methane comes from waste, not natural gas (Kluth, A.,2020). The enthusiasm about hydrogen has a concrete reason: the only “exhaust” it emits is clean water (Veziroglu, T. N., & Nowotny, J., 2019). Whenever hydrogen replaces fossil fuels, it will slow global warming. Hydrogen can be produced locally by various sources, eliminating the costs
& Sahithi Lingampalli
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Technology iOS 14 Space X international station first successful docking with crew Neuralink demonstrated on Pig subjects Race for COVID vaccine development and implementation Gaming Fall Guys Animal Crossing Among Us Social Media TikTok Charli D’Amelio Addison Rae Noah Beck Bella Poarch Chase Hudson YouTube James Charles TommyInnit Dream Youtube & Instagram Emma Chamberlain Twitch Tubbo
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of mining for fossil fuels or importing fossil fuels from outside countries. Hydrogen also has a sustainable production system if used in conjunction with renewable energy, i.e., wind or solar energy (Benefits of the Hydrogen Economy, n.d). This explains the worldwide race to dominate the various niches of a market projected by some banks to be worth trillions of dollars by 2050. European Commission VicePresident, Frans Timmermans, described “clean” hydrogen as “crucial” for the EU’s “green deal”, which targets net-zero emissions by 2050. This ambition has been bolstered by several European nations, most releasing hydrogen strategies of their own, some in the context of a “green recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic (Robbins, J., 2020). The IEA says challenges include high costs which make hydrogen uncompetitive today, with uncertainty over how costs will develop over time
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(Robbins, J, 2020). Especially in a time where economies around the world are struggling, high costs are a definitive deal-breaker in the global market, not to mention all of the production uncertainty. Scientists have estimated that the potential effects on climate from hydrogen-based energy systems would be much lower than those from fossil fuel-based energy systems (Kluth, A.,2020). However, such impacts will depend on the rate of hydrogen leakage during its synthesis, storage, and use. Realizing the reckless use of fossil fuels and heavy damage to the Earth’s atmosphere done by using today’s fueling systems, hydrogen fueling seems to be the best option for a sustainable future. Considering the cons, the introduction of a hydrogenbased system might not be the best idea during a worldwide pandemic and the next few years to come, but, inevitably, there is going to be a need for other fueling systems shortly and hydrogen seems like a viable option.
REFERENCES DECK THE HALLS WITH BARRELS OF OIL
Cost, B. (2020, December 9). Rockin’ around the PPE: Docs decorate with supplies amid COVID crisis. New York Post. Retrieved From: https://nypost.com/2020/12/09/doctors-decorating-their-christmas-trees-with-ppe/ (2020, December 3). How Long Until It’s Gone? Estimated Decomposition Rates of Plastics. Farmers’ Almanac. Retrieved From: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/how-long-until-plastics-decompose-34956 Ternouth, L. (2020, December 10). How green is your Christmas tree? Carbon emissions footprint of the festive season. Newshub. Retrieved From: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/12/how-green-is-your-christmas-tree-carbon-emissions-footprint-ofthe-festive-season.html
WASTE PLASTIC TO GRAPHENE?
Parker, L. (2019, July 1). A Whopping 91 Percent of Plastic Isn't Recycled. National Geographic. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/whopping-91-percent-plastic-isnt-recycled/ Parker, L. (2019, June 07). The world's plastic pollution crisis explained. National Geographic. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/plastic-pollution/ Rice University. (2020, October 30). Flash graphene rocks strategy for plastic waste: Rice University lab detours potential environmental hazard into useful material. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 10, 2020 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201030092250.htm Woodford, C. (2020, March 21). Graphene. Explain That Stuff! Retrieved from: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/graphene.html SaMaterials. (2014, March 27). Advantages and Disadvantages of Graphene. Retrieved from: https://samaterials.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-graphene/ (Stanford Advanced Materials) Parker, L. (2019, August 23). How the plastic bottle went from miracle container to hated garbage. National Geographic. Retrieved from: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/plastic-bottles/
WHY INSTAGRAMS LAST FEW UPDATES ARE UPSETTING USERS
Bojkov, N. (2020, December 11). New Instagram Updates and Features for Your 2020 Marketing Campaigns. Embed Social. Retrieved From: https://embedsocial.com/blog/new-instagram-features/ Warren, J. (2020, November 19). This is How The Instagram Algorithm Works in 2021. Later Blog. Retrieved From: https://later.com/blog/how-instagram-algorithm-works/
LEAN, GREEN, AND SUSTAINABLE HYDROGEN MACHINES
Benefits of the Hydrogen Economy. (n.d.). Hydrogen Energy Center. Retrieved From: https://www.hydrogenenergycenter.org/benefits-of-the-hydrogen-economy Kluth, A. (2020, November 8). How Hydrogen Is and Isn’t the Future of Energy. Bloomberg Opinion. Retrieved From: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-11-09/how-hydrogen-is-and-isn-t-the-future-of-energy-for-the-euchina-japan Robbins, J. (2020, November 5). Green Hydrogen: Could It Be Key to a Carbon-Free Economy? Yale E360. Retrieved From: https://e360.yale.edu/features/green-hydrogen-could-it-be-key-to-a-carbon-free-economy Veziroglu, T. N., & Nowotny, J. (2019, February). IMPACT OF HYDROGEN ON THE ENVIRONMENT. ResearchGate. Retrieved From: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331338059_IMPACT_OF_HYDROGEN_ON_THE_ENVIRONMENT
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SCIENCE New Coronavirus Mutation
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FDA approves Moderna Vaccine
A new strain of COVID-19 is spreading throughout the United Kingdom.
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the FDA for emergency use.
First Shipment of Pfizer Vaccines
New Earth-Sized Exoplanet discovered
Millions of Pfizer vaccines for COVID have been sent to all states in the country, and are being administered to healthcare workers and people in nursing homes.
The new planet has been dubbed “Pi� due to its 3.14day orbit.
First Noted Case of COVID-19 in a Wild Animal A mink in Utah was tested positive for COVID-19.
Neanderthal gene in some humans could cause increased severity of COVID-19 Researchers have identified genetic variants in people who have Neanderthal DNA, which could cause them to have a more severe case of coronavirus.
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SCIENCE BEHIND It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . . Did you sing that lyric in your head as you were reading it? Do the smells of nutmeg, cinnamon, and hot cocoa make you feel warm and cozy? Do you marvel at the Christmas lights that make the city glow? I know I do. The holidays mean snow, cozying up by the fire, and drinking hot chocolate. Okay, who am I kidding? I live in Southern California. There is no snow. Actually, it is 80 degrees outside today. It’s too hot for fire and too hot for hot chocolate. Instead, I ate ice cream today to cool myself down in the middle of winter. Despite all of that, I still feel happy the holidays are approaching. Already, I have begun to feel the Holiday Spirit, but, what about this time makes people feel the “Holiday Spirit? Is this spirit even real?
The holiday spirit does exist. In a study done by Researcher Brad Haddock, Christmas-related images were shown to two groups of people: one group which celebrates Christmas and one group which doesn’t. When the group of people who celebrated Christmas saw the images, the front portion of their brain lit up, proving that brain activity changes during the holiday time where there are Christmas decorations, holiday smells, and Christmas songs everywhere you go. There is a “holiday spirit network” in our brain which fires up during this time of year, causing a positive change in our emotions. Now, we have established the Christmas Spirit as real, but why is it that our brains light up at the thought of the holidays? The answer is simple:
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nostalgia. The between you memories. Ou across our bra are controlled named the hip senses is s memories wit are also trigge that you and chocolate eve together. You Christmas de everyone is h you smell ho senses will be family’s laught decorations a recall the fee felt. The smell tied to this me
ere is a direct link ur senses and your ur memories are spread ain’s sensory centers but d by a part of our brain ppocampus. If one of our stimulated, it evokes th other senses, which ered. For example, say your family drink hot ery Christmas morning u all laugh; there are ecorations everywhere; happy. Now, whenever ot cocoa, your other triggered. You hear your ter, see the Christmas around you, and you eling of happiness you of hot chocolate is now emory.
Gandhi
A visual stimulus, such as seeing holiday lights, can trigger other parts of the brain: the piriform cortex, which controls smell. These triggers will make you remember smelling holiday spices. Therefore, if you have strong memories from the past of celebrating Christmas and being happy. Then, your brain associates all the sensory stimuli present around the holidays, holiday lights, holiday spice smells, etc. with happy memories. This is what creates the feeling of joy we feel around the holidays, known as the Holiday Spirit. If our past memories of the holidays are associated with happiness, then we begin to look forward to the happiness of the holiday season. There are various reasons as to why we feel the holiday spirit, including looking forward to a break from school or office, spending time with family, celebrating a religious festival, associating these events with happy memories, etc. For everyone, except for the occasional Grinch, the holidays are a time to unwind and take a break from our hectic lives to relax and unwind. The holidays are a time to create new memories that we will one day look back on with happiness. So, whether you are feeling the holiday spirit or not, I wish you all the happiness this holiday season, and here’s to, hopefully, a better year than the last one! Happy Holidays!
Year in
REVIEW
Music Billie Eilish wins 5 Grammys Be Happy by Dixie D’Amelio WAP by Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion Therefore I Am by Billie Eilish Savage by Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyonce Positions (album) by Ariana Grande Folklore (album) by Taylor Swift Evermore (album) by Taylor Swift Chromatica (album) by Lady Gaga Changes (album) by Justin Beiber MOTS 7 (album) by BTS ranks 1 on Billboard 200 BE (album) by BTS The Album (album) by Blackpink ranks 25 on Billboard 200 Life Goes On by BTS ranks 1 on Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. US charts Dynamite by BTS ranks 1 on Billboard Global 200 chart and maintains its position for 3 weeks
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In 2019, NASA astronauts, Christina Koch, Jessica Meir, and Andrew Morgan celebrated Thanksgiving with Russian cosmonauts, Aleksandr Skvortsov and Oleg Skripochka, and Italian astronaut, Luca Parmitano. The astronauts were still able to have Thanksgiving staples, such as green beans, potatoes, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, and cornbread dressing - just in a form fit for space. It’s also traditional to stream football games on Thanksgiving, and to take the day off to talk to loved ones here on Earth. For NASA astronaut, Shannon Walker, one of her favorite parts of celebrating on the ISS is sharing customs with her coworkers from other countries. Because the crew aboard the ISS are from many places across the globe, some of their traditions are slightly different. For example, in 2019, Christmas was celebrated twice: the traditional Christmas on the 25th of December, and Russian Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. Often,
Written by Shabdika Gubba
Edited by Uday Lingampalli & Kavya Gurunath Layout by Sierra Tan Art by Sanjna Mootakoduru
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Every year, while we celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s with our family, there are astronauts aboard the ISS (International Space Station) doing the same.
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astronauts also have to think far ahead for gifts - almost a year in advance. This is because gifts need to be brought up to the Space Station beforehand. The celebration of New Year’s is a bit different aboard the ISS, because, over the course of a day on the ISS, there are 16 sunrises and sunsets. The crew sticks to Greenwich Mean Time for consistency, but New Year’s is a big deal aboard the space station. New Year’s typically involves a large meal, a toast, and watching the Russian film “The Irony of Fate.”
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but they will make the best of the holiday season regardless. Another important part of the holidays is spending time with our families. While it’ is a bit hard to do that from space, all the astronauts take time off to talk with family members, via video conferencing. Of course, there are often messages sent to us here on Earth on behalf of the astronauts every holiday season, from the ISS Twitter account.
Walker; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut, Soichi Noguchi; and Russian cosmonauts Sergey KudSverchkov and Sergey Ryzhikov. Their traditions might may be slightly different from our way of celebrating, but they will make the best of the holiday season regardless. All of us here at the Affair Magazine wish everyone a happy holiday season, wherever you are!
Aboard the ISS this year, for the holiday season, there will be seven astronauts, the most ever on the ISS at once. The astronauts celebrating the holiday season from space this year are NASA astronauts, Kate Rubins, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and
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As children and teenagers, the way our development progresses is critical to our overall well-being in the future. The food we eat, our activity levels, and lifestyle choices set a precedent for body composition and our maintenance of healthy habits. When we are younger, however, such choices aren’t particularly ours to make. Many children simply eat the food that is provided to them by their guardians and may not be able to decide when and where they are able to squeeze physical activity. Our guardians are responsible for a big part of our development, but realistically, not all of our elders have access to nourishing food or safe places for physical activity. It’s no surprise that living in such conditions can impact our futures, but to what extent? Truthfully, the answer to this
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THE GL HEIGH
WRITTEN BY A EDITED BY KAVYA GURUNATH, H question is not as black and white as some may expect. Recent studies pertaining to the well-being of children in countries around the world have examined irregular data in their height and weight rankings. As of now, there is predicted to be a 20-centimeter height gap between children of varying nations, with signs pointing to long
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LOBAL T GAP
ARCHINI DESAI HARVI KARATHA, & HANS YANG acknowledged issues with nutrition. Some countries have experienced an uptick in average height over the years, such as China’s height ranking for 19-year old boys increasing 8 centimeters from 1985 to 2019. In contrast, other countries in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa have experienced decreasing or stagnant height and weight rankings over the years. According to the Imperial College of London, “...the average 19-year-old girl in Bangladesh and Guatemala (the nations with the world's shortest girls) is the same height as an average 11year-old girl in the Netherlands, the nation with the tallest boys and girls.� These emerging trends have been met with a fair warning by scientists, who express concern over the state of childhood nutrition among developing and developed countries. With a global nutrition crisis still ongoing, 47 million children just under the age of five are suffering from severe malnutrition (Masterson, 2020). Earlyonset of these conditions can cause life-long
battles with growth, learning development, and health issues. Symptoms of malnutrition, coupled with the prevalence of these health issues in countries where height and weight rankings are poor, are ultimately prompting scientists to attribute this gap to lack of proper nutrition. Yet even with global efforts to stop the crisis, countless children around the world continue to suffer from stunted growth and severe weight gain or loss. It is important to note that though malnutrition is not a sole contributor to height and weight discrepancies between nations, they serve as a major indicator that organizations should be dealing with the issue more critically. Organizations such as UNICEF and the World Food Program have been at the forefront of these efforts by gathering funds, working on health incentives, and establishing programs to raise awareness about nutrition issues. Similarly, upwards of 50 countries around the world have begun to offer food vouchers, rations, and cash transfers, to aid children and families subject to poverty or financial distress. With the future of childhood nutrition being uncertain, it is up to the world as a whole to support those that are disadvantaged and counter preventable ailments stemming from malnutrition. This new finding on disparities between height and weight rankings between countries is only one warning of the many that should be heeded by world leaders.
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written by Inchara J.
edited by
Edited by Uday Lingampalli, Shabdika Gubba, Taruni Manam
Going to space and bringing material from celestial objects isn’t easy, even from the closest object to Earth there is-- the Moon. But China did it. Recently, China conducted a mission, bringing back samples from the moon with Chang’e-5. Named after a moon goddess, the spacecraft is one of four active moon crafts from China. The craft drilled into the moon, collected samples, and is returning to Earth, giving scientists new material to use and extra material to explore. China could also have a Mars mission coming up, and what does this mean for them?
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C HI N A ’ S S U C C E S BROUGHT BACK M T HE M O O N - - D T HE Y C A N D O
SSFU L M ISSI ON M A TE R IA L FR OM D O E S THIS M E A N IT FO R M A RS?
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Evelyn Chen. Chang’e-5 successfully collected two kilograms of lunar material, dug up by drilling into the lunar surface. Because Chang’e-5 is solar-powered, the spacecraft had to get its work done within two weeks. This is because the “dark side” (the part of the moon that humans have never explored) is quite literally uncharted territory. Since one day on the moon is roughly 29 Earth days, half a day is about two weeks, and those two weeks is the part of the day filled with light. China created a spacecraft, sent it to the moon, had to fulfill a tight deadline, collected some samples, and is now looking forward to exploring the lunar material. This mission set quite a few milestones for China. Not only did they collect impressive amounts of lunar material, but they also planted their first cloth flag on the lunar surface. Aside from that, two days after collecting the samples, Chang’e-5 delivered them to an ascent spacecraft and that spacecraft is now returning to Earth, marking the first robotic lunar material sendoff ever. The samples will stay in orbit for about a week, but scientists expect them to return by the end of the year, a rare example of something going right in 2020
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The samples are from an area of the moon named Mons Rükmer, formed about 1.2 billion years ago. This is relatively young, and scientists hope to find out why this area of the moon was geologically active with what one may call lunar volcanic eruptions at this time. Obviously, this mission also helps prepare for the inevitable mission of sending more humans to explore the moon. If scientists can learn more about the moon than they do now, the possibilities for new missions are endless. But how does this mission relate to Mars?
China has another spacecraft, a rover, Tianwen-1, going to Mars. Scheduled to land in time with Perseverance and Saudi Arabia’s “Hope” orbiter, the countries aim to figure out much more about the red planet. One thing must be clear: This isn’t a space race. The world does not want and is not going to get, a repeat of the 1950s. Furthermore, scientists are hoping for humans to land on Mars in 2030, but until then, space programs are perfecting their more realistic, unmanned goals.
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Given that China managed to perform the very first purely robotic lunar mission, scientists presume that they will be able to do it for Mars in time. This means bigger samples arriving quicker, with no risk of losing a human life. It sounds ideal, but there are consequences. The space around the Earth and Moon are already filled with space junk, so much so that the possibility of a mini-moon made of space junk, is heading towards us. Space organizations are working on clearing the space junk up, but until the atmosphere is safer, and scientists know more about the unknown, there won’t be any manned missions to Mars. However, the rovers America and China have sent to Mars are expected to pick up lots of info and cause breakthroughs that will help humans further explore space. The fact that China conducted a non-human mission to the Moon means that they, and other organizations, will try (and hopefully succeed) in doing another one to Mars.
REFERENCES Hopkin, M. (2004, May 13). Link proved between senses and memory: Nature News. Nature.com. Retrieved from: https://www.nature.com/news/2004/040524/full/04052412.html#:%7E:text=The%20key%2C%20the%20researchers%20claim,other%20senses%20are%20also%20triggered. Olito, F. (2019, December 19). Experts say holiday cheer and the Christmas spirit are real — here’s the evidence. Insider. Retrieved from: https://www.insider.com/holiday-cheer-science-201811#:%7E:text=Around%20the%20holidays%2C%20many%20people,proving%20the%20holiday%20spirit’s%20validity.
Strickland, A. (2020, November 26). This is how astronauts celebrate Thanksgiving and other holidays in space. CNN. Retrieved from: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/26/world/nasa-astronauts-holidays-space-scn-trnd/index.html. Cutway, A. (2020, November 24). Out of this world ways astronauts celebrate holidays in space. ClickOrlando. Retrieved from: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/space-news/2020/11/10/out-of-this-world-ways-astronauts-celebrate-holidays-in-space/
Imperial College London. (2020, November 05). Poor nutrition in school years may have created 20 cm height gap across nations. Science Daily. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201105183840.htm Masterson, V. (2020, November 26). Poor diets may to be blame for 20cm height gaps among children, study says. World Economic Forum. Retrieved, from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/children-height-gap-nutrition-study/
Mann, A. (2020, December 10). China's Chang'e 5 mission: Sampling the lunar surface. Space.com. Retrieved from: https://www.space.com/change-5-mission.html Friedman, L.D. (2020, December 2). Op-ed | China, the moon, Mars, and beyond — an opportunity for human cooperation. SpaceNews. Retrieved from: https://spacenews.com/op-ed-china-the-moon-mars-and-beyond-an-opportunity-for-human-cooperation/
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lifestyle
holiday traditions around the world
motivation vs selfdiscipline
easy holiday diy gift ideas
tiramisu cake recipe
articles in this section
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holiday traditions around the
world
page 65-68
motivation vs self-discipline
page 69-70
easy holiday diy gift ideas
page 71-72
how to make tiramisu cake
with baking tips
page 73-75
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holiday tr December: the month of beloved holidays around the world. From Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa, these holidays are celebrated endlessly during this time of year. Let’s explore some of them to get a feel of how cheery December can be! christmas
The classic holiday that many children in European countries, America, and many other countries think of when referring to the December holidays. While celebrating the birth of Jesus, Christians everywhere celebrate in a variety of ways, some, but not limited to, hanging ornaments on a tree, leaving cookies for their patron Santa (Saint Nick), and leaving stockings above the fireplace. The fables and traditions associated with Christmas, however, are different all around the world.
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In Germany, a common practice for Christmas is the use of advent calendars. Usually filled with little treats such as chocolate or pictures, the children in Germany look forward to opening the flap that reveals the treat for that day. They also use wreaths made of pine and colored candles for each Sunday of December.
france
In France, a special cake called “Buche de Noël” is baked (also done in Belgium) and yule logs (cherry logs) are decorated to represent the literal name of the cake. A log. In other parts of France, the Christmas feast consists of 13 deserts and Nativity figures are created and sold. In France, Santa Claus is called Père Noël and is not left with cookies and milk by the children, unlike in America. However, some families will leave a glass of wine out for the gift-giver. Along with this, the children usually leave shoes in the place of stockings and Père Noël will leave treats in them for the good children.
raditions
he world hanukkah
Hanukkah is a holiday celebrated by the Jewish community. By lighting 8 candles from December 10th to December 18th, this holiday is festive and its customs involve spinning dreidels. It is also known as the Festival of Lights (not to be confused with Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights.) Since the festival is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid empire, the festivities include dancing, singing, and spending time with loved ones.
iran
In Iran, Hanukkah is celebrated with dancing, food, songs, and games. Particularly looking at food, deep-fried morsels are popular. With donuts, potato pancakes, and sweets, Hanukkah in Iran is especially festive and people take their time to enjoy the holiday. Along with this, singing, dancing, and playing games are common things to do during Hanukkah.
israel
Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah in Israel does not consist of gift-giving. Like in Iran, latkes (the potato pancakes) and donuts are made. Kids usually have fun with their families and spin dreidels around while playing games. Keeping the tradition of lighting the Menorah, Hanukkah will always be a holiday to spend with family members and loved ones.
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kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a holiday celebrated by Africans all over the world. Similar to Christmas and Hanukkah, candles (specifically 7 and called a kinara) are lit for each day. While Kwanzaa celebrates African culture and heritage, the traditions around the world are different everywhere. Including gift-giving and feasts, Kwanzaa is a time for family members and loved ones to come together and celebrate and take pride in their amazing heritage.
kenya
Kwanzaa in Kenya includes many traditional activities such as drumming, singing, dancing, reading the African Pledge and Principles of Blackness, and reflecting on the heritage, history, and culture of Africa, along with celebrating who they are. The name Kwanzaa means “first fruit” in the language of Swahili and a special candle holder named “kinara” is used.
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united states
In the United States, the celebration of Kwanzaa is still as festive as it is in Kenya, but with more Western touches. As families connect, and loved ones spend time together, the traditional feast is sometimes replaced with other foods, such as mac and cheese, yet still served with traditional touches. The African Pledge and Principles of Blackness are still read, and the families who celebrate Kwanzaa in America take time to appreciate their heritage and enjoy their time with their families.
No matter where you are in the world, celebrating holidays should be a way to connect with friends and family. So enjoy some food, hang out with some friends (online, of course), and enjoy your time with family. The world must cheer up this year since COVID-19 has brought everyone’s mood down. Even if you don’t celebrate any holidays this season, curl up with some hot cocoa, bingewatch your favorite shows or read some books. Cheer up this holiday season and get ready for next year!
written by inchara j. edited by arushi patil, emily york, & taruni manam layout by inchara j. art by sharon pan
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W rit t La en b Ar yout y T a tb y P by A runi M r ah el ushi ana Sr iva Pati m sta l va Imagine that you have a long-term goal. Maybe you already have one! Many people are aware that to fulfill a long-term goal, one needs to take small steps, many of which require either motivation or self-discipline. Motivation is the friend who helps at the most random of times. Although she is fun and energetic and will impose energy onto you, she is not reliable. Self-discipline is the friend you have known for years, the one who will always answer your calls for help. She has a sense of direction and regulation and enforces her organized lifestyle onto you. Although selfdiscipline is not always fun, deep down, you know that you need her. Going back to your goal, let’s say that, to work towards the goal, you rely solely on motivation. This will most likely mean that your goal will take an immense amount of time to achieve because you would only work when you feel motivated. Alternatively, suppose that you only use selfdiscipline to work on your goal,
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SELF DIS suggesting that you will force yourself to do every task. Forcing yourself for long periods will make you feel like you are constantly battling your brain, leading to the psychological phenomenon called decision fatigue. This phenomenon occurs when a person makes too many decisions and exhausts their brain because, when you force yourself to do a task, you are constantly battling your mind. This battle goes on between the part of your brain that wants to complete a task and the part that does not want to. Even if you rely on self-discipline, and force yourself to take every step, once you achieve the goal, instead of feeling satisfied, you will feel drained and will realize that although you spent so much time towards this goal, you ultimately do not feel good about yourself.
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SCIPLINE Instead of relying solely on motivation or self-discipline, you should incorporate both into your life; however, you should maximize your level of motivation and minimize your need to rely on self-discipline. Feeling motivated is tough, as you do not always feel a spontaneous burst of energy, which then requires you to find things that you love to power you through the day. If your goal is to eat healthily, no one will expect you to eat a salad everyday. Instead, try searching for some recipes online that are not only healthy but also filling and tasty. If your goal is to be productive, then the first step would be to design a morning routine that will make you want to get out of bed and dive into your day. Cook a delicious breakfast, or save time
by Sa Em Sa mi hi th ily t i L Y, a P an & in di ga t, mp all i
to exist amongst nature. Do not be afraid to experiment! Remember to be curious about yourself, just like you are curious about the world around you, and understand your mindset. Sometimes you will not want to do certain tasks in the morning, so try them in the afternoon. When you try a new procedure, track how you feel with a journal, and once a week, go through your experiments, and reflect on how you felt throughout the week. Motivation and self-discipline are both needed to achieve a goal; however, you cannot rely on your short-lasting motivation or your exhausting self-discipline. Design your life in a way where you can use your motivation as much as possible and reduce your reliance on self-discipline.
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written by Sanjna Mootakaduru edited by Arushi Patil, Inchara J, Samita Pandit, & Taruni Manam
easy holida y Y I D Layout by
Vrinda Gandhi
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1 DIY Decorative Mugs
Maybe you’re in need of a lastminute holiday gift, or you just didn’t have the extra cash to give a loved one a gift over the holidays. No matter what the issue is, here are some great and simple gift ideas you can make to celebrate your loved ones this holiday season!
art by Stella Toscano
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Mugs are a great gift, especially during the holiday season when everyone’s craving some hot chocolate by the fire. For this DIY, you’ll need a plain mug (you can easily find one online), and some acrylic paints. Start by cleaning the surface of your mug to make sure the paint comes on easily. Next, think about a design. It could be something meaningful to you or the person you’re gifting the mug to, or maybe a generic quote about coffee or the holidays. It may help to search the internet for inspiration. Next, carefully paint out the design on the mug, and there you have it! An easy but largely useful gift! If you want the design to last long, it would be a good idea to use Mod Podge to seal the paint on the mug.
2
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DIY Decorative Mugs
Candles are some of the most c gift items, but wouldn’t it be better if you could customize nes you gave to people? That’s we’ll be doing in this DIY! For this you will need a large unscented e (you can find a good one at dollar store), a wick (amazon is best place to go!), and if you’d ood coloring and essential oils olor and scent. First, take the and put some glue on the m of it and adhere it to the m of the jar you’ve selected to your candle. Wrap the excess around a pencil to ensure that it center when you pour the wax he jar and balance the pencil on op of the jar. Then, melt the ented candle. If you want to d up the process, you can put a illed with water over the stove ut the candle into a bowl on top e pot. While the wax is still d, take a couple of drops of the coloring and essential oils that may want to use, and don’t be to go a little heavy on the ntial oil. The more wax you have, more essential oils you’ll want to Next, while pulling the wick ht, pour the wax mixture into the e. You may want to ask for one else’s help for this part it can be challenging to do both nce. Even after all the wax is ed, continue to hold the wick ht for just a little longer, at least
until the wax becomes slightly more opaque. Then, cut the wick to size if necessary and you’re all done with an awesome and affordable customizable candle.
3 DIY Tote Bag
Tote bags are cute during any season and make for great gifts, but like all things, they would be even cooler customized. For this DIY you will need a plain canvas tote bag, a clipboard or a sturdy board you don’t mind potentially getting paint on, and some acrylic paints. All you have to do is slide your clipboard or whatever surface you have inside your plain canvas tote, directly under where you want the design/words to be. Next, take a pencil and trace out your design if you want. Lastly, paint on your design and let it dry. It would be awesome and very thoughtful to give a friend a tote with their name or initials on it! Since the holiday season is all about spreading love, we think customized DIY gifts are the way to go since they show you care because you’ve put time and effort into them. We hope that you’ve enjoyed these tutorials and are willing to try them out and that these gift ideas leave your loved ones feeling warm this holiday season! If you do, put a picture on your Instagram story and tag us @theaffarmag!
Year in
REVIEW Deaths Jan 26: Kobe Bryant Mar 13: Breonna Taylor Apr 29: Irrfan Khan Apr 30: Rishi Kapoor May 25: George Floyd Jun 14: Sushant Singh Rajput July 8: Naya Rivera July 17: John Lewis Aug 28: Chadwick Boseman Sept 18: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Oct 6: Eddie Van Halen Oct 31: Sean Connery Nov 8: Alex Trebek Nov 28: David Prowse Dec 10: Brandon Bernard
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Tiramisu Cak Ingredients for the Sponge Cake: 60g flour 60g sugar 2 eggs 1/2 tsp baking powder
Ingredients for the Mascarpone Filling: 200 g mascarpone 100 g + 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided 2 eggs 50 ml coffee (cold, 2 tsp sugar added, preferably espresso) 2 tsp cocoa powder
Materials: Springform 9-inch pan Hand-mixer Oven Glasses (to serve the mini cakes)
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Procedures for th 1. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. 2. Separate the 2 egg yolks from egg whites, keep the whites. (You can use store-bought egg whites, though natural eggs give the best result) DO NOT THROW OUT THE YOLKS. 3. Beat the egg whites for 3 minutes at medium-high speed until soft peaks are formed, or the texture is transitioning to soft and foamy and there are slightly pointed peaks in the mixture. 4. Mix in the sugar constantly at medium speed in little amounts. This way, the soft peaks can stiffen and the sugar is completely dissolved. Then, at the same speed, add in the egg yolks individually, so the mixture can be smooth without grainy sugar or lumpy egg yolks. Avoid over-mixing (which is when the batter becomes clumpy and the air bubbles escape). 5. Once you have the desired texture, sift the flour and baking soda into the mixture. This means putting the powder through a sieve in order to separate lumps and produce a fine powder.
ke Recipe
he Sponge Cake:
Written by Thejo Tattala
6. Once the powder is sifted, gently fold it into the mixture using a spatula (preferably rubber for easier handling). Fold in the powder using a circular motion to bring the mixture to the center. Keep folding until there are no lumps and the powder is completely mixed. BE GENTLE and do not fold quickly or forcefully because that will remove too much air from the mixture. 7. Use a springform pan (9-inch diameter). Coat the pan with non-stick spray or line it with parchment paper. 8. Pour the batter in and bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes--or however long it takes for the center to be completely cooked. You can check if the center is cooked by poking a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, without any batter stuck to it, the cake is completely baked. DO NOT OVERBAKE. The cake should be soft. 9. After removing the cake from the oven, flip the cake over and let it cool to room temperature. The texture should be soft and fluffy, like a sponge (hence the name sponge cake)
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Procedures for the Mascarpone Filling: 1. Separate the 2 egg whites from the egg yolks 2. Once again beat the egg whites until they form into stiff, glossy peaks at medium-high speed. You can add 1.5 tsp of sugar WHILE BEATING to ensure sturdiness (optional). In a different container, add in the yolks one at a time, and then the 100 grams of sugar while beating at high speed for 3-4 minutes. The texture should be smooth with the sugar completely dissolved. Add the mascarpone and mix until smooth and uniform. 4. Add half of the egg whites and fold. Once folded, add in and fold the remaining egg whites.. The final texture should be light and smooth. Make sure the espresso coffee is room temperature. If you are not using espresso, use instant coffee or Italian style coffee, but make sure it is extra strong and very sweet.
Presentation 1. Make sure you have the measurement of the glasses you are using. Use the same diameter to cut out the cakes from the larger sponge cake. (You can use a cookie cutter for exact measure if not approximate.) If your cake is larger than the glass, you can use a knife to neatly trim the sides in the shape of your glass to fit inside. You can also use the edges of the glass itself to cut the cake. 2. Place one piece at the bottom of the glass and soak it in espresso (pour espresso on the hard or rough areas of the cake, and if there are no rough spots, pour a thin layer of coffee to soak. 3. Place a layer of mascarpone cream that is half the height of the cake layer. Spread it evenly along the surface of the cake. 4. Repeat the layers until the glass is full. 5. Sift the cocoa powder onto the top for an extra flavor and garnish. 6. Enjoy!
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Edited by Arushi Patil, Emily
Layout by Nivi Chozhan
York, & Samita Pandit
Art by Thejo Tattala
references
holiday traditions around the
world Toast, S. (2020, December 5). Christmas Traditions Around the World. How Stuff Works. Retrieved from: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/christmas-traditions-around-the-worldga6.htm Christmas in France. (n.d.) Why Christmas. Retrieved from: https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/france.shtml Hanukkah Celebration in Iran. (n.d.) Surfiran. Retrieved From: https://surfiran.com/how-is-hanukkah-celebrated-in-iran/ Belmaker, G. (n.d.) How Israel Celebrates Hanukkah. Moon. Retrieved from: https://www.moon.com/travel/arts-culture/hanukkah-in-israel/
how to make tiramisu cake
with baking tips Author Eva | Electric Blue Food, et al. “Tiramisu in a Glass • Electric Blue Food - Kitchen Stories from Abroad.” Electric Blue Food - Kitchen Stories from Abroad, 30 Sept. 2020, electricbluefood.com/tiramisu-glass/. Eva, Author, et al. “Easy Sponge Cake Recipe • Electric Blue Food - Kitchen Stories from Abroad.” Electric Blue Food - Kitchen Stories from Abroad, 10 Aug. 2020, electricbluefood.com/easy-sponge-cake-recipe/.
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opinion Should we cut off friends for political differences?
Should all states adopt rankedchoice voting systems?
Is the phrase "body goals" toxic?
ARTICLES IN THIS SECTION 77
Should we cut off friends for political differences?
page 79-82
Should all states adopt rankedchoice voting systems? page 83-86
Is the phrase "body goals" toxic?
page 87-91
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SHOULD WE CUT OFF FRIENDS
f o r p o l iti c a l D IF F E R E N C E S?
LAYOUT BY SAHITHI LINGAMPALLI ART BY EVELYN CHEN
yes.
WRITTEN BY NEVE WALKER EDITED BY EMILY YORK, CINDY ZHANG, & HANS YANG Being friends with people with different political opinions can be difficult to manage, especially during the last few years. As we get older, it's harder to ignore key differences of opinions between friends. Politics is not like your birthstone or what music type you like. Your political affiliation and who you support say everything about who you are and what you value. Whether you support Biden or Trump, it is important to understand what each candidate supports and what they intend to do. Instead of following in your parents’ footsteps, you need to go out on your own and think for yourself. In my opinion, there is a difference between being a Republican and being a Trump supporter. Republicans are educated and less ignorant whereas I see Trump supporters (meaning the ones that make it their personality) as racist, arrogant, and
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uneducated. Even though not every Trump supporter is racist, they support Trump’s racist plans and actions, like building a wall to keep Mexicans out. People should support people who share their values, which means if you support Trump, then you also support his values. I have multiple friends who are Republicans who don't support Trump, and we are still friends. However, I can’t stay friends with a Trump supporter, which is my personal choice. I choose to surround myself with people who share the same values I do. I believe that everyone should be born equal and that everybody should receive health care regardless of income. . I believe in a cleaner environment and supporting others rather than building barriers. I believe in a better world and a better America, and I cannot be friends with someone who believes in the opposite of that. Friends can come and go, so you shouldn't stay with a friend that you don't like. It's fine to be friends with people who are different from you,
but if you dont stand for their values and you can't look past them, then you shouldn’t be required to be friends. You are your own person, and if you want to cut people off for their political difference, then you can. Everyone is different and believes in different things, so if you can stay friends with someone who has different political beliefs than you, then you should. However, if you can't, then you should cut them off.
it depends. WRITTEN BY CINDY ZHANG EDITED BY EMILY YORK As this hectic year of 2020 closes in on its final days, not many Americans are feeling particularly celebratory. COVID-19 has significantly disrupted the lives of thousands, Congress is struggling to squeeze out a stimulus bill to people in need, a tense Georgia runoff election is nearing its end, and Donald Trump’s attempts to deny the election results have endured. Many Americans feel that we have entered an era of dangerous political strife— in fact, Google even auto-completes, “Will there be a civil war in 2020,” indicating that many are seriously unsure about whether our country can stay unified through these times of struggle.
It’s no secret that politics have always been divisive (there’s a reason why you don’t talk about politics at the Thanksgiving table). But with such potent undercurrents of political discontent brewing in the country, many ordinary Americans’ personal relationships have been affected. From Twitter users calling for Trump supporters to unfollow them to others lambasting these same Twitter users for their rhetoric, the question of whether we should cut friends off for political differences cannot seem to be ignored. So, should you? As much as I hate this answer (and I really, really do hate it), the answer is that it depends. But let’s talk about the things that it could depend on: 1. What are your core values? 2. What issues matter most to you? a. These can be anything from securing wealth equality to fighting for racial justice. 3. What is your stance on the issues that matter to you? a. Are you a staunch environmentalist? Feminist? Black Lives Matter advocate? Do you support Medicare for All? Marriage equality?
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Feminist? Black Lives Matter advocate? Do you support Medicare for All? Marriage equality? 4. Why do these issues matter to you? Maybe these issues are strongly linked to your sense of self, your family, or your economic situation. Reflecting on why you care about certain issues might help you answer the next questions. 5. How willing are you to accept deviations from your stances on important issues? What degree of deviation do you find to be acceptable? Everyone is afraid of being trapped in an echo chamber — we’ve seen its harmful effects in history time and time again. As such, everyone should try to surround themselves with diverse opinions, but from my view it is also completely valid to have limits. What are yours? 6. Why do you draw the line there? I think answering this question honestly is an important way to check if you’re locking yourself in an echo chamber or not. 7. How will you interact with friends you disagree with politically? For the friends you’ve decided to keep who may disagree with you, do you choose to engage in debates with them? How will you deal with the aftermath of those debates? 8. How will you interact with nonfriends you disagree with politically? 9. Once you’ve decided to cut someone off, how will you bring the friendship to an end?
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Overall, we live in times of what appears to be unprecedented political turmoil. As such, we need to take time to seriously and earnestly reflect on our values and why we believe so strongly in them. This type of reflection is necessary not just for choosing our friends, but also for deciding how we will shape our country going forward. What kind of advocacy will we take part in? Why? What kind of policies will we support? Why? What kind of people will we be? Why?
trump supporter republican
politics = identity?
is it worth our friendship
is it worth our friendship
politics = identity?
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In my lifetime, I never had any indication that people were unhappy with our democracy until the presidential election of 2016, an election in which popular vote winner Hillary Clinton lost the electoral college vote to Donald Trump, consequently losing her shot at the presidency. Since then, many have advocated for the abolishment of the electoral college in favor of more direct democracy— that is, one in which the popular vote determines the next president. However, there is another
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voting method others have presen as an alternative to the elect college system— ranked-cho voting.
According to FairVote, rank choice voting is a system in wh “voters rank their candidates in or of preference” (Fairvote, 2020). Th during the first round of vote count the peoples’ first-place picks added up. If by the end of this ro one candidate has gained more t 50% of the vote, this candidate officially deemed the winner. If not, candidate with the lowest amoun votes is dropped from the race. second choice candidates of all th who voted for the elimina candidate are then counted added to the counts of all corresponding candidates. After th one of the remaining candidates ga more than 50% of the vote, they elected. If no one gained more than
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A more representative form of government may also encourage those who feel that their voice is buried by the electoral college system to participate in election cycles.
50% of the vote by this time, the candidate with the lowest amount of votes again drops and their voters’ votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates per how they were ranked on people’s ballots. Finally, one candidate will obtain more than 50% of the vote, meaning that they win.
These aren’t the only benefits. Commentators on CNBC’s rankedchoice voting segment also articulated that ranked-choice voting will help to dissolve America’s perceived twoparty system, which in turn will make candidates more accountable to the people as opposed to the party.
Many people believe that rankedchoice voting is a more democratic method of counting votes. For example, FairVote claims that rankedchoice voting makes it so that candidates must obtain the majority before claiming office, which is more representative of the people’s will. FairVote also claims that rankedchoice voting will require candidates to reach out more to citizens. This is a very attractive advantage— after all, with effective outreach comes higher voter turnout and more opportunities to get more people civically engaged.
What are the drawbacks of rankedchoice voting? Well, according to KARE 11, opposition to ranked-choice voting mainly stems from concerns that this process needlessly complicates voting, discouraging voters them from showing up to the polls. But let’s see what people living in areas with ranked-choice voting implemented have to say about it. According to CNBC, areas that have implemented ranked-choice voting report higher degrees of citizen satisfaction with elections.
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Additionally, the Bangor Daily News reported that most people living in Maine - where ranked-choice voting has already been implemented - do believe that the winner of an election should be the person who wins the majority of the votes, which is the very principle ranked-choice voting relies upon. Ranked-choice voting, in both principle and execution, appears to have extremely attractive advantages that ultimately place more power in the hands of voters. However, hesitation remains over whether or not it is a good idea to implement nationwide. As such, I believe that more counties and states should introduce ballot measures presenting voters in various regions across the US with the opportunity to try rankedchoice voting. This way, we can better gauge how exactly this voting method is being received by citizens and whether its principles translate to its execution. I, for now, am very optimistic about ranked-choice voting.
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It may seem to hinder the party whose president is not running for reelection to open the field to many candidates instead of one from each party, but what this can do is open more opportunities to other candidates. By installing rankedchoice voting, you don't have to only vote for one person. If there are 10 candidates and you like a lot of them, then you rank them in order of preference. If there isn't a clear majority, then the candidate with the lowest votes will be eliminated. For everyone who put that candidate as their number one, the number two spot would take its place. This process would continue going until there is a clear majority.
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The presidential election is the most important election in America, and occurs once every four years. The election adoption of a new president every four or eight years modernizes America’s politics, so and now more things can be done. It’s like buying clothes — you may like a shirt, and you buy it. After a while, the shirt remains the same and doesn’t change. When America has reached its peak with a candidate, or a “shirt”, then it is important to expand our options and elect someone else. Whether you agree with the two parties or not, it needs to be said that the process of each party electing nominees that go head to head is ineffective and outdated.
using only a five-lane racecourse. A simple answer is just to race all the horses five at a time, then race the winners from each race until you have the three fastest horses. That is how the nomination committee works in our two-party system. But what this system fails to consider is that the top three fastest horses could have been in the same race in the beginning. We should not have to limit ourselves to only two candidates by the end of the election. This would only encourage people to vote for candidates simply out of party allegiance, rather than for the candidates’ values or policies. In different parts of America, we have already started using rankedchoice voting. Five states have used this system in this year’s presidential primary: Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, Nevada, and Wyoming. Republicans have used this nominating system for local, state, and federal officials with years in Utah, Indiana, and Virginia.
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Is the phrase “body goals” toxic? IN
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By Sahithi Lingampalli I’m sure when you’ve gone through Instagram and seen a photo of someone’s body, you’ve found many comments complimenting their body, and most commonly saying ‘body goals,’ or ‘BOD.’ I believe that everyone has their own standard of beauty, and by commenting ‘BOD’, or ‘body goals,’ you’re just expressing what your own standard is, as well as complimenting the person who has the body you like. Thus, even though people may be influenced by social media, I don’t believe the phrase “body goals” is toxic. I personally don’t believe that saying ‘body goals’ is dismissive of other body types because some people type those comments just to complement their friends -- whether they believe it or not. There are many people who work hard for their body, such as through fitness and dieting), and saying
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‘body goals’ may be another way of saying, ‘Working hard to get a body like that is my goal.’ Don’t take those comments seriously; everyone has different genetics and beauty standards are always evolving. 320 years ago, the beauty standard was to have a big, rounded stomach. 120 years ago it was to be plump. 100 years ago, it was to have a boyish figure. 60 years ago, it was to have a willowy body with no curves. 30 years ago, it was to look neglected and frail. Today, it’s to have hourglass curves and be ‘healthy’ skinny. ‘Body goals’ have always changed and will continue to change in regards to whom it's referencing. Maybe, in the future, there will be a famine, and its plump people who have enough food to eat will be the ‘body goal.’ Whatever the beauty standard is, don’t push yourself to meet it and conform to society’s expectations.
Everyone’s body is meant to be different, and everyone has different genes and lifestyles to make it so. Love your body the way it is— it experiences everything with you. The best body you can have is a healthy one, and you don’t need anyone to tell you otherwise.
By Geethikaa Tarra Do you ever go to your friends’ comments on Instagram to hype them up and see comments like “body goals” or “BOD?” Well, it happened to me two months ago, and it started to bother me. I didn’t understand why something that seemed positive and uplifting suddenly made me feel uncomfortable. After asking myself why it felt wrong, I came to a conclusion. The phrase itself is a backhanded compliment. While you are commending one’s body type, you are also dismissing every other body type to be unworthy of praise. It is almost as if you are creating the image that only one body type is acceptable when in reality, all our bodies are different but beautiful; they are all deserving of acceptance, regardless of shape, size, and other features. I love seeing people spread body positivity and confidence on my Instagram, TikTok, and other social media. But many people are unknowingly normalizing looking down upon body types just to bring up one, single body type. This mentality is extremely toxic and especially harmful to younger audiences such as teenagers. Teenagers face many challenges -- school pressures, social pressures, ___ pressures -- that can make them feel inferior to others. Guess what? Women and men’s bodies are already heavily criticized for not fitting “the trend.” Currently, this
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trend means women having “a big butt, thick thighs, wide hips, a skinny waist, and hourglass shape” (“Why Beauty Standards Are the Way They Are Today”). For men, it is having “an athletic body, abs, muscles, and broad shoulders” (“How standards of male beauty have changed over the last 100 years”). But you know what? All of these “trends” should not determine your value as a person. Bodies are NOT trends and bodies will ALWAYS be in style. Scientifically speaking, our bodies can only be modified to a certain point. Their shape is determined by so many factors like genetics, diet, lifestyle, and age. I personally have a fast metabolism and can eat literal garbage foods and junk but not gain any weight. But others can eat extremely clean and still gain weight. In the end, all bodies are different and health should take precedence overfitting the social norms. Always remember to own your body with confidence! Show it off and love it! It is the reason you are alive, healthy, and can experience life. After all, you need no validation from anyone but yourself.
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LAYOUT BY TRISTAN CASTRO ART BY SAHITHI LINGAMPALLI
By Neve Walker Like clothes or makeup styles, the perfect body changes over time. Body types go in and out of style almost as if the human body is meant to be admired and looked at, rather than to function as a normal healthy body. Women’s bodies are like clothes— if they are not “trendy” by society’s definition, then they are deemed to be unacceptable. Women have to deal with body image issues starting from a young age, and, even though men also suffer from these issues, they affect more women than men. Throughout my life, I have been overweight. When I was younger, it didn’t bother me. My sister, who is two years older than me, was also chubby. When she graduated from elementary school and went to middle school, she lost weight over the summer. It was my plan to also lose weight before middle school. Even as a 10-year-old, I was focused on my body, and felt the need to lose a lot of weight so people would think I was beautiful. Like many people, I felt— and still feel— the need to conform to society’s body standards to feel validated. Body image issues are a beast to overcome, and many never do. Today's beauty standards and “body goals” are near impossible. We need to be thin, but not too thin; thick, but only in certain places; we can’t have any blemishes; we can’t be too tall or too short; we have to take care of our appearance and wear makeup
(but still go for that “natural” look); we have to have the perfect body but we can’t be plastic. Having “body goals” now is not going to last forever, because what is deemed attractive always changes. We dictate our life and appearance in order to get validations from others. All my Instagram feed now is girls wearing bikinis, or other scandalous clothes, while taking photos at the perfect angle. In this society, this is how girls are treated. We receive validation and attention from these Instagram photos through receiving likes and comments. The only time we get a boy to like us, or get attention from someone, we have to share our bodies to the internet. Girls are then shamed for doing so, but in reality, it's society's fault for teaching us that the only time we are worth something is if we have the perfect body and if we post it. Because of their obsession to get the perfect body, many young women get body image issues and body dysmorphia. This causes many young women to have an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise. Getting a perfect body can become an obsessive pursuit and many women gain eating disorders just to get to the body that society wants them to have. 3.8% of women gain an eating disorder or eating disorder tendencies throughout their lives. In order to gain a perfect body, people give up the most important thing: their health. It is easy
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to say that the term “body goals” is not toxic because it doesn't affect you, but a lot of people face this issue and get bullied or harassed based on what their body looks like. I have a twin brother and I know a lot of his friends. When his friends come over to our house, I always overhear what they are saying. One day they were talking about girls and they were saying that this one girl in my grade is hot, but they would never “hook up” with her because she was too skinny and needed to be thick. They then talked about another girl and called her fat (which, by the way, she was not). Girls every day are being judged and criticized by boys for nothing. The girls that they were talking about did nothing wrong— they were just living their lives. But these boys felt it necessary that they rank and judge their bodies. Whether we know it or not, we are constantly being talked about and watched by the males in our life, we are being examined and picked apart for anything that is wrong about us or our body. Having “body goals” should not be the goal for us, but
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teaching boys that girls aren’t just objects and teaching girls that is ok to be different and that not looking perfect should be our goal.
references Should all states adopt rankedchoice voting systems?
Fairvote. (2020, May 03). What is Ranked Choice Voting? Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z2fRPRkWvY Pereira, I. (n.d.). New York City leaders sue to postpone ranked-choice voting system. Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/york-city-leaders-sue-postpone-ranked-choice-voting/story?id=74629165 Cnbc. (2019, November 04). Can Ranked-Choice Voting Change U.S. Elections? Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7gZPEeOh1I KARE11. (2017, October 26). Pros and cons of ranked-choice voting. Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up1ZXyM13ak Contributed. (2019, March 12). What Mainers really think of ranked-choice voting. Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://bangordailynews.com/2019/03/12/opinion/what-mainers-really-think-of-ranked-choice-voting/ Yang, A., & Weld, B. (2020, October 02). Andrew Yang, Bill Weld: Why ranked choice voting will improve America's elections. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/10/02/why-ranked-choice-voting-improve-american-elections-yang-weldcolumn/5877731002/
Is the phrase "body goals" toxic?
Edwards, V. (2020, April 21) Beauty Standards: See How Body Types Change Through History. Science of People. Retrieved from: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/beauty-standards/ Why Beauty Standards Are the Way They Are Today. (2020, September 02). Retrieved from https://brightside.me/inspiration-girls-stuff/why-beauty-standards-are-the-way-they-are-today-798752/ How standards of male beauty have changed over the last 100 years. (2016, June 30). Retrieved from https://brightside.me/wonder-people/how-standards-of-male-beauty-have-changed-over-the-last-100-years-188655/ Byrne, C. (2020, July 08). How To Tell If Your Relationship With Exercise Is Actually Toxic. The HuffPost. Retrieved from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-tell-if-relationship-exercise-toxic_l_5efb3f86c5b612083c52ff7d
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g4m3 p14n35 by Maya Krolik | Layout by Sahithi Lingampalli
cr055w0rd Use the clues below to fill out the cr055w0rd puzzle! Answers for the puzzle can be found throughout the magazine in the corresponding article!
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ACross
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3. An art form in which colors and shapes represent ideas rather than objects 4. Last name of the producer of Pulp Fiction 8. A social pattern that influences the action of others, creating a snowball effect 10. People whom you are close to, but may not necessarily agree with on everything 11. Last name of the current vicepresident-elect 13. The current amount of astronauts on the ISS celebrating the holidays 15. The occupation of recent protesters in India 16. Carbon ___ 20. The popular social platform designed to share images 21. The deliberate killing of females 22. The name of the Chinese moon rover 23. An activity involving dough 24. The y in DIY 25. The most abundant element in the universe
1. A method of voting involving the selection of multiple candidates in the order that one preferes them 2. What citizens of Hong-Kong have been doing to raise awareness of their democratic rights 5. An event or custom that may vary regionally but in general is passed down from generation to generation 6. One of the leading causes of height differences globally 7. A “finish line� that if taken too seriously, may become unhealthy in pursuing 9. One of the keys to why Christmas feels so special 12. A popular music listening platform 14. A potential way to store plastic waste 17. An Itallian cake 18. Giving strict rules to oneself or others 19. Middle-eastern country that gained international attention earlier this year with a large explosion
3. Expressionism 4. Tarantino 8. Trend10. Friends11. Harris 13. Seven15. Farmer 16. Footprint 20. Instagram 21. Femicide 22. Change 23. Baking 24. Yourself 25. Hydrogen
Answers! Across:
94
1. Ranked-choice 2. Protest 5. Tradition 6. Nutrition 7. Goal 9. Nostalgia 12. Spotify 14. Graphene 17. Tiramisu 18. Discipline 19. Lebanon
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